Here's What the Average American Will Spend This Holiday Season

Sometimes the holiday season can feel less like a celebration and more like a multiweek assault on your wallet. There are gifts to buy, cards to send, meals to eat, and places to travel to. It's an  interminable process that generally begins on Thanksgiving (though many retailers have been offering deals since the moment they packed up the Halloween decorations) and continues through New Year's Day.

It's hard to avoid overspending during this festive time of year on one (or likely more) of those categories mentioned above. In fact, in 2018, the average U.S. consumer spent $1,173 on holiday-related shopping during November and December, based on aggregate data from Bank of America's credit and debit card customers.

"The holiday season is one of the most popular times of year for consumers' wallets," according to Bank of America Credit Cards executive Jason Gaughan. "Between purchasing gifts, booking airline tickets to see loved ones, and hosting friends and family for meals, many have come to anticipate the holiday splurge."

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Source Fool.com