Unwrapping the case of Christmas Presents – to send or not to send?

This year, Australians are estimated to spend $10.5b on sending Christmas gifts to loved ones, however, for those living in Australia with friends and family overseas, the equation is not quite as straightforward.

With Christmas international shipping cutting off in the first week of December and postage costing often anywhere from twenty to hundreds of dollars, immigrants and expats are increasingly relying on other means in order to show loved ones that they care.

Ria Money Transfer sees up to 40% increase in money sent abroad in the month of December, compared with the rest of the calendar year, which goes to show that the convenience and relatively low cost of sending money overseas instead of gifts is starting to prove more appealing than the labour of buying, wrapping and sending of gifts.

Country Manager AU & NZ at Ria Money Transfer Australia, Simon Wilding feels that Australia’s expats don’t always have it easy at this time of year being away from loved ones but encourages them to stay connected any way they can.

“We know that most Australians are being impacted by the cost of living issues that have struck in the last 12 months and have less spare time than ever before, so the labour-inducing and costly process of buying, packaging and sending gifts doesn’t make sense for everyone in this current climate.

“We can so easily forget that Christmas can be a difficult time of year with those living away from family and friends but we’re keen to show the substantial expat community in Australia that there is a far easier and cheaper option that they can still provide support and love overseas.”

It’s not just the upcoming festive period that will also see a sharp rise in remittances overseas, Tet (70%) Eid (45%) and Diwali (15%) also experience an increase in money being sent as people remain keen to give gifts to those at home in celebrational periods.