If they have to save money, Germans would least like to miss out on holidays and cars. The willingness to live more frugally in principle extends more to other areas or, as far as leisure time is concerned, to incidental expenses.
This is the result of a recent survey by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, in which 400 people aged between 16 and 70 were asked about their current consumer wishes and habits. According to the survey, leisure, hobbies and holidays are increasingly becoming areas of life in which Germans are looking for experiences and fulfilment. Respondents want to maintain the lifestyle they have achieved here at all costs. The importance of freely available time, the dynamism of leisure consumption and the associated expansion of the leisure market are clearly reflected in this trend.
In concrete terms, this means that people do not want to live without their car, but at best use it more sparingly. The majority of respondents do not want to do without holidays either. However, people are cutting back on additional personal expenses such as restaurant visits or beach chair hire. The catering trade in the holiday resorts already felt the effects of this in the summer of 1981.
According to the results of the BAT survey, savings are primarily intended in areas that make lifestyles more beautiful but also more expensive. Expenditure on jewellery and cosmetics, art and antiques, furniture and clothing will stagnate or even shrink until disposable incomes rise again across the board. This consumer behaviour can also be seen in spending on food and drink. Around 40 % of respondents intend to buy "rather inexpensive" food.
On the other hand, the leisure goods sector appears to be expecting an unchanged favourable trend. As the survey by the BAT Leisure Research Institute revealed, people are prepared to spend more money on sport and games, electronic media and DIY despite tighter household budgets. This also applies to garden maintenance and spending on pets.
Overall, there is a general awareness among German citizens of the need for savings and restrictions, but little personal inclination to save in those areas of life that are obviously worth working for and that make life pleasant and worth living. And in the eyes of most people, these are leisure, hobbies and holidays.

Leisure growth market

There are still no savings on leisure time: the leisure budget of German citizens more than quadrupled between 1965 and 1981, an increase of over 420 per cent. Leisure spending by private households has grown steadily and uninterruptedly across all income groups.
Against the backdrop of saturated markets for fridges and clothing, cars and televisions, tour operators and DIY stores, video equipment manufacturers and toy producers are relaxed about the trend towards shorter working hours. An understanding of leisure that focuses on activity and mobility, socialising and enjoyment of life is giving rise to an important growth industry and creating new jobs: around 4 million people (more than in the automotive industry) are already working in the leisure industry. Every sixth to seventh job in Germany depends directly or indirectly on the leisure industry.