’Tis the season of giving — and spending.
Americans will be forking over an average of $1,014 for gifts this Yuletide, according to Gallup’s 2024 holiday spending estimates.
That’s a 9% jump over 2023, when shoppers dropped an average of $923. The rise comes courtesy of inflation, experts say — a nagging problem that has significantly impacted the retail industry.
And while a new seasonal survey released by WalletHub places NYC well above that estimated national mean, our local maximum holiday budget of $1,539 per shopper is still well below many other lucky places in the country, The Post reported earlier.
To better understand just how we’re spending this season, The Post took to the streets of the Big Apple to ask New York City shoppers what they’re buying, as well as how much they plan to shell out — and how they’re sticking to their budgets.
Jesse Lynn Harte, 29, Queens
Jesse Lynn Harte is hoping to stay disciplined this year but feels the odds are against her.
“I plan on spending — hopefully, if I’m on a budget — $1,050,” she confessed. “But I’m going to spend more than that. I know it,” she admitted.
She’ll be stretching her limit to buy gifts for her boyfriend, immediate family, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends.
Her most expensive gift will be a designer item for her sister, she said.
Kaarin Holmberg, 77, Manhattan
Some New Yorkers have no plans for decking the halls with holiday presents.
“I plan on spending nothing because all my friends are old and they don’t want any gifts,” Holmberg revealed.
“I am a childless cat lady,” she confessed — saying that she will splurge on a treat for her feline family member this year.
“He’s deaf and cross-eyed, so I don’t know if he knows it’s the holiday season,” the sassy septuagenarian quipped.
Shari Ellis, 39, The Bronx
“My budget is about $300 for gifts,” Ellis declared, before catching herself. “OK, I’m married, so $500.”
Ellis plans to give 10 people a gift for the holiday season — and she has a strategy to make sure she sticks to the plan.
“Well, I’m budgeting, but I find great sales at Macy’s, Nordstrom and Fashion Nova, so I’m looking more on the sale side, where you find, like, a lot of great things,” she said.
Samantha Rullo, 32, Staten Island
“I’m definitely going to actually spend more on holiday gifts because I go crazy over budget, but I’m going to say probably $1,000,” Rullo told The Post.
The Staten Island native opts out of physical gift items, instead purchasing experiences for her loved ones, such as tickets to a Broadway show, dinner or an Airbnb gift card.
Rullo’s holiday season comes with an extra layer of pressure this time around because she’s also gift-shopping for her boyfriend’s family.
“I’m in a new relationship and I have to go hard to make a good impression, so adding in my partner’s family,” she confessed. “ I hope to God that [my budget] stays true, but it probably won’t.”
Clinton Reeves, 32, Manhattan
“I’m going to probably try to keep holiday spending to, like, under $1,000 because I’ve got a lot of people to buy for and I’ve got some special folks that I want to get some nice things,” Reeves told The Post.
The Hell’s Kitchen resident, who plans to buy 20 gifts, confessed that a grand will be the most he’s ever spent on holiday presents.
Ambika Deva, 46, Jersey City
Across the Hudson River, Ambika Deva, 46, hasn’t set her mind on holiday expenses yet.
“Goodness … Who knows? Well, this year I won’t be seeing my family in Florida,” Deva told The Post. “So probably a little bit less, approximately about a thousand.”
The mother of one anticipates most of her spending budget to go toward gifts for her son. Her most expensive gift, she said, will be a weekend getaway with family.
Keino Thompson, 49, The Bronx
The family man plans to spend around $1,000 on gifts for his wife and kids; however; he has no plans of making those purchases in-store.
“I’m not standing in line,” he chuckled to The Post. “I’ll be shopping online.”
Thompson anticipates his wife’s gift will be the most expensive.
Arthur Greenberger, 72, Queens
The Queens resident admits his wife oversees the holiday shopping, but if he had to “ballpark it,” he’d estimate more than $1,000.
“Well, between our kids and our ‘baker’s dozen of grandchildren,’ I would say anywhere between $1,200 to $1,500,” Greenberger said.
Nickolai Arneson, 27, Brooklyn
“With all the presents and going out, eating with friends, maybe a thousand [dollars],” Arneson told The Post.
That budget will need to cover gifts for around eight people, including his mom, dad and brother.
Andre Diggs, 30, The Bronx
The Bronx resident confessed he doesn’t start his holiday shopping until the festivities begin — even if it’s hours after gifts normally are unwrapped.
“I’m late with everything,” Diggs admitted. “I wait until Christmas Day to shop.”
Although tardy, Diggs isn’t afraid to spend a few bucks to make his family and friends feel loved during the holidays. He said he plans to drop “thousands” of dollars in the glittering stores of Fifth Avenue.
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