Holiday Prep Survey 2022 — Results

Here are the results from our Holiday Prep Survey 2022. Thank you to all who participated!

Are you looking forward to the holiday season?

Yes (80 percent)
No (20 percent)

Do you feel financially prepared for this holiday season?

Yes (53 percent)
No (47 percent)

Will you be purchasing gifts this holiday season?

Yes (89 percent)
No (11 percent)

(if yes) How many total people will you be purchasing gifts for?

5 to 9 people (40 percent)
1 to 4 people (29 percent)
10 to 14 people (20 percent)
15 or more people (11 percent)

(if yes) How much do you plan to spend per person (on average)?

$50 to $100 (39 percent)
Less than $50 (38 percent)
$101 to $250 (15 percent)
$251 to $500 (Five percent)
$501 to $1,000 (Two percent)
More than $1,000 (One percent)

(if yes) Do the people you’re buying gifts for know what they are getting in advance?

No (87 percent)
Yes (13 percent)

Do you expect to spend more money on holiday items this year because of inflation?

Yes (61 percent)
No (39 percent)

Do you plan on spending more or less than last year's holiday season?

The same as last year (45 percent)
More (32 percent)
Less (23 percent)

Do you create a spending/holiday budget?

No (54 percent)
Yes (46 percent)

(if yes) Do you typically stick to your budget for the holidays?

Yes (73 percent)
No (27 percent)

Do you plan to travel for the holidays?

No (68 percent)
Yes (32 percent)

(if yes) How far do you plan to travel for the holidays?

Another state (59 percent)
Another city (22 percent)
Another country (19 percent)

(if yes) How do you plan to travel? (select all that apply)

By car (60 percent)
By plane (50 percent)
By bus or train (Eight percent)
On a cruise (Four percent)

In your opinion, what do you find the most stressful out of the following? (select up to 2 responses)

Shopping for gifts (46 percent)
Nothing – the holiday season doesn’t stress me out. (25 percent)
Holiday meals [cooking/baking] (22 percent)
Seeing extended family (21 percent)
Traveling (17 percent)
Decorating (11 percent)

(if “Shopping for gifts”) Why does shopping for gifts cause you stress? (select all that apply)

Finding the perfect gifts people will actually like (74 percent)
Looking for the best deals/sales (54 percent)
Spending too much money or going into debt (51 percent)
Crowded stores/long lines (37 percent)
Saving enough money for gifts (33 percent)
Looking for out of stock items (15 percent)

How do you prepare for holiday shopping? (select all that apply)

Researching the best sales/prices (72 percent)
Creating a list of everything you need to buy (52 percent)
Shopping throughout the year (42 percent)
Budgeting/saving enough money to cover holiday spending (35 percent)
Pre-ordering any new items that may sell out (17 percent)

Are you planning to shop for gifts early or are you holding off until Black Friday/holiday sales?

Shopping early (51 percent)
Waiting for Black Friday/holiday sales (49 percent)

Have you already started shopping for this upcoming holiday season?

Will start in November (30 percent)
Yes, I already started but have not finished (28 percent)
Will start in October (17 percent)
Will start in September (12 percent)
Will start in December (Eight percent)
Yes, I already started and completed my holiday shopping (Five percent)

What was the latest you waited to buy a holiday gift?

A few days/day before gifting. (50 percent)
A few weeks before gifting. (25 percent)
The day-of gifting. (15 percent)
More than a month before gifting. (10 percent)

Do you shop during any of the following popular times? (select all that apply)

Cyber Monday (79 percent)
Black Friday (78 percent)
First week of December (47 percent)
Saturday after Thanksgiving (47 percent)
Cyber Tuesday (36 percent)

How will you be doing the majority of your holiday shopping?

Online (85 percent)
In-person (15 percent)

What do you overspend the most on during the holidays?

Gifts (61 percent)
Food/Beverages (19 percent)
Travel (10 percent)
Experiences [i.e. ice skating, skiing, holiday light shows, etc.] (Seven percent)
Holiday decorations (Three percent)

Do you ever change your mind about buying a gift because the shipping is too expensive?

Yes (86 percent)
No (14 percent)

(if yes) What’s the most you would spend on shipping for a gift?

$0.01-$5 (34 percent)
$5.01-$8 (29 percent)
$8.01-$10 (19 percent)
More than $10 (18 percent)

Do you ever change your mind about buying a gift because the shipping takes too long?

Yes (84 percent)
No (16 percent)

(if yes) How long are you willing to wait for shipping?

4-6 days (48 percent)
1-2 weeks (35 percent)
1-3 days (13 percent)
3-4 weeks (Three percent)
More than 4 weeks (One percent)

The survey polled a cross-section of 2,910 adults, aged 18 and over.