Spending Habits
Top tips for safe online shopping this Christmas
Almost £9 billion is forecast to be spent online this Christmas with more than 30 million people planning to shop online this year. However, shoppers could be putting their online security at risk in their pursuit to bag a Christmas bargain with only one in seven (14%) shoppers prioritising buying from a trusted site.
Shoppers go the distance for Christmas gifts
More than 22 percent of Christmas shoppers have driven over 50 miles to get the latest ‘must have’ Christmas gift and almost one in ten have embarked on a 100 mile round trip, according to a survey by leading used car website motors.co.uk.
Brits to splash out ahead of January VAT hike
Over 13.75 million UK adults (28 per cent) say they plan to go on a shopping spree in the next few weeks in advance of the increase in the standard rate of value added tax (VAT) on 4th January 2011, according to new research from Santander Insurance UK.
Over-55s increasingly concerned about the rising cost of living
Aviva's quarterly Real Retirement Report shows there has been a significant increase in over-55s' fears about the rising cost of living. Three quarters (74%) said that this was their biggest fear over the next six months and 70% over the next five years.
Top tips for Christmas shopping
The Finance & Leasing Association and Credit Action have listed their top tips for Christmas shopping to help consumers to spend responsibly with in-store credit, store and credit cards.
VAT is a mystery to one in five Brits
Almost a fifth of the population (18 per cent) don't know what VAT stands for, let alone understand how to budget for the forthcoming VAT rise this January, according to a survey conducted by national charity Citizens Advice.
Half a billion pounds wasted on buying unwanted gifts
As Brits hit the high streets to complete their Christmas shopping new research from comparison website Gocompare.com reveals that by Christmas morning nearly half a billion pounds will have been wasted buying unwanted presents.
How to cut your Christmas spending
Prudent British mums are set to collectively save more than £1.9billion on their Christmas purchase lists this year by becoming a nation of smart and savvy shoppers, according to research by Littlewoods Rewards, the loyalty scheme from Littlewoods.com.
Don’t lose track of your finances this Christmas
Andrew Hagger of Moneynet.co.uk warns consumers that failing to keep tabs on their current account balance over the Christmas & New Year period can prove a very costly error.
Brits to receive half a billion pound gift this Christmas
Britons are expecting to collectively receive £587million in gift money this Christmas reveals new research by direct bank first direct.
Christmas shoppers opt for overseas and online retailers
British shoppers will spend an estimated £16.7 billion on Christmas gifts this year, but only just over half (57 per cent) of this will be spent in traditional UK high street stores, according to new research from Santander Credit Cards.
Brits set for a home-made Christmas
Brits are getting creative with their Christmas spending this year with three fifths saying they will be more resourceful in order to save money or make it go further, according to new data from NS&I's Savings Survey.
Brits move away from cash as debit card usage soars
Cash finally succumbed to the rise of the debit card over the summer. Debit cards passed the historic milestone over the August Bank Holiday, when the running total of debit card spending (£272 billion) finally overtook the cumulative amount of cash spent (£269 billion) in the economy for the first time ever.
Kids come first as parents shell out £2 billion on Xmas gifts
With Christmas just three weeks away, and children up and down the country looking forward to ripping open their presents, the Cost of a Child study from insurance, investment and retirement group LV=, reveals parents will spend a bumper £2.2 billion on festive presents for their children this year. With an average of £148 to be spent on gifts and £20 on stocking-fillers, parents are collectively going to fork out £168 per child under 18.
Mega Monday busiest online shopping day of 2010
Monday 6th December is set to be the busiest online shopping day of 2010 in the lead-up to Christmas, as sales and traffic levels have begun to gather momentum towards Mega Monday.