On average, each person celebrating Christmas in the UK this year – 87% of the population (53.99m people) – received up to two presents they did not want with their total value reaching £31 on average

Despite concerns over the rising cost of day-to-day living, the pressure to appear un-miserly at Christmas means people expect to spend close to £470 on average over the festive period this year – around £30 more than last year .

Poll reveals recycling generation gap, with twenty year olds caring least about recycling and those in their sixties most committed.

Yannick Pons, CEO at VivaStreet.co.uk, said, 'Our research suggests that belief in the paranormal isn't that unusual any more, especially as people hit by the recession look for answers and a way of coping with their financial woes. Public interest in spirituality is apparently very much on the rise.'

According to classified ads wesbite Vivastreet.co.uk, the number of people searching for work they can do at home has increased by 142 per cent compared to 2008.

The site's CEO Yannick Pons told us: "Our Work From Home section has been one of the most popular sections on the site over the past year, but we've noticed a massive spike in page views during the first month-and-a-half of 2010. Traffic has been growing month on month, and the number of new ads has also risen sharply.

... "Not only are people looking for ways to bolster their incomes, it seems businesses are beginning to see home working as a more cost-effective resource than having staff on-site, particularly at a time when they need to cut spending to the bone. Many of the jobs people can take up require just an internet connection and phone, so it's no surprise this segment of the market is beginning to appeal to consumers and businesses alike."

Yannick Pons from Vivastreet.co.uk, another site that provides free classified ads, says there has been a marked increase in private sale ads on the site and also home swap ads where sellers try to swap their properties with other interested sellers.

According to its figures, the number of new home swap ads in the third quarter of 2009 was double the number in those months the previous year. "A growing number of sellers are bypassing estate agents altogether to sell their properties privately," says Pons.

... "The advantages of using home swapping to sell a property over the traditional estate agent are twofold. Sellers can save thousands of pounds on estate agent fees and are also guaranteed to be entering into a chain-free purchase."