 TITLE: Holiday Spending Looks Different for Consumers in 2020 CONTENT: Consumers in 2020 Tend to Use Credit Cards, Not Cash\n----------------------------------------------------\nWith more than 1 in 3 consumers stressed about staying within budget, many are open to using credit cards over cash this year. Over half of those surveyed—57%—said they tend to use credit cards instead of cash when holiday spending. That's an increase of 8 percentage points from the same time last year.\nAs part of their planning, 55% of consumers say they will put money aside for gifts as they approach the holidays. That figure is down from 65% who said the same in 2019.\nAnother 43% of Americans plan to tighten their budget ahead of the holidays. That's another reduction compared with last year, when 52% of consumers planned to clamp down their budget ahead of holiday shopping.\nThese changes may point to the fact that some consumers have had their incomes slashed due to the pandemic, or have already made cutbacks to the point that more may be impractical. END