St. Cloud’s Average Holiday Spending Budget for 2020 is $816

Even with a pandemic happening on our doorstep, St. Cloud has somehow managed to up our holiday spending budget by almost $50.

The Wallethub annual survey to find different cities holiday spending budgets has just come out and revealed that St. Cloud's citizens holiday budget for 2020 is right around $816, up $49 from last year's budget of $767.

This year, holiday shopping may be more stressful than usual considering the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many people’s finances. Merchants are still optimistic, though, and 54% believe holiday sales will increase “somewhat” or “significantly” compared to 2019, though they expect far more of those sales to be online than usual.

Overall, St. Cloud was ranked as having the 252nd highest budget in the country. Here are how some other towns in our state ranked

• Duluth - 235th highest - $852
• Rochester - 122nd highest - $1,169
• Maple Grove - 25th highest - $2,304
• Plymouth - 26th highest - $2,285
• Minneapolis - 171st highest - $980
• St. Paul - 401st - $595
• Eagan - 52nd - $1,692
• Bloomington - 125th - $1,152

Looking at this breakdown, my own budget is closer to the St. Paul mark. Probably even lower. Lots of homemade crafty gifts will be given out this year in my circle.

Remember, Christmas isn't about how much you spend on people, it is about appreciating your loved one's company, being thankful for what you have, and enjoying the little things.