New Yorkers shelled out more for Christmas gifts than any other state this year — here’s the astronomical amount

NY Post ^ | 12/25/25 | Marissa Matozzo

[Libloather]

Looks like Santa’s sleigh is running on plastic.

A new holiday spending survey finds parents are shelling out more than ever to fill stockings — and nobody’s splurging like New Yorkers, who plan to blow a whopping $732 per child on Christmas gifts this year, the highest in the nation.

Nationwide, parents expect to drop an average $521 per kid — up 13% from last year — turning holiday cheer into what feels like a second rent payment, according to CouponBirds’ annual Christmas Spending & Savings Survey of 2,500 parents.

To afford it, families are charging first and worrying later.

A staggering 58% expect to go into debt, mostly via credit cards and Buy Now, Pay Later plans — and only 32% feel confident they’ll escape the holidays debt-free.

And a whopping 43% of parents are using services like Klarna and Afterpay this year, more than double last Christmas.

Spending varies wildly by state. Next in line after New York is New Jersey ($728) and Texas ($722), while families in West Virginia, South Dakota and Nebraska are trying to keep costs closer to $300 a child. Just 3% believe they can pull off Christmas on under $100.

[Sacajaweau]

Of course, it's now the dollar and a quarter store. I just stocked up on Campbells Tomato soup...they have a bigger can. I use whole milk...sometimes crackers (unsalted) or rice.

I switched to unsalted "saltines". Soooo much better.

[mass55th]

Sounds like you have a very enjoyable Christmas when you all get together. I’ve been the last one left in my family since 2013. I’ve been divorced since 1979, so the holidays here are spent with my two sons. My niece from my brother’s marriage called me a short while ago. My sister-in-law lives with her and her family which consists of her wonderful husband, two sons, ages 21 and 19, and their twin girls, age 16.

[TermLimits4All]

Well we did a vacation the week prior to Christmas. Paid for months ago. I felt kind of shitty in the lack of gifts this year, but it’s been an extremely challenging year for us and our business this year. We still have it better than a lot of folks.
To be fair we didn’t even put up decorations this year. We only had threes days before Christmas to do it. Said next year.

[cgbg]

That Wikipedia page is deeply insane.

I have never met a live human being who celebrated any of that LGBT garbage—but supposedly they are out there.

[Bon of Babble]

Yeah, wait until they see what Mamdani is going to charge them...especially if they live in the “Whiter” parts of town.

[LegendHasIt]

A lump of coal can be very inexpensive, especially if you buy in bulk. A couple hundred bucks will get you a lifetime supply for a large family.

AND heat your home if the Natural Gas and Electricity are shut off.

[God luvs America]

We are in NY- i always spend a lot on Christmas but i have plenty of savings and $$$ before i start....we also due the traditional Christmas Eve seven fishes dinner- which i’ve referred to as “the $1000 dinner” as its gotten so expensive...

This year??? I was less than $800...jonas crab claws, which are always a hit, have not increased $1 per pound in two years, we got great deals on shrimp and i have enough lobster left over to feed me for the next week...

My wife was also surprised when i came back from the local fish market on Tuesday how low the bill was comparatively...

[Magic Fingers]

Who ever said, “I really want a scented candle for Christmas.”

I have to confess though... this year almost everyone got a chihuahua because someone down the road just rescued a bunch from a puppy mill.

---

Lol - I would be saying “I really want a scented candle for Christmas” if it was a choice between that and a chihuahua.

[cyclotic]

We have four kids, one is married, another engaged. All adults.

I doubt we spent $350 on gifts.

We also took them and some of their friends and grandma out to dinner. Even that, our group of ten was just over $200.

We’re all packed into grandma’s house so it’s kind of tight.

They live in several states and have a great time with each other. That’s the good part. It’s usually the only time of the year we’re all together.

[Moltke]

according to CouponBirds’ annual Christmas Spending & Savings Survey of 2,500 parents.

That's only 50 parents per state! I.e., this data is WORTHLESS BS without any statistical significance.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

A staggering 58% expect to go into debt, mostly via credit cards and Buy Now, Pay Later plans — and only 32% feel confident they’ll escape the holidays debt-free.

Our family stopped exchanging Christmans gifts several years ago and celebrating has never been better.

Not only do we save a ton of money every year, but the holiday is much less stressful.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

I’m about the same age. Our “gifts” are the effort made to visit and we all love it.

Same here. We stopped exchanging gifts several years ago and Christmas is much more enjoyable.

We share a good meal and each other's company on Christmas day, which is what it's really all about.

[TLI]

""You missed all the really important holidays:""

Aw come on, it's only 28 holidays. Well, ok it is actually 72 days 'cause four of them are 7 days long, each.

I mean really, normal American Citizens (non-fag) get, umm, Independence Day!

Agender Pride Day	19 May	2017	A day celebrated internationally[2][3] to promote awareness of agender individuals.[4]
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week[5]	The first full week following Valentine's Day (14 February), beginning on Sunday[6]	2014	A week to promote information and awareness about aromantic spectrum identities ("an identity within the LGBTQIA+ community in which someone experiences little to no romantic attraction."[7]) and the issues they face.[8] This week was first recognized from 10 to 17 November 2014, under the name Aromantic Awareness Week. In 2015, it was moved to late February and the name was changed to Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, to be more inclusive of all arospec identities.[9]
Aromantic Visibility Day	5 June	2023	A day to promote the visibility of aromantic people.[10][11]
International Asexuality Day	6 April	2021	IAD is a coordinated worldwide campaign promoting asexuality as a valid sexual orientation.[12][13][14] The four themes of IAD are Advocacy, Celebration, Education and Solidarity.[15]
Ace Week	Last full week in October	2010	Week to promote awareness of those who do not feel sexual attraction to anyone.[16] It was founded by Sara Beth Brooks in 2010.[17][18]
Bisexual Awareness Week	16-22 September	2014	Also referred to as BiWeek and Bisexual+ Awareness Week.[19]
Celebrate Bisexuality Day	23 September	1999	Also referred to as Bisexual Pride Day, CBD, Bisexual Pride, and Bi Visibility Day.[20]
Genderfluid Visibility Week	17-24 October	2021	Also referred to as Genderfluid Week, Fluid Week[21] or Genderfluid Awareness Week.[22]
Drag Day	16 July	2009	A day that aims to celebrate and recognize drag art all around the world.[23] Created by Adam Stewart[24] in 2009 through his Facebook fan page[25] for drag queens.[26]
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia	17 May	2005	The main purpose of the 17 May mobilizations is to raise awareness of violence, discrimination, abuse, and repression of LGBT communities worldwide.
International Day of Pink	The second Wednesday in April	2007	The International Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event[27] where participants are encouraged to wear or display a pink shirt, echoing a mass gesture of solidarity with a student subjected to homophobic bullying in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2007.
International Day to End Conversion Therapy	7 January	2025	International Day to End Conversion Therapy (IDECT) is an annual observance held on January 7 that seeks to raise awareness about the harms associated with conversion therapy practices worldwide. The day highlights the resilience of survivors, amplifies their experiences, and promotes advocacy for the global elimination of such practices. It also calls on policymakers, allies, and communities to support affirming, evidence-based care for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. It was started by the nonprofits C.T. Survivors Connect & Conversion Therapy Survivor Network.
Intersex Awareness Day	26 October	1996	Celebrated in October to commemorate the first intersex protest, which took place in Boston, Massachusetts.[28]
Intersex Day of Remembrance	8 November[29]	2005	A day designed to raise awareness of the issues faced by intersex people. It marks the birthday of Herculine Barbin, a French intersex person. The event began as Intersex Solidarity Day, following an invitation issued by Joëlle-Circé Laramée, the then Canadian spokeswoman for Organization Intersex International.[30]
Lesbian Day[31]	8 October	1980 (NZ) or 1990 (Aus)[32]	An annual day celebrating lesbian culture that originated in New Zealand and Australia,[33] but is now celebrated internationally.[34]
Lesbian Visibility Day	26 April	2008	Annual day to celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to lesbians.[35][36][37]
National Coming Out Day	11 October	1988[38]	A day to celebrate the act of "coming out", i.e. when an LGBT person decides to publicly share their gender identities or sexual orientation.[39] National Coming out Day was founded in the United States by gay rights activists Robert Eichberg and Jean O' Leary on 1988 in Washington, DC, United States. By 1990 it was being celebrated in all 50 states.[40] Although still named "National Coming Out Day", it is currently observed around the world, in countries such as Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Australia also on 11 October, and in the United Kingdom on 12 October.
Dyke Week	9 August	2022	An annual day to promote Dyke history, culture and dyke communities. Inspired by Dyke Day in LA or Dyke Weekend in Japan. Established by HER app in 2022.
Non-Binary Awareness Week	The week, starting Sunday[41]/Monday,[42] surrounding 14 July	2020[43][44]	A week dedicated to those who do not fit within the traditional gender binary,[45] i.e. those who do not exclusively identify as a man or a woman, or who may identify as both a man and a woman, or may fall outside of these categories altogether.[46] Promoted on Twitter as @NBWeek.[47]
Non-Binary People's Day	14 July	2012	An annual day to celebrate and bring visibility to people who are non-binary in the LGBT+ community. The date is the precise midpoint between International Men's Day and International Women's Day.[48]
Pansexual & Panromantic Awareness Day	24 May[49]	2015	An annual day to promote awareness of, and celebrate, pansexual and panromantic identities.
Pronouns Day	The third Wednesday in October	2018	An annual event that seeks to make sharing, respecting and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.[50][51][52]
Trans Awareness Month	November[53][54]	2017	A month to celebrate transgender and gender nonconforming communities and to raise awareness for this community through education and advocacy activities.
Trans Awareness Week	13-19 November[55]	2017	A week to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming people, and the issues associated with their transition and/or identity.
Transgender Day of Remembrance	20 November	1999	Day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.
Trans Day of Visibility	31 March[56]	2009[57]	A day to celebrate the trans community in a positive light, celebrating their lives and cultural achievements. This observance date was founded in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker (Michigan, United States),[58] the head of Transgender Michigan,[59] as a reaction to the lack of a day celebrating transgender people.
Trans Parent Day	The first Sunday in November[60]	2009[61]	A day that celebrates life and the love between transgender parents and their children, and between parents and their transgender children.[62]
Zero Discrimination Day	1 March[63]	2014	A United Nations (UN) recognized day[64] promoting equality before the law, and in practice, throughout all of the member countries of the UN. The UN first celebrated this day on 1 March 2014, launched as part of the previous year's Zero Discrimination campaign run by UNAIDS on World AIDS Day (1 December 2013).[65]

[mass55th]

"The biggest splurge was the 2025 Hess truck."

I laughed about the Hess truck. My oldest son now 59, when he was little, drove us nuts because he wanted a Matchbox street sweeper. My mother tracked one down for him not long after. I wish he still had those little cars. They'd probably be worth some money now.

You're a smart shopper, buying throughout the year. I hope you had a great Christmas with your family. Have a happy and healthy New Year too!!

[mass55th]

"Hope you had a good day with your sons..."

Thanks. We're actually doing our Christmas dinner on Saturday as my oldest son, who lives two hours east of us has to work tomorrow. I've been baking, and decorating cookies these past two days. Tomorrow, I have to pick up the standing rib roast.

[Organic Panic]

Not sure your age. But here, at least, there is the Christmas dinner at the senior center. And I play music so having a band session with other “seniors” is always a fun get together for the holidays and the people with no more family always love it. Merry Christmas and God Bless.