A gift under the tree? ...Forget it, half of us just want the money

ALMOST half of people in Northern Ireland would prefer to receive cash this Christmas over a gift.

Some 45% of people here would rather receive money for Christmas than unwrap a traditional Christmas gift, Standard Life found.

Across the UK, 56% of men opt for cash, but less than half (45%) of women surveyed would prefer money.

The research also found differences among age groups nationally, with nearly two-thirds (62%) of 18 to 34-year-olds saying they would prefer to receive cash at Christmas.

Meanwhile, 61% of over-55s would rather receive a traditional present.

Nearly a fifth (18%) of people aged 55 and over thought that giving money shows a lack of thought or effort — although some also said they would feel relieved at not having to shop for a gift.

Jamie Jenkins, a personal finance expert at Standard Life, said: “While some people might see gifting money as lacking thought, it’s actually what lots of us really want.”

People living in London and Wales would be particularly happy to receive cash instead of gifts at Christmas, the research found, while those living in Scotland were the most likely to prefer a gift.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of people surveyed in London said they would prefer to receive cash, as did 55% of people surveyed in Wales, compared with 41% of people in Scotland. Across the survey, people generally found it most acceptable to receive money from parents, but they would be less impressed if friends tried to give them cash for Christmas.

Among those who would prefer to receive money this Christmas, 43% want to put it towards something that they particularly want, and 16% would add it to their savings. Under-35s would be the most likely to put any cash they receive for Christmas into savings, with 27% of people surveyed in this age group planning to do so.

Some 2,000 people were surveyed in November for the research.

Previously, Northern Ireland has been identified as the UK’s most generous region.

People here spend more of their monthly income on Christmas than any other UK region — and they also fork out a fortune on children.

Research found that generous consumers here spend 67% of their pay packet on Yuletide and all its trimmings — much higher than anywhere else.