Maximum number of days the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests keeping a fresh turkey before cooking it, according to a National Turkey Federation survey: 2

Number of hours it takes to thaw a frozen 22- to 24-pound turkey in cold water: 11 to 12

Number of days it takes to thaw it in the refrigerator: 5.5 to 6

Number of hours it takes to cook a stuffed 22- to 24-pound turkey in an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit: 5 to 5.5

Source: CNN Money.

Percentage of consumers who say their biggest holiday stress is the cost of gifts, according to a survey by RetailMeNot: 64

Percentage of consumers who are likely to do their winter holiday shopping in-store: 73

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Ranks of Minnesota, North Carolina and Arkansas on the list of U.S. states that produce the most turkeys, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Jersey on the list of states that grow the most cranberries: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of North Carolina, California and Mississippi on the list of states that produce the most sweet potatoes: 1, 2, 3

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of ultra-high net-worth individuals globally -- defined as those with $30 million and above in net assets -- according to a study by Wealth-X and the Sotheby's International Realty brand: 211,000

Percentage of them who own two or more residences: 79

Ranks of the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland on the list of the most popular locations for second homes among the ultra wealthy: 1, 2, 3

Source: Wealth-X.

Percentage of Americans who report that they loathe sharing the road with bad drivers -- more than cyclists, buses, taxis, joggers and walkers combined -- according to the Expedia 2015 Road Rage Report: 51

Percentage of all Americans who rate themselves as "careful" drivers, but feel that only 29 percent of fellow drivers merit the description: 97

Source: Expedia.

Estimated amount the average consumer is expected to spend this holiday season, according to the 2015 Deferred Interest Report by CardHub: $834

Projected net rise in credit card debt by the end of the year: $60 billion

Percentage of major retailers who offer financing options to their customers: 73

Source: CardHub.

Even though many financial advisers, friends and family members will tell you owning a home is not all it's cracked up to be, percentage of Americans who believe it's truly the great American dream, according to the Ipsos survey: 81

Percentage who believe it's important to keep the house updated and looking fresh: 88

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos on the list of America's favorite football teams, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 1, 2 (tie), 4

Percentage of Americans who believe the worst part of Super Bowl Sunday is having to get up the next morning to go to work or school: 54

Source: The Harris Poll.

Estimated number of Americans who choose to rent rather than buy a home, according to research by Credit Donkey: 105 million

Average rent in the U.S. in 2015: $1,200.

Estimated percentage of American households that spend more than 30 percent of their income to keep a roof over their heads: 41

Percentage of renters who spend more than half their pay on rent: 25

Source: CreditDonkey.com.

When it comes to expenditures in retirement, percentage of millennials (ages 20 to 37) who think they will spend less than $36,000 per year -- 30 percent less than the current national average, $46,757, for those aged 65 to 74: 70

Percentage who believe they will not be able to retire when they want to, with half this group thinking they will never be able to fully retire: 56

Source: Insured Retirement Institute.

Idle Thought

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like." -- Will Rogers, humorist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Number of hours the average worker in the United States works each year, according to YouGov's latest research: 1,789

Number of hours the average worker in the United Kingdom works each year: 1,677

Number of hours the average worker in Germany works each year (lowest average in the developed world): 1,371

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of octogenarians who say their financial well-being was among the most important factors when deciding when to retire, according to a survey of octogenarians conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of New York Life: 68

Percentage who cited their health: 53

Percentage who cited their age: 42

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Negative impact on the lodging industry and the broader economy of New York City over the course of the last year caused by Airbnb's operations, according to a report by the Hotel Association of New York City: $2.1 billion

Source: Hotel Association of New York City Inc.

Percentage of U.S. adults who now have a cellphone of some kind, according to a Pew Research Center report: 92

Percentage of those cellphone owners who say that their phone is frequently with them: 90

Percentage who say they rarely turn it off: 45

Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.

Of Americans who did not identify themselves as "highly efficient," percentage who say that efficient people make them jealous, according to data released by Crucial.com: 33

Percentage of women who credited time management as their top reason for efficiency: 44

Rank of the ability to use technology and having their gadgets/technology working properly on the list of reasons men credit for their efficiency: 1

Source: Crucial.com.

Percentage of computer repair calls that are caused by Windows 10, according to the 2015 Q3 Computer Repair Report by RESCUECOM: 56

Percentage that are caused by viruses, spyware and malware: 11.3

Source: RESCUECOM.

Percentage of administrative workers who said they have skills that are not being tapped, according to a survey by OfficeTeam and the International Association of Administrative Professionals: 50

Ranks of event planning (78 percent) and controlling costs (66 percent) on the list of the top areas where administrative workers say they've been asked for help: 1, 2

Source: OfficeTeam.

Year that the first medical school for women opened in Boston, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1848

At the time, number of students enrolled: 12

Today in the U.S., percentage of all college students who are female: 56

Percentage of the doctorates in health professions awarded each year that are earned by women: 58

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of questions sent via Twitter that retailers were able to answer, according to research from Eptica: 20

Percentage of questions sent via Facebook they were able to answer: 54

Percentage of emails to which they replied successfully: 73

On average, number of times faster than social media that email responses were answered: 3

Source: Eptica.

Percentage of business-to-business marketing and sales executives globally who cited the sales process (making sure salespeople know what to do and how to do it when it comes to managing accounts and opportunities) as the area in which their company spends the most time and budget, according to a survey by Corporate Visions: 34

Percentage who said product training (reps are taught to know their solutions' capabilities and features in a way that makes them an expert source) is the area where their company spends the most time and budget: 27

Source: Corporate Visions Inc.

Idle Thought

"Who, being loved, is poor?" -- Oscar Wilde

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who use social media who have posted or texted something that they regret afterward, according to a survey by YouGov: 57

Percentage who regret a post at least once a week: 17

Percentage who are afraid they may hurt relationships with family or partners by sharing misguided images or messages: 14

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of Americans who find things like research and handling travel logistics for a vacation stressful, according to a survey of Princess Cruises: 50

Percentage who say they return from vacation needing a vacation: 55

Source: Princess Cruises.

Amount the average holiday shopper plans to spend per gift this year, according to the annual holiday shopping survey by RetailMeNot: $141

Average number of people for whom they will buy gifts: 8

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of Americans who say that they currently own stocks, defined here not as shares in mutual funds, but direct shares of companies, according to a survey of U.S. adults conducted on behalf of Fletcher Group LLC: 28

Among those who say that they do not currently own stocks, percentage who say that this is because they don't currently hold any investments: 39

Percentage who admit that they do not currently own stocks because they don't know how to go about buying them: 28

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of parents who are unaware that car crashes are the biggest threat to their teens' safety, according to a National Safety Council survey: 76

Percentage of parents who said they believe drugs and alcohol, bullying and the Internet are teens' most significant safety threats: 76

Percentage of parents who correctly pointed to lack of experience or poor decision-making as leading crash factors: 72

Source: National Safety Council.

Estimated number of people who are currently on the waiting list to receive a lifesaving organ transplant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: 120,000

Number of lives that could be saved by one organ donor: 8

Number of people who are dying each day while waiting: 22

Source: The Harris Poll.

In 2015, percentage of Americans who reported that they or a household member had credit card information stolen by hackers (down from 27 percent in 2014), according to a Gallup Poll: 22

Percentage of victims of credit card theft who say they worry frequently about the crime: 53

Percentage of non-victims who worry frequently about credit card theft: 29

Source: Gallup.

Year that President Abraham Lincoln finally proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving: 1863.

Ranks of Christmas and Thanksgiving on the list of America's favorite holidays: 1, 2

Approximate percentage of Americans who eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day, according to a National Turkey Federation survey: 88

Source: CNN Money.

Year that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was certified, prohibiting discrimination based on gender with regard to voting -- extending the right to vote to women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1920

Year that American women exercised their new right for the first time in a presidential election: 1920

In the 2012 presidential election, percentage of women who voted, compared with just under 60 percent for men: 63.7

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Expected percentage rise in health care benefit costs in 2016, according to a new survey by the National Business Group on Health: 6

Percentage of employers who have curbed cost increases by focusing on employee wellness: 70

Source: National Business Group on Health.

Idle Thought

"Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not." -- Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)