• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
QuestionPro

QuestionPro

questionpro logo
  • Products
    survey software iconSurvey softwareEasy to use and accessible for everyone. Design, send and analyze online surveys.research edition iconResearch SuiteA suite of enterprise-grade research tools for market research professionals.CX iconCustomer ExperienceExperiences change the world. Deliver the best with our CX management software.WF iconEmployee ExperienceCreate the best employee experience and act on real-time data from end to end.
  • Solutions
    IndustriesGamingAutomotiveSports and eventsEducationGovernment
    Travel & HospitalityFinancial ServicesHealthcareCannabisTechnology
    Use CaseAskWhyCommunitiesAudienceContactless surveysMobile
    LivePollsMember ExperienceGDPRPositive People Science360 Feedback Surveys
  • Resources
    BlogeBooksSurvey TemplatesCase StudiesTrainingHelp center
  • Features
  • Pricing
Language
  • English
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Português (Portuguese (Brazil))
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Hebrew IL (Hebrew)
  • ไทย (Thai)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • Portuguese de Portugal (Portuguese (Portugal))
Call Us
+1 800 531 0228 +1 (647) 956-1242 +52 999 402 4079 +49 301 663 5782 +44 20 3650 3166 +81-3-6869-1954 +61 2 8074 5080 +971 529 852 540
Log In Log In
SIGN UP FREE

Home Market Research

The 2024 Spending Report: How Consumers Balanced Bonuses and Holiday Costs

The 2024 Spending Report

For many Americans, the end-of-year bonus was either small or nonexistent in 2024. We survey 999 U.S. respondents, finding out that 55% of workers did not receive a bonus last year.

Among those who did, nearly 40% received $1,000 or less, and only a small percentage (5.6%) received over $10,000. Let’s explore the insights we gain and how they’re relevant.

Key Findings

  • Bonuses were limited: 55% of workers did not receive a bonus in 2024, and nearly 40% of those who did received $1,000 or less.
  • Financial priorities shifted: More workers allocated their bonuses toward paying bills (+1%) and less toward discretionary spending (-2%).
  • Holiday shopping habits adjusted: 70% of consumers spent the same or more compared to the previous year, with many citing rising costs and the importance of holiday traditions.
  • Cost concerns dominated: 41% of shoppers worried about overspending, and 32.5% said having more money would ease their concerns.

Bonuses Were Limited, and Most Were Modest

Bonuses provided a financial boost for some, but most recipients reported that their 2024 bonus was about the same as previous years. However, 24.5% received a higher-than-usual bonus, offering some relief amid economic uncertainty. Workers strategically allocated their bonuses, with a near-even split between savings, debt relief, investments, and essential spending.

The share of bonuses going toward paying bills increased by 1 percentage point compared to previous years, while discretionary spending on wants dropped by nearly 2 percentage points.

The survey revealed that more than half (55%) of workers did not receive a bonus in 2024. Among the 45% who did, the majority (39.4%) received $1,000 or less, while only 5.6% received more than $10,000.

Bonus Distribution:

Bonus Amount ReceivedPercentage of Recipients
$1,000 or under39.4%
$1,001 – $2,50021.2%
$2,501 – $5,00017.1%
$5,001 – $10,00013.0%
$10,001 or more5.6%
Unsure3.7%

While bonuses were generally consistent with past years, 24.5% of recipients saw an increase in their bonus. But most workers continued to allocate their bonuses strategically, with essential expenses taking priority.

For Those Without Bonuses, Financial Pressures Were Mounting

The majority of workers (55%) did not receive a bonus in 2024. More than half of them (51%) never receive bonuses, while 32% had not received one for several years. Nearly one-third of these individuals (31%) indicated they could have really used the extra money, underscoring financial strain.

Despite this, 28% said they were not particularly bothered by the absence of a bonus. However, frustration remained evident—17.6% felt they worked hard and deserved one, while 8.2% said their regular pay was too low to expect a bonus.

Holiday Shopping: A Balancing Act Between Joy and Cost Concerns

With bonuses being modest or absent for most, consumers had to carefully plan their holiday spending. The majority (39.1%) budgeted for shopping within the holiday months, while 28.2% saved throughout the year. However, 31% of shoppers did not make any financial plans, highlighting a mix of preparedness and impulse spending.

Despite economic challenges, 70% of consumers spent the same or more on holiday shopping journey compared to 2023. The top reason? Rising costs, cited by 38.6% of respondents. However, sentimentality also played a role—many shoppers justified their spending by emphasizing the joy of giving (22.9%) and holiday traditions (21.6%).

Meanwhile, 32% of consumers cut back on holiday spending, with the top reasons being high prices (45.3%) and personal financial strain (36.5%). Additionally, 32.1% of shoppers expressed the need to save more due to economic uncertainty, reinforcing a cautious financial outlook.

With limited financial incentives, many consumers adjusted their holiday shopping experience strategies. The majority (39.1%) budgeted specifically for holiday purchases, while 28.2% saved throughout the year. However, a notable 31% made no financial plans before shopping.

Holiday Budgeting Strategies:

ApproachPercentage
Budgeting during holiday months39.1%
Year-round savings28.2%
Using work bonuses10.6%
No financial planning31.0%

Spending Trends

Despite financial concerns, 70% of consumers spent the same or more compared to 2023. The main reason? Rising costs, cited by 38.6% of respondents. However, the emotional aspect of gift-giving remained significant, with 22.9% citing joy and 21.6% emphasizing holiday traditions.

On the flip side, 32% of consumers cut back on holiday spending, with high prices (45.3%) and financial strain (36.5%) as the top reasons.

What Was on the Holiday Shopping List?

Consumers prioritized clothing as their number one shopping category, followed by gift cards, personal electronics, and shoes.

Top Holiday Shopping Items:

ItemPercentage of Shoppers
Clothing54.6%
Gift Cards45.7%
Personal Electronics25.8%
Shoes25.2%
Crafts & Hobbies21.1%

Conclusion

Looking ahead to 2025, financial planning will likely play an even greater role in helping consumers navigate economic challenges while still celebrating important moments. Perhaps through smarter budgeting, strategic savings, or mindful spending, the resilience shown in 2024 is a testament to how individuals adapt to changing financial landscapes.

Going forward, the trend toward budgeting, saving, and prioritizing essential expenses is likely to continue. We’ve learn that americans can navigate future economic shifts while still enjoying the traditions that matter most.

With QuestionPro, you can now understand financial trends through powerful survey insights. Want to learn more about consumer behaviors and data-driven decision-making? Explore our latest reports and insights today!

Create memorable experiences based on real-time data, insights and advanced analysis. Request Demo

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

About the author
QuestionPro Collaborators
Worldwide team of Content Creation specialists focusing on Research, CX, Workforce, Audience and Education.
View all posts by QuestionPro Collaborators

Primary Sidebar

Research what's on your mind. Find out what's on theirs!

A suite of tools to leverage research and transform insights.

Discover our insight platform

RELATED ARTICLES

HubSpot - QuestionPro Integration

Single Ease Question: What it is & what it is for

Aug 06,2022

HubSpot - QuestionPro Integration

Top 10 Employee Engagement Survey Tools

May 07,2024

HubSpot - QuestionPro Integration

Ideal Customer Profile: What it is & How to Create One?

Oct 30,2023

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

  • Academic
  • Academic Research
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Assessments
  • Audience
  • Brand Awareness
  • Business
  • Case Studies
  • Communities
  • Consumer Insights
  • Customer effort score
  • Customer Engagement
  • Customer Experience
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Customer Research
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • CX
  • Employee Benefits
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employee Retention
  • Enterprise
  • Events
  • Forms
  • Friday Five
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • Guest Post
  • Insights Hub
  • Life@QuestionPro
  • LivePolls
  • Market Research
  • Marketing
  • Mobile
  • Mobile App
  • Mobile diaries
  • Mobile Surveys
  • New Features
  • non-profit
  • NPS
  • Online Communities
  • Polls
  • Question Types
  • Questionnaire
  • QuestionPro
  • QuestionPro Products
  • Release Notes
  • Research Tools and Apps
  • Revenue at Risk
  • Startups
  • Survey Templates
  • Surveys
  • Tech News
  • Tips
  • Training
  • Training Tips
  • Trending
  • Tuesday CX Thoughts (TCXT)
  • Uncategorized
  • VOC
  • Webinar
  • Webinars
  • What’s Coming Up
  • Workforce
  • Workforce Intelligence

Footer

MORE LIKE THIS

marriott-nps-2025

Marriott NPS & Guest Satisfaction Trends 2025

Jun 6, 2025

synthetic-data-vs-data-masking

Synthetic Data vs Data Masking: The Differences

Jun 5, 2025

Blending Qual and Quant

How blending qualitative and quantitative research drives better decisions

Jun 4, 2025

turf-analysis-in-product-launch

How using TURF Analysis can save your marriage (and your product launch)

Jun 4, 2025

Other categories

  • Academic
  • Academic Research
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Assessments
  • Audience
  • Brand Awareness
  • Business
  • Case Studies
  • Communities
  • Consumer Insights
  • Customer effort score
  • Customer Engagement
  • Customer Experience
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Customer Research
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • CX
  • Employee Benefits
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employee Retention
  • Enterprise
  • Events
  • Forms
  • Friday Five
  • General Data Protection Regulation
  • Guest Post
  • Insights Hub
  • Life@QuestionPro
  • LivePolls
  • Market Research
  • Marketing
  • Mobile
  • Mobile App
  • Mobile diaries
  • Mobile Surveys
  • New Features
  • non-profit
  • NPS
  • Online Communities
  • Polls
  • Question Types
  • Questionnaire
  • QuestionPro
  • QuestionPro Products
  • Release Notes
  • Research Tools and Apps
  • Revenue at Risk
  • Startups
  • Survey Templates
  • Surveys
  • Tech News
  • Tips
  • Training
  • Training Tips
  • Trending
  • Tuesday CX Thoughts (TCXT)
  • Uncategorized
  • VOC
  • Webinar
  • Webinars
  • What’s Coming Up
  • Workforce
  • Workforce Intelligence

questionpro-logo-nw
Help center Live Chat SIGN UP FREE
  • Sample questions
  • Sample reports
  • Survey logic
  • Branding
  • Integrations
  • Professional services
  • Security
  • Survey Software
  • Customer Experience
  • Workforce
  • Communities
  • Audience
  • Polls Explore the QuestionPro Poll Software - The World's leading Online Poll Maker & Creator. Create online polls, distribute them using email and multiple other options and start analyzing poll results.
  • Research Edition
  • LivePolls
  • InsightsHub
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • eBooks
  • Survey Templates
  • Case Studies
  • Training
  • Webinars
  • All Plans
  • Nonprofit
  • Academic
  • Qualtrics Alternative Explore the list of features that QuestionPro has compared to Qualtrics and learn how you can get more, for less.
  • SurveyMonkey Alternative
  • VisionCritical Alternative
  • Medallia Alternative
  • Likert Scale Complete Likert Scale Questions, Examples and Surveys for 5, 7 and 9 point scales. Learn everything about Likert Scale with corresponding example for each question and survey demonstrations.
  • Conjoint Analysis
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS) Learn everything about Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the Net Promoter Question. Get a clear view on the universal Net Promoter Score Formula, how to undertake Net Promoter Score Calculation followed by a simple Net Promoter Score Example.
  • Offline Surveys
  • Customer Satisfaction Surveys
  • Employee Survey Software Employee survey software & tool to create, send and analyze employee surveys. Get real-time analysis for employee satisfaction, engagement, work culture and map your employee experience from onboarding to exit!
  • Market Research Survey Software Real-time, automated and advanced market research survey software & tool to create surveys, collect data and analyze results for actionable market insights.
  • GDPR & EU Compliance
  • Employee Experience
  • Customer Journey
  • Synthetic Data
  • About us
  • Executive Team
  • In the news
  • Testimonials
  • Advisory Board
  • Careers
  • Brand
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us

QuestionPro in your language

  • English
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Português (Portuguese (Brazil))
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Hebrew IL (Hebrew)
  • ไทย (Thai)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • Portuguese de Portugal (Portuguese (Portugal))

Awards & certificates

  • survey-leader-asia-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-asiapacific-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-enterprise-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-europe-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-latinamerica-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-middleeast-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-mid-market-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-small-business-leader-2023
  • survey-leader-unitedkingdom-leader-2023
  • survey-momentumleader-leader-2023
  • bbb-acredited
The Experience Journal

Find innovative ideas about Experience Management from the experts

  • © 2022 QuestionPro Survey Software | +1 (800) 531 0228
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Use