“It just meant that I’m not spending as much as I was last year. And also, doing, instead of just buying presents, doing handmade stuff this year,” said Nathan Geerligs of Winnipeg.

Economists say the vast majority of Canadians will be looking for sales — or comparing prices to get more out of their holiday budget.

“We know that in economic hard times, we’re not going to give up on stuff that makes us happy. We’re just gonna find different ways to interact with those things,” said Kivalina Grove, a professor of marketing at the University of Manitoba.

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