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Jessica Darnbrough
Almost two thirds of Australians will reassess their spending plans for Christmas following the RBA’s November rate hike.
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According to a recent survey by Loan Market Group, 62 per cent of the 452 respondents would be forced to stick to a budget this Christmas.
Loan Market chief operating officer Dean Rushton said rate movements by the RBA and lenders had caused a significant change in spending attitudes.
“There are no prizes for guessing who is Scrooge this Christmas – the central bank who initiated the round of rate rises,” Mr Rushton said.
“Many Australians won’t be tucking into turkey this Christmas because the interest rate increases of 2010 have hit them so hard.”
Mr Rushton said 35 per cent of the 452 survey respondents said the Reserve Bank had “turned Santa into Scrooge”.
“Seventeen per cent of respondents said they would be cooking up sausages at Christmas rather than prawns or other festive season treats while 10 per cent said they had no holidays planned,” he said.
But the news wasn’t all bad. Thirty eight per cent of respondents said it would be “Christmas as usual” despite the rate increases.
