Northern Ireland residents best at keeping to Christmas budget, says survey

Updated

People living in Northern Ireland are the best at sticking to a Christmas budget - while those in London are the most likely to put their festive spending on credit, research suggests.

A survey into differences in spending habits across the UK found that 43% of people surveyed in London will use some form of credit to fund Christmas, making them the most likely area to do so.

The research, from Experian, found more than one in five (21%) of people in Northern Ireland said they always stick to a budget at Christmas and never go over it, making them the most likely to keep a rein on their spending.

At the other end of the spectrum, people in the North West of England were the most likely to throw caution to the wind, with more than a third (34%) saying they often or always exceed their budget.

Meanwhile, people in the North East of England were found to spend the most on chocolates at Christmas, at £26.71 on average.

The survey of more than 4,000 people found people in Glasgow spend the most on gifts for others at Christmas - spending £500 on others typically, followed by people in Liverpool, who spend £480 on gifts on average.

Coventry residents were found to buy the most presents, buying gifts for 11 people on average.

People in London were found to be the biggest spenders on themselves at Christmas - splashing out £126 on treats for themselves over the festive break on average while spending £318 typically on gifts for others.

The research also found people living in Leicester were the most likely to say they really enjoy Christmas, with two-thirds (66%) of people there saying they "get a lot of enjoyment" out of the festive season.

Experian has created an interactive map so that people can see how their region compares at www.experian.co.uk/xmas.html.



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