Scrooges among both genders

Scrooges. Photo / Thinkstock

Women are more likely to donate to charity collectors, but men should hardly be labelled Christmas Scrooges on account of their giving.

This week Remuera collector Jane Parlane wrote to the Herald to complain that men rarely parted with their cash, and when they did so the amounts given were stingy.

Yesterday the Herald observed a Salvation Army collection point outside Devonport New World for half an hour over lunchtime.

Of the 104 women who came out of the supermarket, 14.4 per cent gave money, while 8 per cent of the 62 men who passed the collection point reached into their pockets.

Both sexes appeared to be equally generous with their donations, with almost half giving notes.

When asked if men were stingy, collector Mike Habgood joked: "Well, that's how it is, isn't it - men earn the money and women spend it".

But he and wife Pat, who have been married 57 years and collecting for the Sallies for five, both said there were no trends in terms of donations.

Mrs Habgood said she used to think older people were more likely to give, but no longer did so, and earlier in the day a group of teenage boys with skateboards gave money.

She said collecting was a fascinating insight into human psychology, especially observing how people behaved when they didn't want to donate.

Mr Habgood, bulging out his eyes, said the key was to make eye contact.

An unusually large number of people fielded text messages or phone calls as they left the store yesterday.

Graham Head, an accountant for the Navy, didn't want to wade into the debate - even when asked immediately after he donated $5.

"I wouldn't have a clue, sorry ... for me, it's what's in my pocket. If I had $2 they would have got it."

This week a Herald online poll asking if women were more charitable at Christmas time than men revealed 63 per cent of the more than 8000 respondents thought they were.

But one reader pointed out that although he didn't give to collections at shopping centres, he had donated $1100 directly in the past few years.

BAH HUMBUG

No charity from:

* 86 per cent of 104 women
* 92 per cent of 62 men.