Average American Spent $1,007 During Holiday Season

Now that Thanksgiving weekend is behind us, the holiday shopping season is in full swing. This year, consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,007.24. That’s up about $40 from last year according to National Retail Federation data.

With all that shopping, what are people hoping to receive?

The top item on the list may be a bit disappointing for those who take time to find just the perfect gift, "For the 12th year in a row, gift cards remain the most popular items on wish lists, requested by 60 percent of those surveyed."

But 53 percent hope to receive clothing and accessories while 37 percent mentioned books, movies, and music. Also on the list were "electronics (29 percent), home décor (23 percent), jewelry (22 percent), personal care or beauty items (19 percent), sporting goods (18 percent) and home improvement items (17 percent)."

On a related topic, Friday’s Number of the Day noted that 75 million people will be shopping today on Cyber Monday. That’s second only to Black Friday as the biggest shopping day of the year.

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.