Women blow the Christmas budget with `top-up' gifts

A new survey says that nearly half of women admit to spending more than they planned to on Christmas presents.

A new survey claims nearly half of women blow their Christmas shopping budget. National Savings & Investments found that a third of women splash out on last minute ‘top-up’ gifts, in addition to presents they’d already planned to purchase.

Only two-fifths of men surveyed admitted overspending and most said they finish their shopping well before Christmas. A fifth of the men surveyed said they had bought their presents months in advance and within budget. And only a quarter of men said they bought top-up presents.

Despite the current squeeze on our pockets, two-fifths of the women surveyed said that price wasn’t an issue when it comes to Christmas presents. Women spent an average of £50 more than men.

Unsurprisingly, nearly 40% of the women surveyed admitted that they felt frustrated or guilty about their Christmas spending when January rolled around.

It's easy to avoid falling into the trap of overspending. Make sure you avoid these Christmas rip-offs, and don't do your spending on these terrible cards. You can also save money of your gifts by reading our Frugal Gift blog every weekday in December!

More: Get a 0% credit card | Cut the cost of shopping for Christmas gifts | Beware this phishing scam at Christmas