Grandparents draw the short straw when it comes to family Christmas presents, with people spending half the amount on their granny or grandpa’s gift than they spend on their mother’s present, research has found.
The typical Brit spends just £16.67 on a Christmas present for a grandparent compared to £32.65 on their mother.
The findings are contained in a report into spending habits by Sainsbury’s, the supermarket.
Meanwhile people spend £27.68 on their fathers. When it comes to siblings, people on average spend £20.98 on their brothers and £20.42 on their sisters.
The survey found that – unsurprisingly – people lavish the most money on their own children when it comes to Christmas presents. The typical Briton with children will spend £104.40 on presents per child.
One in five parents said they plan to spend over £200 on presents for each child this year, almost 12 times the amount they spend on their grandparents.
The survey found that after children the second most money that people spend goes on their partner. People on average spend £78.54 on their other halves.
Family pets and work colleagues are not left out. People with pets spend an average of £8.21 on presents for the animal, while they spend an average of £8.86 on work colleagues.
The cost of ‘Secret Santa’ – a game in which a group of people give presents to each other anonymously – is around £8.36 per person, the survey found.
Sainsbury’s also said that four in ten people are likely to buy a gift for someone they know will not buy them one in return.
Sarah Warby, marketing director at Sainsbury’s said that people appear prepared to spend this Christmas despite the sluggish economy.
She said: “This research shows that although pressures on household budgets continue, customers are still able to enjoy moments of indulgence and treat their friends and family.
The survey also asked people what makes a memorable Christmas.
Six in ten people said that spending quality time with friends and family gets them most excited. For a quarter of people, going for drinks with friends on Christmas Eve is one of their top three favourite moments.
Meanwhile a third of families said that playing games was their favourite activity.
The survey was carried out for Sainsbury’s by YouGov, which polled over 2,000 people.
SEE ALSO: Business Insider's Ultimate Gift Guide
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