Key findings:
- With six months to go to Christmas Day, almost half of Brits have started planning their Christmas shopping
- Most plan to save over £300 in the next six months to pay towards Christmas 2025
- The increase in utility bills has caused the most financial strain on families in the past six months (38%), followed by rising cost in household essentials (33%)
The six-month countdown to Christmas 2025 is on and most UK families are already putting aside savings now for Christmas 2025, according to a study from Park Christmas Savings.
And while the UK may be basking in sizzling sunshine, securing an early bird bargain is still a priority with 46 per cent revealing they've already started Christmas shopping.
Just under half of shoppers (47%) will be hitting the summer sales, which are set to kickstart fully next week, to grab bargain gifts and goods well in advance.
Favourite items on their hit-list will be furniture, toys, electricals and house décor (55%), followed by non-perishable food, drinks and confectionary (27%).
Over 4000 customers took part in the summer savings poll which is part of Park’s annual summer ‘Junemas’ campaign to encourage early bird saving to avoid debt when paying for Christmas.
On top of their present savings, over 70 per cent plan to save at least £300 in the next six months to pay towards Christmas 2025.
For almost half (46%) the key motivation to be an early bird is to avoid debt, followed by avoiding stress (34%) and the ‘early bird glow’ of knowing they’ve organised Christmas in advance (19%).
The rising cost in utility bills came out on top as the most challenging aspect of juggling household finances so far this year (38%), followed by the rising cost in food and household essential items such as detergents and cleaning products (33%) and squeezed income - meaning less money for treats and unexpected expenses (26%).
“Our Junemas summer savings survey shows just how much UK families are prioritising budgeting throughout the year to meet the extra challenges they face,” Katherine Scott, director of marketing at Park Christmas Savings (part of PayPoint PLC), said.
“At Park we are all about avoiding debt and spreading the cost of major outgoings like Christmas. It’s exactly six-months to Christmas 2025 and now is the perfect time to take stock of finances. Putting aside an affordable amount now each week or month is the simple solution for a stress-free family celebration in December.”
