Stressed Out Americans To Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts, Donate Less Christmas spending is expected to drop this year as Americans struggle to pay for household essentials, while charitable donations are also in danger, according to recent surveys. Deloitte said that 5,000 survey respondents were only planning on buying nine gifts this year compared to 16 on average last year, while a Bankrate study found 84% will resort to cost-cutting measures. Consumer spending has been on a downward trend for months, dropping 2% this year after last year’s 8% leap, as 41% of households claim to be having difficulty paying for household essentials. Subscribe to RT