So, how do YOU budget for Christmas?

Wendy5704

cleggie wrote: »

For the people who buy throughout the year- do you have a lot of people to buy for? Do you get each person quite a few presents?
I only have My kids (11 and 7), my niece (15), my younger sister, and my mum.
Maybe this makes a difference?

I buy for mam, dad, brother, sis in law, sister, 3 nieces, nephew, 2 cousins, best friend, godson and god daughter. Not sure if its classed as a lot. I tend t
o buy lots of presents for each person. I will spend a certain ammount per person on what i think they will like then give them money to spend on what they want.

HOWMUCH

All family Christmas cards and boxes of cards and wrapping paper bought on Boxing Day at 50% off cards and wrapping paper was 10x3metres rolls for a £1 at Card Factory. Most of presents bought at 50% off at Boots. This is ideal I only have to get the odd present in December. I've got all the birthday presents for the year too and father's day present. The first is the hardest to have the spare cash to get the stuff after that one I just saved each month .

HOWMUCH

Oh I almost forgot to mention I got some nice 50% gifts from John Lewis too on the 27th

Aarons_mummy

I save £20 per month towards Christmas, this is purely for last minute buys, Christmas dinner and treat buying and the start of the sales.

I have a table of names, budgets and presents which I update when I buy a present (in a sale roughly £5-£10 a time) but I have money in my monthly budget to account for these spends and I don't have too many people to buy for anyway.

I buy cards, wrap and tags in sales in January so that I don't have to buy them full price. Stamps are purchased throughout the year.

i have almost all relatives presents for 2012, friends are almost taken care of, my sons present stash has started and I know what I need to get for the rest of the people I need to buy for so I am sorted.

Absinthe_2

My only way of budgeting towards christmas (sadly not followed this year) is to buy toys when on offer, amazon, argos, whsmith have some fantastic deals.

Trouble is, can end up with too many toys to give come christmas time.

cleggie

Wendy5704 wrote: »

I buy for mam, dad, brother, sis in law, sister, 3 nieces, nephew, 2 cousins, best friend, godson and god daughter. Not sure if its classed as a lot. I tend t
o buy lots of presents for each person. I will spend a certain ammount per person on what i think they will like then give them money to spend on what they want.

See, to me thats quite a few people, so it makes sensr that you would have to be very orgainised and shop/save throughout the year.
All in all i only spend about £800 on Christmas (thats £300 each for my children, £100 for me, and £100 on everyone else).
So my plan is to save all my child benefit until October 2012, which will roughly give me £1330.
I will have enough to do christmas, plus get some clothes for the kids in the Jan sales, a years car tax, and £200 for birthdays throughout the following year.
i KNOW it will make life much easier if i can do this!

flipper_72

cleggie wrote: »

For the people who buy throughout the year- do you have a lot of people to buy for? Do you get each person quite a few presents?
I only have My kids (11 and 7), my niece (15), my younger sister, and my mum.
Maybe this makes a difference?

Just checked my list, i buy for 21 birthdays and 30 at Christmas - so yes i buy for a lot, i've bought quite a few bits already, waiting for the 75% sale in boots for a few more then will pick things up as i see them through the year. I get some of the people more than one present (especially my kids and hubby who got 12 each at Christmas). If i didn't do it throughout the year december ends up chaotic and massively expensive with stuff on CC which i don't like to do (have done previously but never again!!)

HOHOHOoffwegoKaren41

Just thought I'd ask how everyone's Xmas savings are going and are u all excited yet x

laurar1989

hello, i save my CB into a different account, i also save money into a sealed tin, that covers everything for christmas with money left over as i also sell some items on ebay and that pays for presents for my family. I also buy through the year (normally start when the new argos book comes out) x

Rummer

In the past I have bought cards and wrap etc in the January sales and that has saved me quite a bit. Then I start to pick up pressies from around July onwards as all my family have birthdays in the first half of the year

This year however we have had a dramatic change in circumstances and I am now not sure how to balance the cost of xmas. I think I will still keep my eyes open for bargains as my family like to receive the same kinds of things each year and never ask for particular gifts.

When it comes to my DD things are not too bad either as she has never asked for the "in" toy or in fact anything expensive, she is happy with the selection of toys and trips she is given for xmas, which is a huge relief.