How much will you spend on your partner this Christmas?

If you’re married or in a relationship, the pressure to buy the perfect Christmas present is on. But how much can you and should you actually spend?

After all, you’ve got to find a thoughtful gift, one that melts their heart and shows how you understand them like nobody else. 

Well, research by ClearPay shows that the average person spends £193 on Christmas presents for their partner.

For most of us, that’s a hefty sum of money.

But many people are spending much more, usually earlier on in their relationship.

Spending on Christmas presents peaks in first 15 years

Perhaps it’s the early flush of romance, followed by a period of building a life together and committing to each other, but people are spending the biggest amounts on their partners early on.

At the start of a relationship, people are spending about £171 on their partner’s Christmas presents.

After one or two years, the average amount is £161, and then £205 for people who’ve been together for three to five years.

The average then climbs again for couples who’ve been together for six to ten years, with these people spending around £230 on Christmas presents.

It then peaks at £243 among people who’ve been in a relationship for 11 and 15 years.

Don’t spend more than you can afford

The desire to impress your partner can be quite overwhelming, especially at this time of year.

But that’s when you can start making questionable financial decisions.

And your partner certainly won’t thank you for spending more than can afford and getting into debt just for the sake of a Christmas present.

Sometimes, it really is the thought that counts the most.

So before buying anything for your other half, work out how much you can realistically afford to spend.

And don’t take your eyes off other important financial commitments, such as household bills, groceries and other festive expenses.

We’ve put together a guide to how to create a budget to help you get started.

Men usually spend more than women on Christmas presents

Typically, men are spending the most on Christmas presents for their other half - £215 in fact

That compares with £171 for women.

But the study also found women typically spend longer searching for present ideas than men.

Figures show that women spend an average of 35 hours looking for and picking gifts for their partner.

By contrast, men spend just 19 hours doing the same.

We can’t be certain, but it’s possible that women are spending less on average because they’re taking the time to research and compare the best deals.

Planning can be the key to keeping costs down, whereas an impulsive scattergun approach can be more expensive in the long run.

Check our Christmas money-saving tips

We’re regularly sharing tips and hacks to help you keep costs down in the festive season, such as:

• 50 days to Christmas: Time to start prepping
• how to save money on food this Christmas
• 12 ways to enjoy the festive fun without blowing your budget

So keep checking back here between now and the big day for more advice on how to save money this Christmas.