Australia’s Seasonal Shopping Habits Revealed
Our recent Credit Savvy survey has revealed that Aussies are split down the middle when it comes to spending at this time of year.
Just over half of us (54%) don’t set a budget for the holiday season and one in three spends more than they can afford during this time.
The credit hangover appears to linger into the New Year, with nearly a quarter (22%) of us taking three or more months to recover from overspending. In fact, one in five Aussies are nervous about the impact of holiday spending on their credit score.
On the other hand, 52% save during the year specifically for the holiday season, and just 7% of us take out a new credit card to pay for spending during this period.
When it comes to paying for our purchases, it might surprise you to learn that cash is king, with most Aussies paying for gifts and holiday purchases with cash, while 43% said they would use a credit card.
According to Dirk, the founder of Credit Savvy,” There’s definitely a difference in attitudes towards holiday spending among Australians. A little more budgeting and planning would probably help people before and throughout the season, but it’s good to see that the message of actively managing your credit score and standing is starting to get through.”
When you consider that just a few years ago, there wasn’t much awareness of credit scores locally, we’re pretty chuffed to be making inroads into helping Australians manage their credit reputation. If you haven’t checked your credit score yet, you can do it for free right here!
¹ Based on a survey commissioned by Credit Savvy in November and December 2015 with 155 respondents.
