7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings off

7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings off7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings offTis the season for Christmas stockings, trees, lights, cookies, presents and more. And by more we mean a whole lot of money. Of course the holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones, but we cant deny that its also a season for spending.According toShopify, December is projected to exceed $65 billion in holiday shopping sales. And thats just for the presents. Beyond buying special gifts for loved ones, there are other costs that can add up during the Christmas season. Here are seven Christmas spending stats to keep in mind this month.1. $861According to research fromadvertising technology company OpenX,millennials expect to spend an average of $861this holiday season. According to the same study, 41 percent of millennials say theyll spend more than last year, too. If you think that sounds like a lot, think again. OpenX found that the aver age consumer expects to spend $819 this holiday season.Ways To SaveUse apps likeSantas Bagto track all of your holiday spending. You can set a budget for yourself and with an overall number in mind, youll be more likely to stick to it. Other apps likeIbottaandParibuscan help you get cash back on things you buy or items that drop in price after youve purchased them.Pro Tip 1Save even more bysigning up for the right credit cardbefore making all of your holiday purchases. According to Matt Schulz,chief industry analyst atCompareCards by LendingTree, the Amazon Rewards Credit Card is one of the best for this season. Schulz told Swirled that when yousign up for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card, youll instantly get a $70 credit to your Amazon account. Thats extra money that you can use toward gifts this year.Pro Tip 2Dont fall into the trap of paying someone to gift wrap. Mark Hamrick, Washington bureau chief and senior economic analyst atBankrate, told Swirled that pay ing for wrapping can really escalate the amount of money you spend. It could be an additional $10 per gift you werent budgeting for. Stick to the old-fashioned hand-wrapped gifts, or opt for gift bags that you recycle from last year.2. $81If you bought your Christmas tree around Cyber Monday, you might have overpaid for your tree. According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), Christmas tree prices reach an all-season high around Cyber Monday,costing Americans an average of $81.Ways To SaveAccording to NCTA, waiting to buy your tree until the week before Christmas could save you an average of 22 percent. If you really want to save, buy your tree on Christmas Eve - NCTA says thats when tree prices drop to an all-season low and you could end up paying an average of just $47 instead.3. $152If youre hosting Christmas dinner this year, start budgeting for that meal. According to a survey from GoBankingRates, Americans plan to spend anaverage of $152 on Christmas dinner.Way s To SaveBefore heading to the grocery store,download apps to help you save. Make sure you have your list ready, too. Straying from it could cost you. Of course, one of the best ways to save is to ask others to contribute to the feast. Aunt Millie can surely do the potatoes, while cousin Jack can bring green beans.4. $393Is it really Christmas without the decorations? We think not. According to HomeAdvisor, the average person pays$393 to have their Christmas lights installed professionally. Even if youre not hiring a pro, HomeAdvisor says strands of lights could cost anywhere from $80 to $300 depending on the size of your home.Ways to SaveMake due with what you have this year and then stock up on discounted lights after the holidays. Buying strands of lights after Christmas could save you a pretty penny. Then, DIY your decor next year. Lowes has a greathow-to video on YouTubeto help you hang those lights like a pro.5. $28Even with all the technology we use on a daily basis, so many people leise spend money on old-fashioned Christmas cards. If youre planning to send your holiday cheer by mail this year, it could cost you at least $28. For this example, we looked at the price of a package of 36 Christmas cards on Amazon, $9.99, and the cost of stamps, 50 cents at the post office. If you were to write and mail out these 36 Christmas cards, each with a 50-cent stamp, it would add up to about $28.Ways To SaveIf you justhaveto mail old-fashioned Christmas cards, buy them in bulk to save on the price per card. Then, buy your stamps on Stamps.com. While stamps cost 50 cents a piece at the post office, theyre just 47 cents each on Stamps.com - thats a 6 percent savings, and you can print your stamps right from your home.6. 53%If youre someone who leaves your holiday shopping to the last minute, youre not alone. According to a report from the National Retail Federation,53 percentof people plan to finish their holiday shopping on the Saturday before Christmas, which is known as Super Saturday. If youre someone who is already finished, then congratsCan you help the rest of us out?Ways To SaveIf youre looking to save and get your shopping done early, hit up the other annual sales that take place year-round. Presidents Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Amazon Prime Day, Labor Day Weekend - mark your calendar for them all right nowPro Tip 3You can heighten the value youre giving not in the monetary sense, but in the sentimental sense, by just investing a little more time on what it is that youre providing as a gift, Hamrick said. He also reminded us thatthat the most important thing is thoughtfulness.If youre a procrastinator, dont feel pressured into just buying anything for your loved ones. You could end up spending more than you originally planned. Consider a thoughtful gift like offering to help with a big home project, a coupon for a girls night or simply a memorable photo in a frame.7. $1,515Between your Christmas tree, lights on your home, Ch ristmas cards, presents and dinner on December 25, you could end up spending $1,515, based on all the numbers in this article. Thats a pretty penny for one month of holiday cheer, but we totally get it. If youre planning to really embrace the spirit of the holidaythis Christmas, then start budgeting STAT.Ways To SaveSince Christmas will be here before you know it, start doing a little inventory of your budget. How much have you already spent on a Christmas tree, lights, cards and presents? Now think about how much more you want to spend, as well as what you can afford. Putting a cap on your spending now can help you finish out the last bit of shopping in a wallet-friendly way.Pro Tip 4Dont stress about making all of your holiday purchases with your credit cards. Just use the right card. Schulz said to consider what youre looking for and what you want to get out of that card.If youre someone who wants to use your holiday spending to get yourself a bunch of miles to finance your summe r vacation, then you should pick one kind of card, Schulz said. Or if youre somebody whos just looking to get a little cash back to help extend your budget, then you should get a different type of card.Whatever you do, dont feel pressured into spending money just because its Christmas time.By shopping smart during the holiday season, as well as year-round, youll enjoy celebrating with friends and loved ones even more.This article was originally posted on Swirled.