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Young Aussies pressured to buy love this Christmas
Younger Australians are likely to spend more this Christmas as they equate expensive gifts with love, a researcher has found.
Young Aussies pressured to buy love this Christmas
Younger Australians are likely to spend more this Christmas as they equate expensive gifts with love, a researcher has found.
Renewed consumer confidence and stronger than expected employment data is tipped to see spending rise despite the recession.
Roy Morgan and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has pointed to a 2.8 per cent increase in spending this Christmas to $54.3 billion.
However, despite this predicted rise in spending, RMIT University’s senior researcher, Dr Jozica Kutin, advised younger Australians not to equate love with how much a partner spends.
“When it comes to gift giving this Christmas, young couples could feel pressured to buy their partners expensive gifts to prove their love, despite the fact that repeated demands and disregard for their financial wellbeing or security is abusive,” she said.
Dr Kutin pointed out the pressures on younger Australians to spend money is greater than older Aussies.
“Research has shown that unreasonable and frequent demands for expensive presents in young adult relationships were bordering on, or were, a form of financial exploitation,” Dr Kutin explained.
The researcher pointed out that many young adults have been financially destabilised due to COVID-19, meaning couples could blow their budget if they continue to spend as normal.
“While it might be tempting to act as if everything’s normal and to continue to demonstrate your love with extravagant and expensive presents, it’s important to discuss your budget expectations for Christmas presents or holidays together,” Dr Kutin continued.
The professor said that in healthy relationships, everything needs to be negotiated, with the couple being viewed more as a partnership than two individuals.
“Going on holidays means you need to consider each other’s financial situation, not just that of the highest earner or their capacity to put it all on the credit card,” she concluded.
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