The Price of Tradition: 50% of Americans Say Rising Grocery Costs Make Holiday Hosting Stressful

New Omnisend survey finds 78% of Americans say higher prices will affect holiday spending, while 44% expect to carry post-holiday debt

CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The cost of celebrating the holidays continues to climb, leaving many Americans searching for ways to preserve traditions without breaking the bank. According to a new Omnisend survey, half of consumers (50%) say rising grocery costs make holiday hosting more stressful, while 78% say higher prices will affect their holiday spending decisions this year.

Even so, Americans expect to spend an average of $950 this holiday season, primarily on gifts and groceries for hosting, totaling an estimated $256.3 billion nationwide. Maintaining holiday traditions comes at a cost, with 44% expecting to carry debt into the new year, underscoring how rising prices continue to reshape seasonal spending decisions.

The emotional cost of hosting

Holiday gatherings remain a priority despite the higher cost. The survey found that 53% of Americans plan to host a holiday gathering or contribute food to one this season, while 33% expect to spend more on holiday groceries and food than they did last year.

Beyond the financial costs, 20% of Americans say they feel pressure to "do it right" when hosting holiday gatherings, highlighting the emotional expectations that often come with the season. Whether it's creating memorable meals, maintaining traditions, or meeting family expectations, hosting can involve pressures that go far beyond the grocery bill.

"Holiday hosting is one of the few seasonal expenses that's difficult to scale back without changing the experience itself," says Marty Bauer, Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend. "People can buy fewer gifts, hunt for discounts, or delay purchases, but when you're feeding family and friends, there are limits to how much you can cut. Eventually, cost-saving decisions start affecting more than the menu. They can affect how people gather, entertain and celebrate together, turning what would normally be a budgeting decision into an emotional one."

Consumers are budgeting more carefully to protect holiday traditions

Rather than choosing between dramatically increasing spending and shifting holiday traditions, many consumers are looking for ways to make existing budgets stretch further this year. According to the survey, Americans plan to:

• Look for discount codes and coupons (35%)
• Set a strict holiday spending budget in advance (27%)
• Wait for sales before making purchases (23%)
• Start shopping earlier than usual (26%)

Among those who plan to start shopping earlier than usual, the most common reason (29%) is to spread holiday costs over more paychecks and reduce financial pressure later in the season.

"Consumers have had several years to adapt to higher prices, and this year's holiday season looks more like adjustment than panic," says Bauer. "People aren't necessarily abandoning holiday spending, but they are becoming more deliberate. Shopping earlier, waiting for promotions and sticking to stricter budgets all suggest consumers are trying to stay in control before debt becomes necessary."

Americans are rethinking holiday debt

While holiday debt hasn't disappeared, consumers appear less willing to rely on financing than they were a year ago. Even with tighter planning, 44% of Americans expect to carry debt into the new year, down from 47% who anticipated post-holiday debt last year. Those expecting to carry a balance anticipate owing an average of $408, translating to an estimated $48.4 billion in holiday debt nationwide. Meanwhile, 39% say they will use or would consider using Buy Now, Pay Later services, down from 45% who said the same in 2025.

"After several years of elevated living costs, consumers may be reaching a point where adding more debt simply doesn't feel sustainable," says Bauer. "What's notable is that many are adjusting their behavior before they spend, rather than worrying about how they'll pay for it afterward. That's a meaningful shift in how households are approaching the holidays."

Methodology

The survey was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in August 2026. A total of 1,000 U.S. consumers participated in the survey. Quotas were placed on age, gender, income, and place of residence to achieve a nationally representative sample among users. The margin of error is +/-3 percent.

More: https://www.omnisend.com/blog/holiday-shopping-trends-2026 

The $48.4 billion figure is an estimate based on survey responses to the question: "How much debt do you expect to carry from this year's shopping season (including BNPL, credit cards, or other financing)?" Each response range was assigned a representative dollar value, averaged across respondents expecting debt, and extrapolated using the U.S. adult population (269.76 million) to get to the final figure. The $256.3 billion estimated spend nationwide came from multiplying total adult population of 269.76 million by $950.

About Omnisend

Omnisend is an email & SMS marketing platform with a suite of features made specifically to help ecommerce stores grow their online businesses faster. One-click integration with major ecommerce platforms, pre-made automation & email templates, and award-winning 24/7/365 live customer support make it easy for brands of any size to sell more – all without the exaggerated cost.

For further information, please contact:

Greta Miliauskaite, PR Manager, [email protected]

SOURCE Omnisend