So, how do YOU budget for Christmas?

wendyphant

I save £90 a month in a savings account which I know sounds a lot but I also have my son's birthday on 21st dec, my sil 15th my nephew 10th fil 11th and sil 14th and step mother so ummmm need to cover them as well. I also use my nectar points to cover xmas food and buy a ''treat'' every shop in november and dec eg chocs crackers ect. This year I also kept all my asda gift cards from where i have been wrongly charged so I get a £2 gift card. I had 12 of these this year. Tesco club cards vouchers used on double up. Jan sales to look for some bits. Dec 2010 I bought a larger lego fire station and a police station in the sale had both for 35 which was over 65% off and put them away for this year but looked at son's pile which was getting big so have put them away for next year does that make me a bad mother.

wendyphant

I don't save with PARK after being stung by farepak when 8 months pregnant and am still bitter

cleggie

oh Wendy, that must have been a total nightmare!!!
I dont trust anyone with my money, so just keep it in the bank!

chaosweddings

I too was stung when farepak went bust but now save with park and am happy with them, i pay £7 per week for £350 in vouchers in october.
I have a sealed tin in which i put all £2 and £1 coins in (this years total was £533)
i buy £1 or £2 in iceland savings stamps each week
on every payday i buy £20 in amazon/play.com vouchers

so normally in november i have £350 in love2 shop vouchers, around £500 in sealed tin, between £52 and £104 in iceland saving stamps and £220 in amazon/play.com vouchers

kez_s

I too was stung by the Farepak nightmare and was very heavily involved with the weeks after. If anyone is wanting to save with Park they are members of the CPA https://www.cpa-advice.co.uk and all monies are held in trust so that what happened with Farepak won't happen again.

I personally since Farepak save a lump each month into a different bank account, this is with no offence to Park as I formed a good friendship with their MD, etc., but 95% of my Christmas shopping is done online. I also buy bits throughout the year, save my quidco for the months leading up to it, we also have a money bottle that we put all our loose change into throughout the year. Any vouchers I gain are also added to the Christmas fund so Christmas is always sorted with no worries!

TimBear

jackomdj wrote: »

I buy through the year, starting on Christmas eve! I have a list of everyone to buy for and how much I will spend. I then look for bargains that will be ok for that person. Wrap, cards etc are bought now for the following year.

Exactly what I do! I've just bought enough jewellery, slippers etc in the Next sale to stretch to about five girlfriends' birthday presents throughout the year.

Christmas is is the same for me too, I just buy niec things when I see them and store them at home.

I do put aside about £30 a month into a savings account so that I can fund this though.

shebangs

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needahol

I pay £200 every month by standing order into a specific Christmas account so have £2400 to spend at Christmas. I managed to spend an additional £700 or so this year though

I've been out today and bought some reduced perfume and aftershave sets that I plan on putting away until next Christmas. I plan to do more gift shopping throughout the year so I don't have a mad December again!

Food shopping isn't included in my budget, I just get on my debit card as I do with my usual shopping

p-pincher

Me and dh save £10 a week each which is taken ot of our bank every friday so we have just over £1000 saved up, this buys everything, kids, all other relatives, decorations, food and alcohol. Any left over is put towards our summer holiday.

karren

after farepak fiasco were we were conned out and out as asked to pay up in oct then they stole it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! before anyone passes a comment i was a an agent!!!
I now pop a certain amount away every month in a splinter amount off my current account, so if we see things in sales etc we dont have to rob peter to pay paul.
This year we popped away extras every week so had a hamper ready for the day so only had to get fresh stuff on xmas week, so no stress and quality family time x