PR Newswire | Mar 31, 2021 07:00AM EDT

03/31 06:00 CDT

Canadians spend big on self-care throughout pandemic, Scotiabank Survey TORONTO, March 31, 2021

TORONTO, March 31, 2021 /CNW/ - An overwhelming majority of Canadians (98%) say their self-care habits are here to stay in a post-pandemic world, according to a Scotiabank Survey. Most Canadians (79%) are partaking in at least one self-care activity since the pandemic began and nearly 60% of those are spending an average of $282 on self-care in the past 12 months.

The Scotiabank self-care survey asked Canadians about their sentiment toward their financial, mental, and physical well-being over the past twelve months, and the self-care activities that support their overall well-being.

Canadians 18-34 years of age significantly outspend others for self-care activities ($395), compared with $255 among 35-54-year-olds, and $220 among those ages 55+. Over three-quarters (79%) of Canadians partook in at least one self-care activity during the pandemic. The most popular activities were baking and cooking (50%), home workouts (41%), and online shopping (34%).

While spending on self-care has helped Canadians manage their overall well-being throughout the pandemic, when it comes to their financial well-being, Canadians are also feeling optimistic. More than two-thirds of Canadians (68%) feel good about their financial health over the past 12 months; however, one-in-three (32%) Canadians rate their financial health this past year as fair or poor.

While millennials indicated they spend nearly twice as much on self-care activities than those 55+, they also spend more time worrying about their finances.

Regionally, Quebecers (77%) feel the best about their financial health over the past 12 months, compared with 64% of Ontarians and 62% of Albertans. The average spend on self-care activities is highest in Alberta($367) and lowest in the Atlantic provinces ($176).

"Spending on things that improve your self-care has been an essential coping strategy since the pandemic began, but it's important Canadians look after their financial well-being in addition to their physical and mental wellness," said D'Arcy McDonald, Senior Vice President, Deposits, Investments & Payments at Scotiabank. "This past year many Canadians have been able to increase their savings but as we see lockdown restrictions ease and spending increase once again, we want Canadians to keep up with the strong money habits they developed during lockdown."

Scotiabank Financial Self-Care Checklist

* Automate and SaveThe past year has reinforced the importance of savings. 79% of respondents to the 2020 Scotiabank Money Readiness Poll said they are being more cautious with their spending and 61% of them said they are setting money aside for an emergency. A healthy financial buffer can help reduce stress by being prepared for unexpected expense. As the world starts to reopen, maintain good habits by automating monthly savings deposits from each paycheck and ensure your savings are growing in a high-interest account or GIC. * Invest in yourself Have all the headlines about the market piqued your interest in investing? Check your bank account features and take advantage of free trades. Scotiabank's Ultimate Package for example offers customers 10 free equity trades at Scotia ITRADE (r) in their first year, and five free equity trades every year after.* * Spend Smart and Reward Yourself Before you order takeout, buy a new shirt, or pick-up your next coffee to-go, ask yourself if your bank account is helping you make the most of your everyday spending. Does your account give you benefits and features, help you minimize account fees or offer you the ability to earn and redeem points like Scotia Rewards(r)?

Methodology From February 22nd to February 23rd, 2021 an online survey of 1,511 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Maru Voice Canada panelists was conducted on behalf of Scotiabank by Maru/Blue. The results of this study have been weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About ScotiabankScotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of approximately 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at January 31, 2021), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

* Account holders who have a Scotia iTRADE account (except for corporate andnon-personal Scotia iTRADE accounts) qualify to be credited with thecommissions associated with their first 10 online commissionable trades ofequities, options, debentures ($24.99 per debenture trade) or ETFs ("EligibleSecurities") placed across all account holder(s)' Scotia iTRADE accounts withinthe calendar year when they open the Ultimate Package account. In the secondcalendar year and thereafter, account holders qualify to be credited with thecommissions associated with their first 5 online commissionable trades ofEligible Securities placed across all their Scotia iTRADE accounts during eachyear. Both the Ultimate Package account and Scotia iTRADE accounts must be ingood standing on the last day of every month. Credits will be applied to theaccount holder's non-registered Scotia iTRADE account, and, in its absence, tothe account holder's registered Scotia iTRADE account in CAD currency(converted from USD to CAD for trades executed in USD, using the applicableforeign exchange rate) within the first 10 business days of the month followingthe trades. To be eligible, the primary or joint account holder of the UltimatePackage account can be either the primary or joint account holder of the ScotiaiTRADE account. Credits will appear as $4.99 or $9.99 per trade depending onthe account trading activity: standard commissions are $9.99, if more than 150trades are placed per quarter commissions are valued at $4.99 per trade,debenture commissions are valued at $24.99 per trade. Trades executed by aTrading Authority in the Scotia iTRADE account are also eligible. To qualifyfor you must not be in a disallowed debit position in your Scotia iTRADEaccounts and not have any outstanding margin calls due in your Scotia iTRADEaccounts. No cash redemption value. Free trades are limited to one per client.Only one account holder per each joint Ultimate Package account will beentitled to receive the credits for 10 or 5 free trades, as applicable, intotheir Scotia iTRADE account.

SOURCE Scotiabank