春节带来了一年最大的支出

While every family has its own way to celebrate the Lunar New Year, one thing is certain: They'll be spending big.

Preparations for the Spring Festival have been underway for a month in Feng Weikang's family. For the retired couple, one of the biggest source of spending is the family reunion meal. With his 94-year-old mother attending, Feng chose to eat at home this year. Although it may be cheaper than going to a fancy restaurant, cooking for four generations of hungry family members is no small project.

"There will be 6 or 7 tables of guests. The dishes I've prepared take up three fridges. We have a budget. And making the purchases early could make the cost smaller, so we can buy more things and stay within the budget," He said.

Feng Weikang estimates he will spend more than 6 thousand yuan on the meal alone. And he's not the only one preparing to put on a holiday feast.

But the family dinner is just one expense. Buying gifts for relatives is another. The most traditional is the red envelopes filled with cash given to family members. And with the whole family gathering for the holiday, that can mean a lot of envelopes to hand out.

"We have quite a few kids in the family. Red enveloped money is inevitable. I need to prepare more than 10 thousand yuan for all of them," Said Feng.

But over the past couple years, younger generations have begun turning toward more digital exchanges. "We used to give red envelopes filled with cash. But nowadays young people like these kinds of things more."

Feng Weikang's daughter says her budget for the holiday is more than 20 thousand yuan. But different from her parents, her budget will cover some special spending just for herself.

"We need to buy gifts for our parents, children, other relatives and ourselves. Besides, I planned a 3 thousand yuan tourism trip round the province." Sai Feng's daughter.

Though some say all this spending brings them as much pressure as it does happiness, sharing the holiday experience with family remains priceless.