
Six in 10 people will spend on ‘bucket list' dream activities in 2025
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Gen Z adults aged 18 to 28 plan to spend more on experiences this year, a survey has found.
Across all age groups, nearly half (48%) of people plan to spend more on experiences in 2025 than they did last year, according to the research for Mastercard.
Travel and tourism, foodie experiences, heritage, arts and theatre, films, live music and family occasions are among the most popular experiences people plan to spend on in 2025, the survey indicated.
Six in 10 (61%) of people across the survey are planning to tick a 'bucket list' dream experience off the list this year, rising to 83% of Gen Zs and three-quarters (75%) of Millennials (aged 29 to 44).
Nearly one in five (18%) people plan to tick off two dream experiences in 2025.
Beatrice Cornacchia, executive vice president of marketing and communications for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Europe at Mastercard, said: 'We're seeing a shift in consumer priorities this year with people making savings in everyday spending to afford bucket list experiences they've always dreamed of.'
The research also indicated significant numbers of people are cutting back on luxury treats (36%), dining out (36%) and coffee and takeaway habits (35%) in order to spend more on memories and experiences.
Most (75%) people said they check experiences offer the best value when compared with others and fit into their budget and savings goals (78%).
Around 1,000 people were surveyed across the UK by Dynata in February for Mastercard's research.
Barclays said last week that cinema spending among UK consumers had jumped by 25.9% between November 2024 and February 2025, compared with a year earlier.
Rich Robinson, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays, said last week: ' Competition for consumer leisure time has never been fiercer. Cinemas are adapting by making the experience of going to see a film more enjoyable, such as by installing sofas and reclining seats, and improving food and drinks menus – even offering in-seat service.'

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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: NatWest leaves tourist hotspot without a single bank branch
A friend Chris recently spent a few days in the Lake District – I'm going up there myself for some walking and wild-swimming in a month's time and I can't wait. When he emailed to tell me how his trip had gone, he attached some pictures. Not of glorious mountains or stunning tarns, but of two bank premises – one rather pristine and the other long shut. I wasn't surprised. Chris knows all about my borderline fetish for bank branches, especially those housed (or previously housed) in magnificent buildings as befitting their once proud role as pillars of communities. 'Saw this strange sight on my trip,' he explained. 'It looked like an open branch of NatWest in a busy town but I might have been hallucinating.' Tongue in cheek, he added: 'I better not say where it is in case the head office hitmen realise it's still open and shut it.' Chris went on to say: 'The other building in the same town looked like an old bank but it was 'to let'. The nearby bus stop was called 'Barclays', which might have been a clue as its previous occupant.' Well, I knew straight away the location of the NatWest branch because I've run and walked past it countless times while staying in nearby Ambleside over the years. It's located at the top of Windermere, not far from the railway station I disembark at when visiting the Lakes. As for the 'to let' property, Chris was right – it was a Barclays branch until 2022, when it shut. Yet sadly, Chris seems to have been hallucinating after all – because NatWest had closed the Windermere branch a couple of weeks before his holiday. It leaves the town, a popular tourist hotspot, without one single bank (the nearest ones are now seven miles away in Kendal – a tortuous journey at the best of times). Before Barclays complains, I dismiss its 'local' service which operates out of the town's library once a week and opens for five hours. Given cash and cheque transactions are not catered for, I'm not sure what banking purpose it serves. It's nigh on superfluous – banking window-dressing. You would have thought that bankless Windermere would now be ripe for a banking hub: a community bank which customers of all the big banking brands can use. Unlike Barclays' 'locals', hubs are cash-friendly, provide basic banking services and are key for small businesses (retailers especially) wishing to deposit cash. Yet the town hasn't passed muster. A hub can be set up only if cash machine network Link, acting on behalf of the big banks that fund them, thinks it is necessary. And according to its assessment of the town's banking services, Windermere can survive without one. The local population, Link says, has access to banking services via two post offices – and access to cash via three ATMs. It's a baffling decision which I can't quite get my head around. Whatever season it has been when I've visited, the town has always been bustling. And I'm not the only one left baffled. Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, is appalled that, outside of Kendal, there are now no bank branches in his constituency – and no replacement hubs in towns abandoned by the banks – the likes of Ambleside, Coniston and now Windermere. Earlier this year, after the NatWest closure in Windermere was announced, he said: 'We desperately need banking hubs so locals, especially elderly and vulnerable people, have access to face-to-face banking services.' Last Thursday, MPs raised similar concerns in a backbench debate in the House of Commons on banking hubs and branch closures. Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, led the way. He is frustrated that a community request to get a hub in Bedlington, Northumberland, was recently knocked down by Link. Other MPs referred to bankless towns in their constituencies where hubs had not been approved. Link says the rollout of 160 hubs has resulted in 1.6 million people having local access to banking services (within three miles) that otherwise would not be available. Adrian Roberts, Link deputy chief executive, told me: 'Cash is proving key in the event of system failures and cyber attacks. That's why we need a resilient national cash access network that serves everyone, and why we have a key role in recommending new services including ATMs and banking hubs. We've recommended 226 hubs to date and expect many more.' Labour wants 350 up and running before 2029. Behind the scenes, there is a fierce debate going on about hubs. Some say they should not be introduced into towns where they would undermine the role of the Post Office in providing local banking services – in effect, hubs run by the Post Office – as that would cannibalise the existing businesses of sub-postmasters. Others warn that if Link was pushed into taking a more relaxed approach to approving hubs, some could subsequently close as a result of a lack of local demand for their services. Something that would be hugely embarrassing for Link and for Labour. However, some believe hubs are too restricted in what services they can provide – and that the rules should now be eased to broaden their appeal. Unless this happens, they say many hubs will struggle to survive. The road ahead for banking hubs will not be without its twists and turns, that's for sure. But the fact remains: Windermere still needs a banking hub. Sink or swim for Reeves' cash Isas plan Cash Isas are more popular than ever. The latest Bank of England figures show £14 billion was deposited inside these mini tax havens in April – that is the largest monthly amount since the 'Old Lady' started collating data on them in 1999. The fact they are all the rage is not because of juicy interest rates – these have been heading down this year. It is primarily a result of Rachel from Accounts, our splendid Chancellor (tongue firmly in cheek), wanting to clip their wings. The result is a mad scramble for cash Isas while stocks last. In recent months, Ms Reeves has let it be known that she wants to reduce the annual maximum that can be deposited inside a cash Isa from £20,000 to £4,000. In future, only investors, she has hinted, will be able to use the full £20,000 annual allowance. All part of her broader mission to help boost the UK stock market and raise capital for British businesses and massive infrastructure projects. But nearly everyone I have spoken to on this Isa makeover believes it's a nutty idea, impacting on the prudent, young and old. It's why we launched our 'Hands Off Our Cash Isas' campaign. Let's hope Rachel from Accounts sees sense. If she does, I vow to go up to Loughrigg Tarn in the Lake District and, irrespective of water temperature, swim 20 (not 20,000) victory lengths.


NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
When it comes to saving, Gen Z asks: ‘What's the point?' That's dangerous, expert says
Gen Z seems to have a case of economic malaise. Nearly half (49%) of its adult members — the oldest of whom are in their late 20s — say planning for the future feels 'pointless,' according to a recent Credit Karma poll. A freewheeling attitude toward summer spending has taken root among young adults who feel financial 'despair' and 'hopelessness,' said Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma. They think, 'What's the point when it comes to saving for the future?' Alev said. That 'YOLO mindset' among Generation Z — the cohort born from roughly 1997 through 2012 — can be dangerous: If unchecked, it might lead young adults to rack up high-interest debt they can't easily repay, perhaps leading to delayed milestones like moving out of their parents' home or saving for retirement, Alev said. But your late teens and early 20s is arguably the best time for young people to develop healthy financial habits: Starting to invest now, even a little bit, will yield ample benefits via decades of compound interest, experts said. 'There are a lot of financial implications in the long term if these young people aren't planning for their financial future and [are] spending willy-nilly however they want,' Alev said. Why Gen Z feels disillusioned That said, that many feel disillusioned is understandable in the current environment, experts said. The labor market has been tough lately for new entrants and those looking to switch jobs, experts said. The U.S. unemployment rate is relatively low, at 4.2%. However, it's much higher for Americans 22 to 27 years old: 5.8% for recent college grads and 6.9% for those without a bachelor's degree, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data as of March 2025. Young adults are also saddled with debt concerns, experts said. 'They feel they don't have any money and many of them are in debt,' said Winnie Sun, co-founder and managing director of Sun Group Wealth Partners, based in Irvine, California. 'And they're wondering if the degree they have (or are working toward) will be of value if A.I. takes all their jobs anyway. So is it just pointless?' About 50% of bachelor's degree recipients in the 2022-23 class graduated with student debt, with an average debt of $29,300, according to College Board. The federal government restarted collections on student debt in default in May, after a five-year pause. The Biden administration's efforts to forgive large swaths of student debt, including plans to help reduce monthly payments for struggling borrowers, were largely stymied in court. 'Some hoped some or more of it would be forgiven, and that didn't turn out to be the case,' said Sun, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Meanwhile, in a 2024 report, the New York Fed found credit card delinquency rates were rising faster for Gen Z than for other generations. About 15% had maxed out their cards, more than other cohorts, it said. It's also 'never been easier to buy things,' with the rise of buy now, pay later lending, for example, Alev said. BNPL has pushed the majority of Gen Z users — 77% — to say the service has encouraged them to spend more than they can afford, according to the Credit Karma survey. The firm polled 1,015 adults ages 18 and older, 182 of whom are from Gen Z. These financial challenges compound an environment of general political and financial uncertainty, amid on-again-off-again tariff policy and its potential impact on inflation and the U.S. economy, for example, experts said. 'You start stacking all these things on top of each other and it can create a lack of optimism for young people looking to get started in their financial lives,' Alev said. How to manage that financial malaise Young adults should try to rewire their financial mindset, experts said. 'Most importantly, you don't want to bet against yourself,' Sun said. 'See it as an opportunity,' she added. 'If you're young and your expenses are low, this is the time to invest as much as you can right now.' Time is working in their favor, due to the ability to compound investment growth over multiple decades, Alev said. While investing might 'feel impossible,' every little bit helps, even if it's just investing $10 a month right now into a tax-advantaged retirement account like a Roth IRA or 401(k). The latter is among the easiest ways to start, due to automatic payroll deduction and the possibility of earning a 'match' from your employer, which is 'probably the closest thing to free money any of us will get in our lifetime,' Alev said.


Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Holiday ATM warning that could leave holidaymakers without cash this summer
Read below for another mistake you should never make BANK ON IT Holiday ATM warning that could leave holidaymakers without cash this summer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAYMAKERS might end up without cash this summer if they are not aware of this banking feature. Many travellers choose to withdraw cash at the ATM when they are abroad. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 There is a limit on how much money you can take out from a cash machine abroad Credit: Getty However many could be unaware that there is a limit to how much you can take out every day The amount can vary so it is worth checking with your provider ahead of your travels to avoid being caught short. Below we share how much money each high street bank lets you withdraw each day. BARCLAYS The bank of over 20 million Brits lets customers withdraw up to £300 per day when abroad. This rises to £1000 for those with a premier account. Barclays said customers have amended their cash limits in their Barclays app then these will apply when abroad as well. That means if you set your withdrawal limit to £200, you will only be able to take this much out when you are abroad. You will also be charged a 2.99% fee for withdrawing cash abroad with your Barclays debit card. That means you would be charged an extra £2.99 for withdrawing £100 abroad. The fee will also apply if you pay using your debit card. Lloyds Lloyds said customers can withdraw up to £800 per day when abroad. However, it warned the amount you can take out may vary depending on which ATM you choose to withdraw cash from. Lloyds customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But Club Lloyds members have recently had this fee waived as part of changes to the scheme. It now costs £5 per month to have a Club Lloyds account after the price was hiked from £3. Halifax Halifax is a subsidiary of Lloyds and also has a £800 maximum withdrawal fee. Customers are also charged a 2.99% fee for using their card abroad. But from August 1, Halifax Rewards customers will have this charge removed. It comes as part of a refresh of the banking offer, which will see new features added and some taken away. SANTANDER The high street bank said the highest amount that customers can withdraw abroad is £300. The same rate applies to customers withdrawing cash in the UK. This applies to Santander customers using the Edge, Edge Up and Everyday current account. However customers with a Private Current Account, which has a £5 monthly fee, the daily withdrawal limit can be up to £1,500. Santander warned this may vary depending on the ATM. NATWEST NatWest has over 19 million users across the UK, making it another popular bank for customers. How much you can withdraw from an ATM when abroad depends on what type of account you have. For example, customers with a student, graduate savings and teen accounts have their limit set at £250 per day. This increases to £300 for those with premium accounts such as NatWest Silver of Platinum, which offers rewards and travel insurance. The bank also charges customers a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. NATIONWIDE The bank, which has 17 million customers, said current account holders can withdraw up to £500 per day at an ATM abroad. However, the bank warned overseas banks may put higher limits on transactions. For safety purposes and customers may find they are only able to withdraw a sterling equivalent of £135 to £150 per transaction. If customers are affected by this, they can make further withdrawals on the same day up to the accounts withdrawal limit. Customers may be charged for their transactions. Nationwide customers are charged a 2.75% fee to use their debit card abroad. BEWARE OF THIS SIMPLE MISTAKE If you are travelling abroad this summer you should also be aware of this easy ATM mistake that could cost you. Cash machines will usually give you the option to pay in the local currency or in pounds. It may seem like the obvious option to pay in pounds, as it's more familiar and the currency linked to your card. However, by choosing this option you could end up paying more for the cash coming out of the ATM or for the goods you're paying for at the till. That is because the overseas bank will do the conversion to pounds and the rates are unfavourable. However, if you choose to pay in the local currency your card will instead do the conversion which is usually much more favourable. So if you are keen to save cash when abroad, you should opt to pay in the local currency and not pounds.