YouGov: 1 in 4 American parents are still paying off last year's holiday debt

YouGov surveyed American parents about their shopping intentions heading into the 2019 holiday season. When asked, “Are you currently paying off debt/bills for holiday gifts purchased in December 2018?”, a quarter of American parents (25%) answered yes.

When it comes to how parents pay for gifts, nearly 40% of Americans typically pay entirely or primarily with a credit card; the same number of respondents said they use debit cards and cash more often than credit cards.

American parents plan to spend an average of $558 on their children this year, and clothing is likely to be on many shopping lists.

Nearly two-thirds of American parents plan to buy clothes and accessories for their children. Shoes, toys, books, crafts and board games/puzzles will also appear under many Christmas trees.

How do parents ensure their children get the perfect gift? Nearly 60% of parents let their children tell them what they want, while 45% let their children write a list and 3 in 10 respondents let their children write letters to Santa Claus.

199IT.com Originally compiled from: YouGov. Please do not reprint without authorization