Australians are tipped to spend more on flights and travel than anything else over Christmas, a new study has found.
According to research by comparison website Finder, Aussies will fork out an average $1,361 each this Christmas, with an average of $458 spent on travel per person.
The amount Australians will spend on flights and travel will exceed that spent on presents ($411), food ($248), eating and drinking out ($140), and alcohol ($104).
Now imagine if some of the money spent on gifts also went towards travel or experiences.
Total expenditure is up from the $1,232 spent per person last year, with the increase attributed to an inflated cost-of-living.
“Christmas is a notoriously expensive time of year – but with the extra cost of living pressure it is an even bigger burden,” Finder money expert Rebecca Pike said.
“The festive season can be one of the happiest times of the year but for many households it can also be one of the most stressful.”
Pike added it was a good idea to set a budget before splurging on anything.
“You don’t want to be caught paying with credit unless you plan to pay it off in full before interest is charged,” she remarked.
“If money is tight, you could replace gifts with things like acts of service or experiences like a family picnic at the park.
“The last thing you want is a ‘debt hangover’ when the New Year comes around.”
Overall, Aussies are expected to spend $27.3 billion on holiday spending, almost $4 billion more than the $23.9 billion splashed out last year.
Women ($1,580) are predicted to fork out over $450 more than men ($1,123) on average.
Christmas spend for top fives states
- NSW $1,488
- VIC $1,432
- WA $1,379
- QLD $1,244
- SA $1,200
The national study polled 1,054 respondents in October 2022.
Check out what The Flight Centre Foundation has been up to in the run-up to Christmas.
