I just heard on the news that lots of people plan to spend less than usual this christmas.

So, how much are you spending, and are you spending less than previous years?

I think I will stick to spending my usual amount of £0.00.

Though I will definitely be buying myself a few items.
[Reply]

I've heard completely the opposite. Because of the VAT increase in the new year research is showing people are spending much more than usual to beat the rise. And on average they are supposed to be spending £2300 per household! I personally don't believe that figure, but I do know people who have been buying laptops, ipods, cameras, phones, TVs, new cars etc before the VAT rise.

As for Christmas, I can't say how much I'm spending because my wife might read this and know how much I spent on her.
[Reply]

Hmm. That suggests that you are either spending a lot, or very little. I wonder which one it is .
[Reply]

I believe that approx. 300-400 euros would be ok.
[Reply]

Is the VAT going up in the UK next year? That's also gonna affect my online purchases then I guess. How much will it increase?
[Reply]

It is going up to 20%. Probably to compensate for the money they lost when they reduced it to 15% a few years ago.

I'm not sure why people would spend so much just to get round a small rise in VAT. I have been looking at a road bike and an LCD monitor as potential purchases for next year. I was looking at a few bikes that were around £500 now and calculated that the maximum price increase with the VAT increase would be around £10. So not really a lot when you considering that some 2011 model bikes are already £50 more than the 2010 models for the same specification.
[Reply]

This is my first 'single' xmas in almost a decade so I'm planning on spending far less than usual and most of it will be spent on making me merry. (always look for the silver lining no matter where it may hide lol!)

Certainly feels like people are being a lot more sensible thanks to the credit crunch, suppose that's not a bad thing as it's easy to get carried away over the silly season.
[Reply]

The only problem with everyone spending less, is that the shops will sell much less, and with many relying on this season to make their maximum profits to offset the quiet times. This could hit some companies badly.
[Reply]

20%, what we have to say here that we have 23%.

Change of plans. Approx. 700-800 euros now.
[Reply]

Too much, probably. But not enough to cause a problem either, so it's OK.
[Reply]