This Christmas we will spend 745 euros per person, according to a recent OCU survey. More than half of this amount will be dedicated to gifts and travel, but also to meals and celebrations with loved ones.
Christmas is an exciting time to share good wishes and also our money. Wishes are unlimited, our money is not.
Good advice at all times, but especially during this period, is to make a budget and stick to it as closely as possible. We probably have money saved to make this exceptional expense that we have been planning for so long. The recommendation in this case is to compare prices and offers.
Many of the purchases will surely be online. The internet opens up a world of possibilities for comparing products and making instant decisions. However, making quick decisions is never a good idea. Digitalization does not have to go hand in hand with immediacy. Let us make reasoned decisions and not be carried away by impulses.
It is also important to use common sense to protect our data when operating online. We must not give personal information to strangers and we must ensure that we are on secure pages and trusted networks.
Banking channels are secure for transactions: official websites, banking applications, official telephone numbers… provided that they are accessed directly and not through links received in messages. Therefore, be careful with communications or notices received through instant messaging channels, social networks, SMS, or calls from telephone numbers that, even though they may appear official, are not.
Digitalization is beneficial in numerous aspects: for acquiring goods, accessing private and public services easily and quickly, and, above all, for communicating, for staying close despite being physically far apart. The best Christmas gift if it is used properly.
José Luis Martínez Campuzano, Spokesperson for the Spanish Banking Association
