Guess Who You’re More Likely to Be Buying Gifts for This Holiday Season?

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Hint: It’s probably the most important person in your life.

It’s you, silly.

Among the National Retail Federation’s Top Ten Holiday Trends for 2010 is this nugget: 57.1% of consumers plan on buying gifts for themselves during holiday shopping excursions, up from 52.9% last year. The average shopper will drop $108 solely on purchases for him or herself. No one could possibly have a better idea of what you want, I suppose.

The NRF blog explains:

The number of people who will take advantage of holiday sales to make non-gift purchases for themselves is up eight percent this year (52.9% in ’09 vs. 57.1% this year), and the average person will spend about $108 on these “just for me” purchases. Of course some of this could be explained simply by pent-up demand, but many Americans might be able to find wiggle room in the budget to splurge on something for themselves or make an impulse buy on a great deal. In fact, some retailers may want to consider a return to the “one for you, two for me” marketing rhetoric so popular in 2006 and 2007.

Who’s most likely to spend on themselves? Men (58.2%), young adults 25-34 (70.5%), and Southerners (58.6%).

Seeing as we’re approaching not only the holiday shopping season, but also the season for stories telling consumers how to spend less during holiday shopping season, here’s one early, couldn’t-be-simpler tip to limit expenditures in the craze to come:

Um, don’t buy stuff for yourself.

Hold back and you could save yourself an easy $100, maybe more. I know this doesn’t seem like much fun, but the “season of giving” is supposed to be about giving to other people.