Americans ramped up spending during the holidays despite some financial anxiety and higher costs

for everything from food to gasoline.

Americans showed their resilience and determination to not let their financial worries dampen the festive spirit of the holiday season. People were willing to splurge in some areas, despite their anxiety. This was best illustrated by the robust growth in e-commerce sales toward the end of the year. Americans also opened their wallets to purchase holiday gifts, travel, and entertainment. Even though prices for some items rose sharply, people still wanted to have the festive cheer of the season and made the necessary sacrifices to maintain it.