Christmas Dread
By: Arden Stone
Updated: December 17, 2012
The crowds of Christmas, not surprisingly, top the 2012 list of the most dreaded aspects of the holiday season.
Tod Marks, the self-confessed curmudgeon-in-residence at Consumer Reports, analyzed their survey of 1,100 Americans on what they dread the most about this time of year.
Coming in heavily in second place was worry about weight gain.
"People overindulge this time of year and 70% of them told us their biggest indulgences are desserts, pastries and cookies, so watch out for that," Marks warns.
Next on the list was frustration experienced in shopping center parking lots, where aggressive or thoughtless drivers can test your patience.
The survey also uncovered dread over running up debt.
"It's still weighing on people's minds, you know and they're trying to be, if not frugal, very responsible with their shopping dollars," Marks says.
One of the most surprising results: 60-percent of those asked said they dread getting gift cards.
They'd prefer to receive cash instead.
