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American charities have weathered a significant drop in giving this year, and while they're hoping for a holiday miracle, a recent survey shows they will probably see a decrease in year-end generosity.In light of the economic downturn, only 38 percent of Americans say they are more likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present this year, compared to 49 percent last year, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive to be released Monday

Of those 65-plus, nearly half (45 percent) say they’ll spend less than $300

“We shop every week and buy gifts all year long,” says Fowler, who retired from IBM in 1990. “We don’t wait till the season. It’s easier, and we get as good a deal as ever because we shop while the stores have sales.

Most people seem to want to avoid racking up debt this holiday season. More than three-quarters (78 percent) say they plan to buy their gifts with cash, check or a debit card.

Take the United States: Richard A. Easterlin, an economics professor at the University of Southern California and a former Guggenheim Fellow, has done extensive research that "found no significant relationship between happiness and time over a period in which GDP (gross domestic product) per capita grew by one-third, from 1972 to 1991."

Similarly, Eric Weiner notes in "The Geography of Bliss" that America -- "the wealthiest nation in the world" -- is "three times richer than we were in 1950, yet no happier."

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