One third of parents worry about this Christmas, reveals Post Office

The Post Office research of 2,005 UK adults found a quarter say they plan to spend less money on close family and over a third will spend less on extended family and friends. With half saying Christmas will be a smaller occasion this year.

Nearly one in six plan on making homemade gifts; the main reason being to save money (63%). Whilst over half think it’s more thoughtful and over a third do so to be creative.

Four in ten plan to use cash to purchase Christmas gifts this year, and of these, two-thirds will do so to manage budgets and keep track of spending. A quarter plan to gift cash this year, instead of physical presents.

It comes as the Post Office announced it handled a record £3.45 billion in cash during August, with branches on track to further this record last month, October.

As Christmas edges closer, the Post Office is encouraging consumers to get ahead and post letters and parcels early.

Kristian Latham, Head of Letters & Parcels at the Post Office said: “Our research shows the cost of living will be impacting Christmas for many this year as households tighten their purse strings. This is set to affect how we shop, with more consumers planning on buying gifts earlier for financial reasons.

“Our branches will be open as usual in the pre-Christmas run up, helping consumers to post early, too. This is a great way to make the most of our cheaper posting rates, whilst leaving plenty of time for cards and gifts to arrive before the big day itself.

Despite half feeling excited, happy or optimistic about Christmas, the number of people feeling anxious and sad about the occasion has increased from just over one in six last year to almost one in four this year.

The Post Office study went on to find that half of us Brits shopping earlier this year are doing so to be more organised, with a third saying they make better decisions when they aren’t in a rush.

A fifth of those shopping earlier this year said they are doing so to ensure gifts arrive on time, with a quarter worrying a late gift might look like they hadn’t made any effort.

Four in ten admitted they enjoy Christmas shopping, with seven in ten planning on doing theirs in one of the sales.

Yet the majority of Christmas shoppers (74%), will be finishing up their Christmas shopping in December with one in three leaving it until just one week before the big day to pick up their final bits.

Struggling to know what gifts to purchase is the top reason people give for not getting their Christmas shopping completed early.

Latham went on to say: “As Brits gear up for the festive season, it’s vital to choose the best service for your precious gifts; the value of the item, speed of delivery needed and any tracking requirements are all important. If in doubt, our expert Postmasters can always recommend what’s best for your parcels.

“If you are posting goods or gifts abroad, being aware of what can and can’t be posted and getting customs forms right is very important to ensure parcels aren’t delayed or returned. Guidelines to filling in customs forms correctly are on our website and of course our Postmasters are always on hand to help.”

For more information this Christmas period, head to the Post Office’s Christmas hub, https://www.postoffice.co.uk/christmas.