Last year, consumers expected to spend €1,177 on festive spending, and one in five got into debt
It’s easy for spending to get out of control at Christmas. Photo: Getty
Mariah Carey has been defrosted, Christmas lights have been switched on in parts of the country, and the supermarket shelves have already replaced the Halloween pumpkins with tins of Afternoon Tea.
We’ve only entered the third week of November – yet for consumers struggling with the cost of living, the ever-lengthening consumer-fest that is the run-up to Christmas is a stark reminder of the financial challenges we all face in what’s shaping up to be the most expensive Christmas in many years.