It may be better to give than to receive, but that doesn’t make picking out holiday presents for your family and friends any easier. Even with all the festive cheer that the season brings, it can be stressful to shop for the perfect gift for everyone on your list if you’re worried the folks you hold near and dear won’t be delighted by what they find under the tree.
With gift givers spending more than ever, that pressure is mounting. In 2024, U.S. consumers dropped a record $994 billion on holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, and projections by the Mastercard Economic Institute suggest holiday sales will continue to climb this year, by an estimated 3.6%. Higher-income shoppers, buoyed by a surging stock market, are likely to spend even more.
Shelling out bigger bucks, though, doesn’t necessarily yield better gifts for the people you love. The NRF says holiday returns last year were 17% higher than average, suggesting a growing number of presents are missing the mark, putting added pressure on gift givers this year.
Don’t Waste Your Money on Bad Gifts. Try This Instead.
