Bonus and Consumer Holiday Spending

This national study of 999 U.S. adults explores how Americans approached year-end bonuses, holiday budgeting, shopping priorities, and seasonal financial stress in December 2024. The findings capture a moment when many consumers were balancing rising costs, uneven workplace rewards, and emotional pressure to maintain holiday traditions.

Although the fieldwork was completed in late 2024, the findings remain highly relevant in 2026 because they reveal the financial behaviors and tradeoffs that continue to define seasonal consumer decision-making. From bonus dependence to gift prioritization and price sensitivity, the study provides a useful benchmark for brands, retailers, employers, and media tracking how consumers navigate economic uncertainty.

Key Findings

• 55.1% of consumers did not receive and were not expecting to receive a work bonus in 2024, while 44.9% did
• Among those receiving a bonus, 39.4% received $1,000 or less
• 53.5% of bonus recipients said the amount was the same as always, while 24.5% said it was more than usual
• Consumers split bonus money relatively evenly across bills, savings, wants, needs, and investments, with bills taking the largest share at 23.7%
• 39.1% financially planned for holiday shopping by building it into their budget during the holiday months
• 31.0% said they did not make any financial plans for holiday shopping
• 50.1% planned to spend the same amount on holiday shopping as last year, 31.9% planned to spend less, and 18.0% planned to spend more
• Clothing ranked as the number one holiday shopping item at 54.6%, followed by gift cards at 45.7%
• The top shopping concern was the cost of items or spending too much money, cited by 41.0% of consumers
• 32.5% said having more money to spend would most ease their holiday shopping concerns

The study shows that end-of-year consumer spending was shaped less by abundance than by careful allocation. Even among those who received bonuses, the extra money was often directed toward essentials like debt relief, savings, and necessities rather than discretionary splurges.

That dynamic helps explain why holiday shopping in 2024 was both emotionally significant and financially constrained. Consumers still wanted to participate, give generously, and create joyful moments, but they did so under meaningful budget pressure. That tension remains one of the clearest signals for understanding seasonal behavior heading into 2026.

What We Set Out to Learn

This study explores the intersection of work incentives and holiday consumer spending. It was designed to understand how bonuses influence financial behavior, how Americans prepare for seasonal shopping, what they prioritize buying, and what concerns shape their spending decisions.

• Measure how many consumers received workplace bonuses and how large those bonuses were
• Understand how consumers allocated bonus money across bills, savings, needs, wants, and investments
• Evaluate how Americans financially prepared for holiday shopping
• Identify whether consumers planned to spend more, less, or the same compared to the prior year
• Understand which gift categories topped holiday shopping lists
• Reveal the biggest concerns and emotional drivers behind holiday spending

Study Overview

Sample Size: n=999. Geography: United States of America. Audience: U.S. adults 18+. Dates in field: December 13 to December 17, 2024. Mode: Online Survey.

Please identify which classification best describes you.

The sample includes a mix of full-time employees, part-time workers, self-employed respondents, retirees, and unemployed adults. That broad composition is important because it reflects the fact that holiday spending pressures extend well beyond actively employed bonus recipients.

In 2024, have you received or are you expecting to receive a bonus from work?

More than half of consumers said they would not receive a bonus in 2024. That makes clear that year-end bonuses are not a universal financial cushion, even though they are often treated as a major seasonal spending driver.

When in the year do you typically receive your bonus from work?

Among those who receive bonuses, the fourth quarter dominates. That timing reinforces how closely bonuses and holiday spending expectations are linked, particularly for consumers trying to stretch year-end income across gifts, travel, bills, and savings.

How much did you receive (or expect to receive) from your bonus this year?

Bonus amounts were modest for many recipients. Nearly four in ten received $1,000 or less, which helps explain why bonuses often function as financial support rather than luxury spending money.

Was the above identified bonus amount, more, less, or the same as what you received in prior years?

Most bonus recipients said their 2024 amount was consistent with prior years, though roughly one quarter reported receiving more than usual. That suggests some resilience in employer incentive patterns, but not enough to meaningfully offset broader cost concerns for most households.

In 2024, how much of your bonus went (or will go) to the following areas?

In 2024, the largest share of bonus money went to bills and debt relief at 23.7%, followed closely by savings at 23.0% and necessities at 20.3%. Spending on wants and desires accounted for 19.3%, showing that even when bonuses arrive, much of that money is quickly absorbed by practical needs.

In previous years, how much of your bonus went the following areas:

Compared with prior years, 2024 showed a slight shift toward bills and away from discretionary purchases. That is a small difference numerically, but it is directionally important. It reflects how consumers were becoming more defensive with extra income, a pattern that remains highly relevant for reading spending sentiment in 2026.

Please read through all the below statements and identify the one that most closely describes how you feel (or will feel) about receiving a bonus in 2024.

Emotionally, bonuses were interpreted in different ways. Some respondents felt grateful or validated, while others said they deserved more or would rather have better regular pay. This shows that bonuses are not just financial events. They also shape how workers feel about fairness, recognition, and stability.

When do you typically begin to shop for the holidays? Select all that apply.

Holiday shopping often starts late. November and December dominated the timeline, indicating that many consumers wait until the season is already underway before making most purchases. For marketers and retailers, that means urgency and price sensitivity intensify at exactly the same moment.

How do you financially plan for holiday shopping? Select all that apply.

The most common approach was simply making holiday shopping part of the household budget during the holiday months. At the same time, nearly one-third of consumers admitted they do not financially plan for holiday shopping at all, which increases the likelihood of financial strain and impulse-driven behavior.

When shopping this year, what items are at the top of your list? Select up to 5.

Clothing led the holiday shopping list by a wide margin, followed by gift cards, personal electronics, and shoes. These categories reveal a mix of practical purchases and emotionally driven gifting, with consumers favoring items that feel useful, flexible, or identity-based.

Based on the top item categories you selected in the previous question, please identify who you are purchasing the items for? Select all that apply for each item category.

The recipient mix is revealing. Many of the top purchases were directed toward the shopper themselves, their children, and their spouse or partner. That suggests holiday spending is not just outward generosity. It also reflects self-reward, family identity, and household-centered decision making.

Of the item categories you identified were at the top of you holiday shopping list, how likely are you to still purchase it if the price is higher than you expected?

Consumers showed notable willingness to follow through on certain purchases even if prices came in higher than expected. Gift cards, clothing, electronics, shoes, craft and hobby items, and gaming products all showed relatively strong purchase commitment, suggesting that some holiday categories remain resilient even under price pressure.

When thinking about how much you spent holiday shopping last year, how would you describe your spending plans for this year?

Half of consumers planned to spend the same amount as the prior year, while nearly one-third planned to spend less. That pattern reflects a cautious but not collapsed spending environment. Consumers were still showing up for the season, but they were recalibrating how much they could realistically afford.

What is your biggest concern about holiday shopping this year?

The cost of items and the fear of spending too much were the top concerns by far. Delivery timing and the pressure to provide the kind of holiday consumers were used to also appeared, but affordability clearly dominated. That is one of the strongest reasons this study still matters in 2026. Price anxiety continues to shape seasonal behavior even when emotional desire to give remains strong.