Cold hard cash. That is what most South Africans want this festive season. In second place, last year's winner, is chocolate, shows Deloitte's year-end holiday survey.
"Gift expectations are starkly different based on the demographic profile, with 18 to 34-year-olds ranking cash as the most preferred gift, while the 35 to 64-year age cohort prefers books for this festive season," said Rodger George and André Dennis, the advisers who authored the report.
But even if South Africans want cash, it doesn't mean they will get it. "For the second consecutive year, chocolates remain the most likely gift that will be purchased for friends and family. Cash does not appear in the top 10 gifts."
Consumers will spend most on stuffing their faces - as much as 44% of their budget will be allocated to food, up from 36% last year.
They are cutting down on travel (down to 20%) and socialising (dropped from 23% to 13%).
The Reserve Bank increased the interest rate for the first time in six years in January and again in July, making credit 0.75 percentage points more expensive in total.
A survey by Ernst & Young revealed last week that, despite the higher interest rate, most retailers expect this festive season to be better than the last.
Derek Engelbrecht, Retail and Consumer Products Sector leader at EY, said the retail pie is not growing, and competition will be fierce to attract the cash-strapped customers.
Engelbrecht expects wholesome family spending to be more popular this year, with the heads of households rather taking the family out for dinner than going on holiday.
The Deloitte survey echoes this.
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