Aussies say 'bah humbug' to Christmas

Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us all Santa brings is more stress to our lives.

In fact, just 51 per cent of people say they are looking forward to Christmas this year, according to a new survey by online payments giant PayPal.

Between extra spending and a stocking full of stuff we don't want there's no better time to trim the fat from our celebrations.

Over a third of Aussies say they'll be spending less money on Christmas this year and it will benefit more than just our wallets.

Pip Kiernan, Clean Up Australia chair and daughter of the organisation's late founder Ian Kiernan, said it's common for many of our good habits to go out the window at Christmas time.

But she says with a little thought we can save money and cut our personal waste which in general roughly doubles over the holiday.

"It's important to think about buying less," Ms Kiernan said.

"Don't try to buy the trinkets and the stocking-stuffers that look like we're giving lots of volume. 

"Look at buying the gifts that are actually going to be valued." 

Nearly one third of Australians expect to receive a gift they will never use for Christmas and close to half would prefer others don't buy them presents at all, according to a 2019 study by the Australia Institute.

Ideas like Kris Kringle or secret Santa where a person receives one gift among a group of friends or family can be a great way of cutting down on waste.

Ditching the wrapping paper and going without, or using an additional gift like a scarf, shirt or tea towel as wrapping can also cut waste.

As well as saving on waste, cutting down on the number of gifts we're buying can help ease the financial strain of Christmas.

Amid cost of living pressures, around 60 per cent of Australians plan to spend less than $500 on Christmas presents this year and one in six hope to spend under $200.

One way Aussies are planning to cut costs is by shopping the end of year sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday which this year fall on November 25 and 28.

Some say they will even wait until Boxing Day to buy gifts, to take full advantage of potential savings.

"Black Friday sees retailers provide substantial discounts on a wide range of goods and services including electronics, clothes, homewares and beauty items," PayPal consumer expert at Danielle Grant said.

"With Australians concerned about rising costs, we're all looking to make our dollar go further."