Even with the COVID-19 variants, experts say it's safe for vaccinated people to attend holiday parties with other vaccinated people. And that means spending MONEY on holiday parties is trending up this year.
According to a study from Lending Tree, 30% of Americans plan to host holiday gatherings and they anticipate spending about $760 on drinks, food, and gifts for their guests. Millennials plan to spend the most . . . at $981, just this month.
But the hosts aren't the only ones who will have to budget for parties.
65% of people who plan to attend gatherings say they'll bring a gift for the host . . . and on average guests will shell out $213 on those. The most popular gift is a nice bottle of wine or some other alcoholic beverage. 39% will bring that.
The next most popular gift for hosts is "baked goods."
Other popular gifts include: Plants or flowers . . . candles . . . chocolate . . . a "heartfelt card or note" . . . and home décor.