Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most expensive thanks to the various occasions, meals, and gifts associated with the season. One of the most important and, usually, expensive gifts we give is that to our partner, but how much should we realistically fork out on this?
A recent UK survey by British coupon website, CouponBirds, asked 2,000 adults how much they would be spending on a gift or gifts for their significant others this Christmas. The result was an average of €166.22, which was €18 less than they would be spending on their closest family members.
To our knowledge, there is no equivalent research based on Maltese consumer habits, at least not for 2023, but this survey got us thinking about how much we’re expected to splash out on this particular gift.
In reality, these sort of numbers can sometimes be overwhelming, especially for someone already struggling to make ends meet. But, what we need to keep in mind is that, for a start, this is an average, so there will be some people forking out a lot more, and many people spending a lot less.
Secondly, our belief is that a present is not about the price. Sometimes, a smaller, cheaper gift but which has been planned out, can deliver more happiness than a soulless, expensive gift .
In the end, only we know what our position is in terms of finances, and what the money we spend on gifts will mean for us.
So, if splurging on a gift for your partner means struggling to make rent, or finding it hard to put food on the table, or even missing out on the opportunity to have a good time with your partner at a dinner or a party, which will result in memories that could last a lifetime, then a smaller gift is always the better option. If, however, money isn’t that much of an issue, then treating your significant other to something more luxurious or expensive is a wonderful thing, nonetheless!
