Believing In Santa Is Costly

A new poll of 2-thousand U.S. parents who celebrate Christmas finds that 68% of kids ages 10 and younger believe in Santa, and just 27% don’t.

• Parents of Santa believers plan to spend over $100 more on gifts than those of non-believers.
• The average mom or dad of a Santa-believing child expects to spend $491 on presents this year, while parents of kids who don’t believe plan to spend $388.
• The most expensive gifts kids are asking for from Santa are $205, on average.
• While that might sound high to some, only 35% of parents think it’s “too expensive.”
• According to the survey, kids who believe in Kris Kringle are twice as likely to be excited for Christmas than non-believing little ones (87% compared to 41%).
• Believers also tend to get more gifts, seven on average, compared to the four that non-believers get.
• Popular presents parents are getting their kids this year include clothes (57%), electronics (36%), video games (26%), books (26%), puzzles and games (24%), and candy (23%).
• Overall, 41% of parents whose kids believe in Santa say their kids take the nice and naughty lists “very seriously.”
• But 87% of these moms and dads admit they’d still get their kiddos presents, even if they deserve to be on the naughty list.