Make the yuletide pay: Most Americans want cash for the holidays

If you’re having a hard time deciding what to get your friends and family this holiday season, know that the answer is probably in your wallet.

A new Talker Research survey, conducted on behalf of the banking app Chime, finds that the most wanted Christmas gift this year for 58% of Americans is cash, with just over $600 the average amount people are hoping to come away with this holiday season.

But if you’re not someone who likes giving cash, you may want to opt for wearables and accessories, the second most wanted gift (29%). The most wanted wearable item is casual attire (68%), followed by shoes (56%) and jewelry (49%).

Bringing it back to money, 21% of people would rather get help with their essentials over the holidays than get a gift, with 58% saying they’d love to have their utilities paid, while 51% want their rent covered and 44% want their credit card debt paid off.

And then there are 19% of people who’d prefer an experience rather than a gift; the most wanted experience is a trip that requires airfare (56%), followed by concert tickets (51%), a local getaway (43%), movie tickets (37%) or a spa day (37%).

Of course, all these gifts could prove quite costly, which may be out of the budget for some people. The survey finds that the average American plans to spend $1,120 on holiday gifts, with 31% saying they plan to spend less than last year and 35% planning to spend more.