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Christmas will push a fifth of Northern Ireland adults into debt
New research from CompareNI.com has found that 36% of adults in Northern Ireland will struggle to afford Christmas this year, with 18% saying they will turn to some form of credit or borrowing to get them through the festive period
Rising food prices and soaring energy costs could heap added strain on festive budgets. Photo credit: iStock.com SDIProductions
Reporter:
Staff Reporter
10 Dec 2025 3:30 PM
Email:
news@derrynow.com
Over a third of adults in Northern Ireland will struggle with the cost of Christmas this year, with almost a fifth putting themselves into debt to fund their festive spending.
Those are the worrying findings of a new survey conducted by CompareNI.com, which asked 800 people from across Northern Ireland about their seasonal money habits.
While Christmas is a time of joy and togetherness for many, it can also put families under severe financial pressure, with expectations to splash out on presents and splurge on food and drink.
Rising food prices and soaring energy costs could heap added strain on festive budgets, leading some families to take on debt which they may not be able to afford.
The CompareNI research found that 36% of adults were worried about their personal finances this Christmas, with 18% saying they will turn to some form of credit or borrowing to get them through the festive period.
When asked how much they plan to spend on Christmas presents, 31% of respondents said more than £600, while 21% said between £400-£600.
Almost a quarter (24%) of those surveyed said they will fork out between £200-£300 on their Christmas food and drink shop, with 14% spending more than £300.
Ian Wilson, savings expert and Managing Director at CompareNI.com said: “Christmas should be full of festive cheer, but for many families already battling stubbornly high living costs, it can be overshadowed by financial worry and stress. This is reflected in our recent poll, with over a third of respondents worried they will struggle to afford the celebrations.
“For people struggling to cut costs, there are steps they can take such as ensuring they’re not overpaying on bills, to cancelling non-essential direct debits and using discounts, cash back and vouchers.
“While these may seem like small changes, they could add up to meaningful savings and help ease financial burdens this Christmas.”
CompareNI’s 10 tips to save for Christmas:
Check how competitive your suppliers are – across gas, electricity, phone and internet and see if there are savings to be had from switching or renegotiating.
Review all direct debits and cancel any non-essentials you can live without this month.
Do your research on Christmas gifts by checking out reviews and customer feedback, checking competitor prices, delivery charges and timings – some stores and third-party apps allow you to spread the cost if you need a little more time to pay – just be careful to read the terms, late payments often have hefty fees.
If you have particular retail outlets or ecommerce sites in mind for your Christmas shopping, consider signing up for their mailing lists – many retailers offer exclusive discount codes for their subscribers.
Check online voucher discount sites to see if any extra discounts are applicable.
Many sites haverewards offersso you could be in for further savings.
Explore relatively inexpensive energy saving tips for your house such as draft excluders, window seals and energy efficient lighting.
Check what deals are available for credit cards, there could be an opportunity for people with good credit histories to transfer their balances to a new 0% APR credit card – note there is normally a time limit here before the interest rate starts to rise.
Look to make extra cash by selling any unused items and clothes online, there are lots of handy apps that help you repurpose items easily.
Don’t just auto-renew insurance policies – use price comparison websites to shop around and make sure you’re not over or under insured by checking the policy details are actually what you need.
CompareNI.com helps people in Northern Ireland find savings on everyday household bills and essentials such as home insurance.
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