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Thursday 15 december 2022

AP-NORC Poll: Americans say holiday gifts harder to afford

By DEE-ANN DURBIN may be looking for dis-
AP Business Writer counts this year, and retail-
More than half of U.S. adults ers are likely to respond.
say it's harder to afford the The average discount rate
holiday gifts they want to across all categories online
give this year. was 31% on Thanksgiving,
Sixty-nine percent of them up from 27% last year, ac-
say they have seen higher cording to Salesforce.
prices for holiday gifts in re- Tierra Tucker, a 34-year-
cent months, up from 58% old day care worker in
last year, according to a Chicago, said she's been
new poll from The Associ- shopping since Black Fri-
ated Press-NORC Center day for her twin 13-year-old
for Public Affairs Research. daughters and has found
And 57% say it has been deals on many of the gifts
harder to afford the things they're getting, including
they want to give, a dra- iPads, purses, clothes and
matic increase from 40% bracelet-making kits.
one year ago. The vast Tucker hasn't cut back
majority of those finding it on gifts for her daughters
harder to afford gifts say this year, but she won't be
they've cut back on giving spending as much on oth-
as a result. ers. Tucker recently moved
Last year, 89-year-old Dar- People carry shopping bags on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 at Downtown Crossing in Boston. and said she has had to
lene Huffman used some Associated Press focus on getting things for
of her government stimulus U.S. inflation appears to be afford gifts and food, along "Next Christmas I'll be able her new house. So her sev-
money to buy KitchenAid cooling; consumer pric- with half of higher-income to do more," she said. en nieces and nephews
food choppers — which es fell for the fifth straight households. The poll shows nearly all will get gift cards instead
cost around $40 — for her month in November, the Roslyn Coble doesn't plan Americans — 95% — have of toys. Overall U.S. holiday
six children. But this year, government said Tuesday. to buy holiday gifts this year. seen higher-than-usual sales are expected to grow
with the price of gas, gro- But prices were still 7.1% Coble, 63, lives on monthly prices for groceries in re- at a slower pace than last
ceries and other basics eat- higher than a year ear- disability checks and has cent months, up from 85% year. The National Retail
ing into her limited income, lier, an increase felt most struggled with higher prices last year, according to the Federation, the largest re-
Huffman is downsizing. She acutely by low-income for food and other necessi- poll. The U.S. government tail trade group, expects
plans to buy them each a households. ties this year. estimates food prices will holiday sales to grow 6%
$10 trash can that attaches About two-thirds of Ameri- "I'm less interested in go- be up 9.5% to 10.5% this to 8% this year, down from
to the backseat of a car. cans in households earning ing out and trying to buy year; historically, they've 13.5% in 2021.
"I have to watch my p's less than $50,000 annually things," said Coble, of risen only 2% annually. Daniel Reyes, a postal
and q's. But God has sup- say they've had a harder Oakboro, North Carolina. Eighty-three percent said worker from Midland, Tex-
plied all my needs and I'm time affording gifts and "I'm not as much into it this they had experienced in- as, said he made more
not complaining," said Huff- food for holiday meals this year." flationary gas prices, about money than usual this year
man, who will spend much year, according to the AP- Coble is looking forward to the same number as last thanks to overtime. But he's
of the season volunteering NORC poll. About 6 in 10 of spending the holidays with year. Seventy-four percent still thinking twice about
at food and clothing banks those in households earn- family. And she's expecting reported higher electricity what be buys in the face of
in her hometown of Green- ing between $50,000 and a small raise in her disability bills, up from 57% last year. steep price increases and
ville, Ohio. $99,999 found it harder to payments in January. As a result, many buyers losses to his 401(k) plan.q

Lawmakers announce 'framework' on

bill to keep gov't open

the next week and avoid a ing bills that can be sup- publicans more leverage
government shutdown. ported by the House and over what's in the legisla-
Congress faces a midnight Senate and receive Presi- tion, since they will be in the
Friday deadline to pass a dent Biden's signature," majority then.
spending bill to prevent a said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.,
partial government shut- Connecticut, the Demo- said last week that the two
down. The two chambers cratic chair of the House parties were about $25 bil-
are expected to pass Appropriations Committee. lion apart in what is expect-
another short-term mea- Earlier in the day, Senate ed to be about a $1.65 tril-
sure before then to keep leaders said lawmakers lion package, not including
the government running from the two parties were mandatory spending on
The Capitol is seen in Washington, early Wednesday, Dec. 14,
2022. through Dec. 23, which will nearing an agreement, programs such as Social
Associated Press allow negotiators time to but Republicans warned Security and Medicare.
complete work on the full- Democrats that lawmak- However, Democrats in
KEVIN FREKING for the current fiscal year year bill. ers would need to com- their statements did not in-
Associated Press announced late Tuesday "Now, the House and Sen- plete their work by Dec. 22 dicate what topline spend-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Law- they've reached agree- ate Appropriations Com- or they would only support ing number had been
makers leading the ne- ment on a "framework" that mittees will work around a short-term extension into reached in the framework
gotiations on a bill to fund should allow them to com- the clock to negotiate the early next year. announced Tuesday.q
the federal government plete work on the bill over details of final 2023 spend- That would give House Re-