Self-Gifting Is Big This Year

While you're out doing the holiday shopping and buying gifts for everyone else, are you tempted to splurge on something for yourself?

This idea of self-gifting was actually part of the sermon I heard at church yesterday, so I did a little more investigating and dug up some interesting facts.

My pastor said we'll spend on average, $75 on a gift for a close friend, $23 on an acquaintance, and $123 on a gift for ourselves. Tis the giving season! To ourselves apparently. A national newspaper says the self-spending total will be even higher - close to $200 per person.

The Chicago Tribune says Southerners will do the most self-gifting this year, and 61 percent of us will buy something for ourselves.

Southerners, according to the Tribune, will spend $141.39 on self-gifting. That's the average of lower-priced gifts like t-shirts and candles, mixed in with the more expensive TVs, iPads, and Wii U's that boost the average.

Self-gifting is bigger than ever this year, up 15 percent from 2004. And guess what; guys are more likely to self-gift than us gals, and guys spend more when they do it. Guys will spend $165 on a gift for themselves, while women will spend $115.

After thinking, "Wow we're selfish peeps," I logged into my email and saw a note from a shoe store offering "Buy 2, get 20 percent off." Then I thought, "Hmm...what a great opportunity buy something for someone else AND get a little bonus something for me." Been there? The Black Friday sales, and the others that keep coming like rapid fire bullets to the inbox, are hard to resist.

Millenials, those in the 18-24 age group are most likely to buy a gift for themselves. 71 percent will buy a Wii game or hot new pair of jeans for themselves this season. Almost 70 percent of those 25-34 will do the same, and 63 percent of those 35-44 will self-gift.

Think those folks waiting in long lines to buy a laptop or iPad are buying it for someone else? Think again.