Do you get rippedoffat Christmas?

NEW research commissioned by Circle reveals how generous Irish people are at Christmas, with over half the population giving more than they receive.

Circle, the free social payments app which makes it easy to send, receive and request money from anyone in your phonebook, commissioned Amarach to conduct a nationwide survey to expose how much the spirit of Christmas costs.

According to this research, adults in Munster calculate they lose out by an average of €217 on festive scenarios, including pub rounds, Christmas parties, group presents and the forgotten gift cards.

Men claim to be more left out of pocket (€275) compared to women (€222). Those aged between 34 and 44 stand to lose the most money.

Over half (53 per cent) of respondents feel they spend more on presents they give than those they receive, with €111 being the average perceived difference. Respondents over 55 years of age claim the biggest difference with €143, and respondents between the ages 16 and 24 claim the smallest difference with €67.

56 per cent of women feel they have spent more on presents than they have received in return. The survey revealed that over the Christmas festivities we lose, on average, €44 for pub rounds and €62 on Christmas meals out. Men, in particular, claim to be left short in pubs and restaurants, whether it is friends or family who dodge their round or do not pay the restaurant deposit.

Those who plan to share the cost of an expensive present can stand to lose €82 on group presents where not everyone who signs the card contributes their share of the cost. 28% of respondents admitted they have met this fate with close to half of 16-24 year olds (49%) left short.