The current economic problems have drastically reduced consumer spending, and holiday shopping is no exception. Most adults (66%) expect to spend less than last year on gifts this holiday season, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Just 10% say they plan to spend more on holiday gifts, while 21% say they will spend roughly the same as in past years.

This time last year, 53% of consumers said they would be spending less money on gifts, while 17% said they planned on spending more.

Perhaps surprisingly, the group of adults who plan on decreasing their holiday spending the most this year are those who make between $75,000 and $100,000. Three-out-of-four of those consumers (75%) say they will spend less this year. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of adults who make from $20,000 and $60,000 a year say they will be spending less.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

One in four adults (25%) say they have already started their holiday shopping this year, with five percent (5% who say they have already finished. This time last year, 27% said they had begun to shop for the holidays.

While 41% of adults say shopping for the holidays is a fun experience, nearly an equal percentage (40%) consider it an unpleasant chore. Men find the experience to be unpleasant by a 49% to 32% margin, while women say the opposite by a 49% to 31% margin.

Most adults (54%) still plan on spending their money on specific gifts this year, while 19% say they will probably spend more on gift cards.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.