Apart from the big red envelope during the New Year, iPads and iPhone 4s are favored by children, while salaried workers express immense pressure.
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Around the Spring Festival, many people are calculating how much they will give as red envelopes to their juniors. However, in recent years, with the increase in prices and living standards, the amount of lucky money given to children has also risen significantly. A survey conducted by our newspaper through the Dahe Wo 3G lifestyle portal shows: over 40% of netizens revealed that the starting price of lucky money for children has increased from dozens of yuan in the past to between 100 and 500 yuan now.
Parents:
Giving children lucky money = 1 month's salary + year-end bonus
Among them, the one who benefits the most is 15-year-old Wang Yang. "My father gives me more than 10,000 yuan every year as lucky money, and I can freely allocate it without having to hand it over."
"The child has made great progress in academic performance in recent years. This year is a critical moment for Wang Yang to enter high school. According to tradition, if he ranks in the top 5 in his class, he can receive a ten-thousand-yuan 'scholarship,' and the child has achieved this, so we have to keep our promise," Mr. Wang said. The year-end bonus was directly handed over to his son, and on top of that, he had to give each child of relatives and friends 500 yuan as lucky money, which added up to another month's salary.
New Favorites:
"Apple" products replacing lucky money, favored by children
For many "post-90s" or even "post-00s" children, compared to previous years, their New Year's wishes have changed significantly this year. Valuable electronic products like iPads and iPhone 4s are becoming their new favorites.
Survey:
The starting price of lucky money enters the "hundred-yuan era"
In recent years, the amount of lucky money adults give to children has been rising, ranging from a few dozen yuan to over ten thousand yuan.
Yesterday, our newspaper conducted a survey on lucky money through the Dahe Wo 3G lifestyle portal. The results showed that 41.2% of netizens indicated that this year's lucky money starting price is concentrated between 100 and 500 yuan. At the same time, 34% of netizens said that the starting price of lucky money is between 50 and 100 yuan.
In the survey item regarding the planned budget for this year's lucky money, only 17.4% of netizens said it would be less than 500 yuan. 45.3% of netizens said they prepared between 1000 and 2000 yuan. In addition, 3.5% of netizens said their budget was over 5000 yuan.
40.7% of netizens said that the lucky money is mainly given to younger relatives; 25.5% of netizens said it is mainly given to elders as a sign of respect; 18.6% of netizens disclosed that the lucky money is mainly given to colleagues' juniors. Additionally, 15.2% of netizens said that the lucky money is primarily given to leaders' children.
Salaried Workers:
High lucky money has become a burden during the New Year
When children celebrate the increasing amount of lucky money, many salaried workers are worrying about how to get through the year-end period. 35.9% of respondents said, "I am a salaried worker, and giving lucky money to juniors is stressful." "Mortgage, car loan, ordinary expenses... there isn't much left at the end of the year. How am I supposed to get through the New Year?" complained Xiao Sun, who has worked for only two years.
"It's really meaningless. Lucky money is just you giving my child some money, and then I give your child some money. It's like a money-swapping game," said Mr. Zhang, a citizen of Zhengzhou, reflecting the sentiments of many. 11.5% of netizens believe that "giving lucky money back and forth among relatives is unnecessary."
However, due to the existence of China's "face society," this "money-swapping game" will continue. 33.5% of netizens expressed, "There's no way around it; social interactions are indispensable." Only 19.1% of respondents said, "I'm very willing to give children lucky money as a blessing."