Who do you buy for and how much do you spend?

bluenose1

18 year old son – at university but lives at home - £150 cash, Socks £8, Lynx £3 Football socks x2- £8, Alan Partridge book £5, retro sweet box £2, Lee Child Book £4 and Cider pack £5

15 year old son - £150 cash, socks, Lynx-£3, football socks £8, Lee Child book £4, underwear- £8, backpacking book -£9, retro sweet box £2,

8 Year old son - £150 cash, Alex Rider books x9, (from TheBookPeople) novelty golf balls £8, golf chipping net £6, golf mat £10, retro sweet box £2,

Husband - Football socks x2- £8, aftershave - £15, Lee Child Book £4, trainer socks £8,

Mother In law - New floral walking stick £30, garden centre voucher £10, jigsaw £8, Agatha Raisin book £5

Dad £50 cash and a book £4

Sister - Not sure, she is a single parent so I like to give her quite a few small presents to open on the day –chocolate, picture frames etc value £30 and £20 cash

Nieces and Nephews - presents up to £20 each for my sisters kids, £10 gifts for others

MIL’s friends who always give the kids £10 each at Christmas some type of hamper £20

Everyone else bottle of wine, chocolates.

Crikey, just added it up and will be costing over a £1000!!! Here was me thinking I had really cut down this year.

tiernsee

I sat down and started adding it up and as I've been buying thoughout the year (thanks to MSE tips!) I seem to have gone rather mad this year and think I will also have enough for next year's birthdays!!

DD about £150
DS also about £150
OH around £50
Mum £70
Dad £40
Sister £20
BIL £20
Secret santa £5

Bit shocked now I've written it all down......

YORKSHIRELASS

spicyprawn wrote: »

Im suprised how many of you buy for your OHs hehe

Me too! I feel a bit guilty now because OH and I always say that we would rather buy for the kids than each other. We set a limit of £30 last year. OH gave the kids free reign with most of this so I got some really interesting pressies! Lots of fun though.

Btw - I dont judge or criticise anyone for how much they spend on Christmas, if you have the money to spend then thats up to you. I have got to be a bit more frugal nowadays - and it has certainly made me think more about what I am buying for people.

Katiepillow

I knew last year that I wouldn't have much money (just started university), so I bought slightly better presents last year hoping this year I'd feel less guilty..didn't work

I love giving presents to people, I just wish I had easier people to buy for! I have 3 brothers, all who are rediculous to buy for (tend to just want some alcohol which I hate buying because once it's gone, it's gone!) and their girlfriends, one's allergic to anything smelly and the other has a fair amount of disposable income, so anything she wants she has... Cousins have everything they could ever possibly want as well!

I buy for:
Mum (plus a small present for her boyfriend)
Dad (plus a small present for his girlfriend, who's also difficult to buy for!)
Brother 1 26 (although I am not sure as we haven't seen him in a year, so don't even know if he's going to bother being around for christmas..drama >.<)
Brother 2 24(plus something for his girlfriend)
Brother 3 21 (plus something for his girlfriend) (just ordered them a nerf gun each, thought would be a bit of fun!
OH - about £50 I think, probably something techy.
Cousins (10 and 12,)
Uncle and Aunty
The best friend.

I don't have any grandparents, and I'm not close to any of my other uncles and aunties - and my OH's family doesn't celebrate christmas, so those all bring the costs down.. one of the only time of year that I'm glad I don't have too many close friends

hamish222

I spend a lot on xmas but have cut back on some peoples gifts.

DH - A fortune, loads ps3 games, blu rays and bits for his marine tank, new pj's etc. Probably about £400
Mum - About £150 - will buy her clothes and bag.
Dad - About £70 - Getting him a watch.
MIL - £100 Debenhams gift card, calander and large chocs. So £120 all in. (She is very difficult to buy for)
FIL - About £80 - Mini fish tank (also very hard to pick for) More than what I normally spend on him but had the idea for tank this year.
Sister and BIL - £7 Have agreed not going to buy for each other this year. just got large box thorntons £20 choc that are half price and
3 for 2 so work out less than £7 each.
Sister - £15 nightshirt and slippers (got slippers boots staff double discount day were £10 but £3.66 with 3 for 2 and discount)
Aunt - £4 Gorjuss girl mug and coaster ( should be £8 but discount and 3 for 2)
Aunt - £12 approx LIz Earle gift set worth £44 (freebie Daily Mail rewards. Get tickets of friend at work when same shift so only need spend around £12)
Nephew - £35 Aftershave and chocs. Again discount should be £50.
Nephew Girlfriend - £15 Cosmetics and chocs. Me and mum are giving gift between us. Total cost £60 but after discounts £15 each.
Cousin - £15 - Exact same as above from me and mum.
Niece Boyfriend - £5 Toiletries and choc. Again as above worth £20 but joint gift me and mum £5 each.
Niece - £87 - £20 thorntons chocs I got for £7 and a miu miu iphone case which is £80. Still spend a lot on her but this is last year as graduated and next year when working will be cut at least in half.
Great Nephew (18months) - £26 Have got him ElC train and train station should be £55 but got for £19 and Ark which had voucher for £20 was given so only £7. Have him 3 cars duplo sets which should been £46 but got for £18 but keeping them for his birthday in April. Last year although got lots half price toys still spent well over a £100 on him.
Friends Baby - £10 Scout toy which again good price as deal normally around £20.
Secret Santa - £10 I think
Cat - £10 Approx on new toys
Mil Dog - £10 Approx on new toys.

I have cut down on what I normally spend on nephew, great nephew, niece boyfriend, nephews girlfriend, sisters, bil and aunt's. Just not on niece as above she will be cut next year and my parents and hubbies parents. Both sets of parents are very good to us. Especially Mil she probably spends at least a couple of hundred on me and double that on dh(at least). She bought as a 42 led for no reason about 6 months ago just as a treat!!!. Also been with dh over 10 years and never had to buy him socks, pants or deodarant as she buys him a years supply of each every Xmas(just need to suggest his razor blades for next year and I am sorted.)

madz2802

buy for-
Mum-£50
Dad-£45
Bro-£10
Bro-£10
Sis-£15
Bro-£10
Sis-£10
Bros girlfriend-£8
Bros girlfriend-??
Friend1-£13
Friend2-£9
Friend3-£7
Friend4-£9
Secret Santa-£5

Have already started my x-mas shopping and have used vouchers earned in surveys
CANNOT WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS WOOP WOOP!!!!!!!
:xmastree::rudolf::xmassmile:xmassign::snow_grin

louby_lou

wow. I feel a bit of a miser after reading these!

OH: £50 limit mutually agreed - no idea what to spend that on yet, have got him a lego star wars advent calendar though which should earn me serious points!
Mum: £30 limit overall: there must be something hand made. This year will be making sloe gin / flavoured sherry in my recently purchased ying yang bottles and gingerbread. possibly £30 m&s voucher
Dad: £30 limit overall: sharing the above hand made things - plus west brom scarf - he is notoriously hard to buy for, maybe a dvd aswell
Brother: £50 limit - he seems to like cash so maybe just that and some sloe gin & gingerbread
Grandparents #1: £30 Christmas flowers - might try to make some fudge, definitely gingerbread, maybe a sherry / gin combo for nan...
grandparents#2: £30 Christmas flowers to be delivered
OH's parents: sloe gin and gingerbread
Best friend & bf - sloe gin and gingerbread

Bit of a theme here....

That's all we do

nic2075

We've cut back a bit year. We have saved for it and I also got a small tax return which has gone into the Xmas pot. We havnt paid full price for anything.

Kids x 3 £150 on older 2 and £50 on the baby. Dd is getting a Nintento 3ds plus lots of little bits like sylvanian families, Lego, hair accessories etc.
DS is getting heaps of lego and Ben 10 stuff. Most of the kids wee bits I got for £1 odd in the Tesco toy sale.
Dd2 ( the baby) is getting a v tech walker, hello kitty cot projector and clothes.

Mum and dad and my inlaws, I spend £30 each. I ordered 2 photo books from photobox for £7.95 for my mum and mil.

Oh and I spend £50 on each other (normally £100 odd) he wants amazon vouchers.
Sisters x2 get £20 spent usually on clothes and s&g stuff
Bilx2 get smellies and pot of gold

Neice and nephew I spend £20 each ( I got nephews happyland rocket bogof mothercare glitch ages ago)

Friends kids £5 each, usually a book and sweets.

I'm making a Christmas cake for each of my lovely neighbours.

I'm also making loads of home made chilli jam, fudge, coconut ice etc that will be added to appropriate family members pressies.


I have nearly all done except my dad and 1 sister, then a few bits and pieces.

schofield8883

In our family we only buy 4 the kids n we usually do it throughout the year. 4 everyone else we have a challenge last year we had gifts for under a pound this year we r making something. Didnt start to save the money but because we all were sick of the presents we get every year eg aftershave etc that never gets used.

FelinePrincess

I buy for my parents, brother, sister, nephew, OH and 1 or 2 friends.. in the past couple of years I've spentabout £800 total but I'm really cutting back this year as I can't afford that much and hoping to spend about £300 max