How much to spend?

jezebel

I thank my lucky stars that I am in a position to be able to spend a lot on Christmas this year, I'm stable financially and while I am saving towards the massive downpayment I'll need for a house deposit I want to splurge a little at Xmas. The problem is that I never know how much to spend and how to deal with the issues if I spend too much (which sounds silly but friends in less financial circumstances always tell me off for spending what they deem too much).

Some of my best gift ideas this year cost less than a quid thanks to MSE people and their ideas (a photo album for my Mum with free photos from snapfish which also earned me piggy points being one of my faves) and thanks to buy one get one frees others appear more expensive than they really are but how can I explain this to friends without looking like a cheapskate?

choccyface2006

For friends I limit myself to £10 each, god daughters £15, For family I spend more, I have spent £30 on my brother £60 for mum and dad, £55 for my sister and BIL, £155 on my partner and £170 on each of my two children (not including a special outfit)

One of my sisters is not good with money and got herself in alot of debt, we have agrees to spend £10 only on the children and nothing for each other. I have bought her a token present and some chocs and spent slightly more on my niece as she only has one child and I have two for her to buy for.

My other sister has no children so I feel guilty when she spends about £40 each on my girls and I but she is on a very high income whereas I have not.

I only spend what I can afford to though, I think its much more about the thought, you can spend a fortune but not really consider what they would like or spend virtually nothing and give a truly wonderful present that will be treasured forever!

I bought two reasonable frames for the childrens dad and framed some photos of them, have also got 100 prints, recent and older ones and put 1000's onto a cd for him.

I have been scanning all my family photos, its taken months and I have even got old slides converted so that I can restore them and create a memory disk for my sisters, brother and parents. I am hoping that they will love it and we will laugh and cry watching it on Christmas day, its only cost a few pounds but I have worked hard on it for quite a while.


Sarah

mitchlouise

If they are telling you off for spending too much then just say you spend the time to shop around for bargains. They won't think you're a cheapskate, how can they if you have given them lovely presents.
My tip with x-mas is spend what you can afford but put thought into however much you spend. I could buy my partner £200 of vouchers for his fave shop but know his face would light up more if I gave him `a really nice photo of us together framed,