Exclusive | NYC shoppers reveal the surprising amount they plan to spend on holiday gifts amid inflation pressures

’Tis the season of giving — and spending.Americans will be forking over an average of $1,014 for gifts this Yuletide, according to Gallup’s 2024 holiday spending estimates.That’s a 9% jump over 2023, when shoppers dropped an average of $923.

The rise comes courtesy of inflation, experts say — a nagging problem that has significantly impacted the retail industry.And while a new seasonal survey released by WalletHub places NYC well above that estimated national mean, our local maximum holiday budget of $1,539 per shopper is still well below many other lucky places in the country, The Post reported earlier.

To better understand just how we’re spending this season, The Post took to the streets of the Big Apple to ask New York City shoppers what they’re buying, as well as how much they plan to shell out — and how they’re sticking to their budgets.Jesse Lynn Harte is hoping to stay disciplined this year but feels the odds are against her. “I plan on spending — hopefully, if I’m on a budget — $1,050,” she confessed.“But I’m going to spend more than that.

I know it,” she admitted. She’ll be stretching her limit to buy gifts for her boyfriend, immediate family, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends. Her most expensive gift will be a designer item for her sister, she said.Some New Yorkers have no plans for decking the halls with holiday presents.“I plan on spending nothing because all my friends are old and they don’t want any gifts,” Holmberg revealed.“I am a childless cat lady,” she confessed — saying that she will splurge on a treat for her feline family member this year.“He’s deaf and cross-eyed, so I don’t know if he knows it’s the holiday season,” the sassy septuagenarian quipped.“My budget is about $300 for gifts,” Ellis declared, before catching herself.

“OK, I’m married, so $500.”Ellis plans to give 10 people a gift for the holiday season — and she has a strategy to make sure she st...