Almost half of grandparents are worried about the cost of Christmas, a survey has found.
The research, conducted by grandparents' social networking site Gransnet, found 48% of those questioned were concerned about how much Christmas would cost, while nearly a quarter (24%) said they were getting into debt to pay for presents, travel and festive food.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter (27%) of grandparents felt that competition between themselves and their grandchildren's other grandparents was a worry for them, leaving them feeling they had to give better gifts and spend more time with their family than their counterparts.
Some on the social network's message board have been trying to encourage others not to engage in competitive gift-buying and instead spend more time interacting with their grandchildren.
Gransnet editor Geraldine Bell said: "The discussion boards of Gransnet have been buzzing with chat about Christmas. But amid all the seasonal cheer, many grandparents report real concern about making ends meet in increasingly cash-strapped times.
"Some grandparents are being creative in their bids to save money while others face a Christmas cutting back on food and gifts.
"What's also striking is the prevalence of 'gran-up-manship' - where grandparents are experiencing competition about the amount of time and money they spend on their grandchildren."
Gransnet, which has more than 14 million users, surveyed 850 grandparents in November.