- 84% of parents think children have unrealistic expectations of Christmas due to TV adverts
- 42% of people surveyed went into debt last Christmas
- 49% of people worry about being judged by the presents they give
- Parents more likely to be worried about Christmas than non-parents, but half as likely to be depressed
- More people felt stressed than excited when they think about Christmas
It’s no secret that Christmas can be a stressful time for all, but parents clearly get the worst of it and Christmas TV adverts may be to blame. In a survey carried out by Cash Float, 84% of respondents said that children have unrealistic expectations for Christmas thanks to TV advertising.
Joe O’Neill, a Production Manager from Liverpool, clearly goes all out to please his children. But he does think that TV advertising does place a burden on parents because TV adverts “show children walking into their front room to thousands of presents and they have got all the latest gadgets and toys… It is unrealistic because no one can afford to do that… It’s got to the point where children expect this because what they see on TV is what they believe will happen.”
These stresses may explain why parents are much more likely to feel stressed or worried about Christmas than to feel happy or excited. The more positive news it that only 13% of parents felt depressed at the thought of Christmas but 26% of non-parents did.
A big part of these stresses will come down to money and unsurprisingly, with 42% of the survey respondents saying that they overstretched themselves last festive season.
Perhaps many of us would avoid debt if we weren’t so concerned about what other think about the presents we give.
The most common cost saving tip from the parents Cash Float surveyed was simply to plan ahead. Sonia Patterson, a mother of two from Kidderminster, is very proactive when it comes to finding deals. Sonia asks her “children well in advance what they would like from Santa, putting their requests into my wish lists on sites like Amazon, etc. and buying when they go down in price.”
So, while you may be doomed to finding presents in the Christmas rush this year, you can follow her advice and start your Christmas 2017 planning in the January Sales!
To help families avoid taking out payday loans Cash Float have put together their own guides to help families avoid taking out a payday loan this Christmas. One guide is focused on practical financial help for families while the other offers fun instructions for DIY Christmas gifts anyone can make.
Notes
- The data on who took out payday loans in December 2015 was taken from 7932 applications made Cash Float in December 2015
- The survey results were taken from a survey commissioned by Cashfloat of members of the UK general public. You can see all the survey results here.
- You find all data mentioned in the above press release here. This includes:
- Survey responses
- Statistics relating to the status of payday loan applicants last December.
- Interviews with parents about Christmas (pictures included)
- You can find Cash Float’s tips for a cheaper Christmas here.
Cash Float is a trading style of Western Circle Limited; an FCA-fully authorised direct lender. The Cashfloat model is based on fundamentally good morals and the most advanced artificial intelligence technology designed to help and protect people taking payday loans online.
