People are planning smaller Christmas celebrations for this year as prices soar, with a BBC poll revealing growing concerns about the squeeze on finances.
Three in five (62%) respondents said their Christmas and holiday spending will be smaller than usual.
Adults with household incomes under £40,000 are more likely to say their plans will be much smaller this year.
In September, prices rose again at their highest rate in 40 years, with UK inflation expected to rise further.
Food prices rose along with energy bills and transportation costs.
Rising costs of food, fuel and energy are dominating fears of rising costs, the survey of 4,132 people shows.
Just 3% of those polled in the Savanta Comres poll for the BBC said their Christmas will be bigger than last year.
The poll was conducted earlier this month before Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed some tax cuts and said support on energy bills would be limited for some and warned of more government spending cuts.
Kristie, from Somerset, says she is concerned this year’s celebratory lunch will be a Tesco microwave meal.
Last year she and her son had a real Christmas dinner of turkey, ham and vegetables.
But she says this year she can’t afford the electricity to use her stove for the time it takes to cook a turkey.
“I can’t afford to turn on the stove – I use the microwave. So how am I going to cook Christmas dinner for me and my son?” she says.
“Better get an Indian takeout from Tesco and put it in the microwave.”
Their gift plans are also being scaled back because of the rising cost of living.
“My son made a pact with me that this year we’ll get a stocking and stocking filler for everyone because we can’t afford anything else,” she says.
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People’s plans for Christmas have been marred by the pandemic for two straight years.
In December 2020 there were severe restrictions on household mixing due to a surge in the coronavirus.
The following year, the advent of the Omicron variant didn’t result in restrictions on hospitality, but businesses said customer confidence in eating and drinking outside took a hit, with a spate of cancellations and reduced celebrations leading up to December 25 .
For many retail and hospitality businesses, this is the busiest time of year to make money and they will have been hoping for a return to normal.
Young adults aged 25-34 are significantly more likely than other age groups to say their spending plans will be lower than usual this year.
Almost three-quarters of people in this age group say their Christmas spending will be less.
However, people don’t necessarily put money aside for the big day, with the majority (55%) of respondents saying they didn’t save any money before Christmas.
The two in five respondents who have money set aside mainly plan to spend it on gifts and food and drink, while fewer people save for travel and social events like parties and going out.
The cost of living rose 10.1% in the 12 months to September – the fastest rate in 40 years – driven by sharp increases in energy and food costs.
Food and energy prices have risen around the world after Russia invaded Ukraine, disrupting production and exports and driving up prices at supermarket checkouts.
A Treasury Department spokesman said the government has reversed increases in Social Security and made changes to help people on universal credit.
“Countries around the world are facing increasing costs caused by Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and we know it affects people here in the UK,” he said.
“That’s why we took decisive action this winter to keep Energy Price Guarantee bills down, supporting eight million of the most vulnerable households with at least £1,200 in extra living expenses.”
How is the rising cost of living changing your Christmas plans? Share your experiences via email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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