Xmas and Birthdays - how much?

Sydney_2

We have trimmed our Christmas list considerably as both families agreed to stop buying once nephews and nieces reach 18. This applies to birthday presents too. Took a bit of getting used to, but saves a lot of time money and stressful shopping trips.

Our parents don't buy for us now as they are pensioners, but we always buy them a token present such as flowers, wine, sweets etc.

sophiesmum_2

I dont buy for grown ups only the children in the family, nephew nieces etc,
I budget £10 each for their xmas and birthdays but often pick up pressies through the year and get better value in sales etc.
I buy a joint pressie for mum and dads,maybe for £50 or so, with token individual gifts from the children.framed photos always go down well.
My kids can choose something for £100 for xmas and I pick up stocking fillers throughout year to add to this. Birthdays for mine are maximum £30 each plus birthday treat - pizza hut etc. too old for parties now.
Buying stuff in sales etc throughout the year can save a fortune. as for in laws if you have asked them and they still insist on buying for you I would say tough. Just cut them from the list they will soon get the message. I used to go overboard on xmas etc and buy for lots of friends etc but one year I just could not afford it and culled my list drastically. Now i only buy for close family and one friend and never have to worry about xmas as it is all budgeted for. I have a lot of my pressies already and vouchers put aside for others.Many people are actually relieved that they don't have to buy gifts back anyway.
It can seem harsh cutting down on your spending but you will feel much better knowing you are not doing everything on credit and suffering for it afterwards.
sophiesmum

youngmum_2

Pink-winged wrote:

Hi youngmum,

I'm sorry, but Martin has asked us not to post duplicate threads. See here for more details. As you have already posted this in the Debt Free Wannabe board, I'll move this one over there so that they can be merged together.

Pink

Ooops, sorry! Didn't know that one.

Was just trying to make sure as many peeps as possible saw the post!

piglet6

I buy for a lot of people (and I mean a lot...large families both sides + friends:o). We have discussed cutting people off the list, but would rather not do this - and we get enjoyment from giving, so as far as I am concerned, I am happy with the set up we have.

I buy all year round and have a "pressie cupboard". If I see something and it is "ideal" for somebody, I grab it and stash it in the cupboard (even if the next present-giving date is several months away...). Like Penny-Pincher above, I keep a keen eye on the sales and grab a bargain when I see it. I make use of all opportunities...I save Boots and WH Smith points through the year, I get John Lewis vouchers through Pigsback, I save my £5 Morrisons vouchers on a saver card, and I am like a hawk when it comes to checking my Asda shopping receipts and claiming the £2 "mistake money" when they misprice something:p. I already have £150+ saved of this "free money" for Christmas 2006 and hope to have £200+ by December, which will all go towards presents and food/drink for the Christmas season. We are also lucky enough to live near a shopping outlet mall with a Hallmark cards shop, so quality cards/wrapping paper are bought for a fraction of the price as well (normally at least 50% off - and quite often more, although we have to pay to park there, so I only go every 2-3 months and buy enough cards/wrap for the next 2-3 months - the savings on this alone more than pay for the cost of parking...;)).

I think my presents are generally received very well - they look very generous, but most of the time, they are things that I have picked up for a fraction of the price - I would say that with careful shopping around, my average price for a gift is under £10, but with a little bit of pre-planning, the average "high street" price which I should have paid is probably nearer £30-40 per person.:rotfl:

Planning is key!!:T

Piglet

john_kent

£20 mun and dad for birthdays £15 xmas
£20 for sister 15 xmas

2 nephews on a performance scheme. We agreea level base don reports form school. problem is , he was naughty one term and then went to a glowing report and cost me a small fortune.

Youngest isnt a year yet so get him the odd present and put money in bank £30 a year I suppose


Girlfriend doesnt like materialistic things. So last birthday , I took her out for a picnic. Borrowd my mates classic merc convertable. Borrowed parent hamper and packed up a nice picnic and some soft music followe dby a night in a hotel (freebie as I have a few freebies from previous jobs)

For her chrismas present , I got all the poetry I wrote for her and emails ove rthe years printed (friend is a printer) and glossed and put in an album. £20 for materials and a couple of beers.

Its not all money , its the thought

Oh , and for easte r, I bought eldest nephew a website address so we are still building a website. keeps him happy and educates. 1.99 to buy

piglet6

What fab ideas john_kent!! I would love an album of poetry and a personalised picnic - it shows so much more thought and is so much more personal than if you had just waltzed into the nearest shop and blown a fortune on something with no real meaning behind it...

And I love the idea of the website for your eldest nephew - you are spending time with him, too, and that is what he will remember when he gets older, far more than the monetary value of the individual presents he gets from other people.

Your family and girlfriend are very lucky!:D

Piglet

calleyw

Cor this makes me sound really tight. But I spend about £5 cash and I am not even in debt.

I use special offers and freebie boots vouchers to give say a £5 gift card and then pad it out with some BOGOF smellies bought with my points :rotfl: so technically free.

I try to make the gift a little personal. I mean for my dads recent birthday I spent about £2.50 max that was on BOGOF hand cream (whihc one tube went to him the other to my brother) and I cross stitched a land rover and put it in a frame. The material was a freebie I already had the threads and the already had the frame as well. But included the cost of frame/thread in the above cost.

The cost was priceless as he loved it. And I am sure he boasted to everyone about it and was showing everyone.

Im like penny pincher. I tend to take the cost at what I bought it at rather than what it actually cost. Last christmas I worked what the I paid and what the full price was. It turned out that the actual cost because of freebies and sale items bought through the year. That it was about a third of the of the full price.

Allowed me to give some nice pressie and little or no cost.


Yours


Calley

Dr.Shoe_2

As a family, we don't really go in for big presents just little tokens. Nothing more than a card really. At christmas people are lucky for me to spend £25 on them and even then that is immediate family. My SO gets a bit more I must admit.

My brother and I have a mutual understanding, I buy my own present from him and he buys his own from me. I didn't get one off me dad, not even a card in fact, I think he forgot actually! HE won't get one from me but I will phone him up though, cos I'm nice like that and the call's free too!

beanielou

Ive drastically cut down.
Spend most on my Mum(+ Dad) as she is so good to me and DS, then there a pressies for my other family, am eternally grafeful have small family.Also a few close friends and their kids.
Like many have a pressie box & try to pick up things through the year.
Bought a close friends DD pressie the other day half price in Monsoon's sale so well pleased with that.I was doing Phoenix cards for a while so still have a big stock of cards which is a big saving and really handy as well.

MCBIRNIE25

I spend around 10 poiunds on everyone, and 50 on my kid sister. I spoil her cos she has never had a dad. For birthdays, during my really bad spell, igave people vouchers and cakes, my mum used to love her housework for 1 week voucher, which meant she did not have to do any all week, i did it, u can be really creative.