How Much Do You Put Aside For Christmas?

Cinny91

From august I start buying presents when I have the money to spare for it.
I've done all the presents for my immediate family and just totted it up. I've spent £220 on them, which isn't bad if you look at my stash.

I've put £20 aside for my boyfriends family and another £20 for people in the office (just a box of chocs each)

margaretclare

*Louise* wrote: »

In Jan I start collecting Tesco's savings stamps, can sometimes have 2 cards filled for Dec so I have £100 for Christmas dinner shop. (includes for last min pressies etc)

I save the Child benefit money every month towards christmas. Had to use it for decorating earlier this year, but haven't used it since July. For presents I aim for £200 per child (3 of) but usually end up going over.

Family presents:
OH/me: £100
£30 per parent = £120 (had to cut back from £50 each)
Other people: neices/nephews Aunties/Uncles/GrandparentsFriends/friends kids/teachers etc - £2-300

So that ends up just over 1k, with various bits and pieces on top - decorations, cards, work night out, new outfit etc etc. so maybe closer to £1300 or so in the end.

"So that ends up just over 1k, with various bits and pieces on top - decorations, cards, work night out, new outfit etc etc. so maybe closer to £1300 or so in the end."

Why?

*Louise*

margaretclare wrote: »

"So that ends up just over 1k, with various bits and pieces on top - decorations, cards, work night out, new outfit etc etc. so maybe closer to £1300 or so in the end."

Why?

Why not?

I love Christmas , I love giving and seeing people opening their gifts.

Nothing goes on credit cards, it's all saved up, I'm not in financial difficulty and it's our money.

Cinny91

*Louise* wrote: »

I love Christmas , I love giving and seeing people opening their gifts.

Same here! that's my major downfall of the year, i love buying people presents,really getting into the christmas spirit ect. As long as it isn't getting me into debt I really don't mind. But then I've been like this all my life with christmas.

Threebabes

Red_Fraggle wrote: »

oh yeah another very sad thing so i don't forget whos got presnets during the year i have a spreadsheet with all the names on gift estimated and actual costs even totals at the bottom - i know very sad

Ive done that too

Threebabes

We only buy for our own 3 kids and 4 nephews & niece.

By Christmas I will have saved up about £1500 for our kids presents, have been saving up some of the family allowance since Jan. Spend £20 each on niece & nephews, Ive bought their presents.

Say another £50 - £100 for xmas food & drink, we dont drink much alcohol so thats ample.

RoxieW

*Louise* wrote: »

Why not?

I love Christmas , I love giving and seeing people opening their gifts.

Nothing goes on credit cards, it's all saved up, I'm not in financial difficulty and it's our money.

same here!

thriftmonster

I put aside £50 each month for Christmas and £30 a month for birthdays - but tend to pick up things through the year. If I find a bargain in the summer, I transfer the money back out of the Christmas fund to cover it. We find £600 covers Christmas for us - ds1 will be 13 this year and ds2 will be 9 - for pressies, food, drink etc.

Scarlett.1974

Previous years have been a mad panic in Nov. and Dec. and inevitably ended up with horrible CC bills in January

This year (and future years to come) has been VERY different. I got all cards and paper in the Jan. sales for next to nothing and have been buying presents as and when I've seen them for bargain prices. This means that I've now almost finished and apart from a couple of things, nothing has been full price For my own 2 children for example I've spend about £300 between them, but for goods worth well in excess of £700+, so naturally I'm delighted with that.

I'm another [STRIKE]saddo[/STRIKE] organised sort who keeps lists on word documents (not very good with spreadsheets!) of everything I've bought, who it's for, how much it was and how much it should have been. It gives me far too much pleasure to see how much I've saved

We'll probably spend about £150 on food but we will have the in-laws over for Christmas Day so that will include all of that, plus drink too.

I'd just like to say - NO-ONE should have to justify how much or how little they spend at christmas. It's no-one else's business frankly, even if someone wishes to spend £2k and put it all on their CC - okay, maybe not the wisest of moves, but it's still their business.

welshnoonoo

BernadetteN wrote: »

Our biggest extravagence for Christmas will be our annual trip to London, staying in £29 a night Travelodge rooms, going to see the Snowman at the Peacock theatre and going ice-skating outdoors. This will set us back around £300 for the 2 nights accommodation, travel and activities.

This is the stuff that memories are made of! It sounds absolutely wonderful!

We are taking our kids to the pantomime this Christmas Eve it set me back £80 but I know they will remember it!