HIGH POINT, N.C.-- A new poll shows how North Carolinians will spend and stress this holiday season.

• 31 percent of North Carolinians say they are going to feel more stress over the holidays.
• 56 percent of North Carolina adults say that they're going to spend about the same as last year.
• 36 percent of North Carolina adults say that the holidays do make them give more to charitable organizations.

"So one of the figures we can track is something like, how much are you going to spend,” said Brian McDonald with the Survey Research Center at High Point University. “So we'll ask this from year to year: how much do you plan to spend on holiday gifts and food and decorations?”

The Survey Research Center at High Point University found North Carolina adults will dole out about the same amount of dollars.

"About 56 percent of our poll respondents told us that they're going to spend about the same as last year,” McDonald explained. “And, on average, that number was about $944 when we asked them to give us a dollar amount."

"I don't spend very much on Christmas shopping,” said Greensboro resident Maria Pidomo. “We usually do Secret Santa in my family for that reason. So we don't have to buy presents for everyone."

HPU also found stress is going to be up.

"When we asked more than 800 North Carolinians, both on telephone and online, how stress was going to impact their lives this holiday season, about 31 percent said they're going to feel more stress over the holidays,” McDonald said.

That number is actually down from when they asked the same question five years ago.

"It was like 43 percent then,” McDonald said.

"I'm a gift giver in my blood, so I think it's pretty easy for me to find something someone would like," Pidomo said.

"Not very much stress. I don't put a lot into it,” said Greensboro resident Diane Quillen. “I mean, I just don't get too stressed out about it."

"About 54 percent of our poll respondents, so about half, said that holidays, no holidays, it just doesn't matter,” McDonald said.

HPU also asked about charitable giving.

"36 percent said that the holidays do make them give more during this season. But a little less than half, so about 48 percent, said that the holidays are not going to impact either way that they're going to give more or less,” McDonald said.

"I tend to if I'm giving someone a gift, I tend to donate to some charity of their liking in their name,” Pidomo explained. “I think that's a pretty good way to spend your money instead of buying them material things."

"I haven't planned anything specific, but I've seen these kind of pages on Facebook where they put donation marathons. Like some of my friends have put some of them, so maybe I'll join one of them,” said Greensboro resident Laura Fischer.

Shoppers told Spectrum News the most important thing for them this year is to enjoy time with their families.