Christmas Budget

mucktub86

I'm starting to think of the dreaded C word already.

I need to buy for:

Dad £50
Mum £50
Mum's OH (although they've been together so long he's technically my Step Dad, they just never got married!) £50
Friends x 7 £100 (hopefully)

And I have no OH to buy for *cry, cry, woe is me. 27 and single*

No food outlay as I live at home so dad will pick all that up but will probably get some bits so £20.

Will need to get family cards so that will be another £10.

So all in all it'll be £280 plus I'm hoping to save £200 for the sales so I can be better prepared next year with gift boxes from the various shops at silly reduced prices.

Luckily I already have almost enough swagbucks for £100 in paypal vouchers as well as my loose change jar which is currently at £60 and my low interest savings at work which I'm happy to dip into for any shortfall I can't save through wages.

Planning on moving £60 per 4 weeks to my savings for Christmas and taking lunch to work instead of buying it plus any surplus from my bills account.

I can however see me panic buying at 3pm on Christmas Eve as I've not bothered :rotfl::rotfl:

And to be super money saving, I've declined going to our Christmas do...spend enough time with them without attending enforced fun!!!

Lis

Netwizard

mucktub86 wrote: »

I'm starting to think of the dreaded C word already.

And I have no OH to buy for *cry, cry, woe is me. 27 and single*

Think of all that extra money you will have available to spend on yourself then!

My mum and dad will get a few bits and bobs, and i'm sure i will get some stuff that will just get thrown in a drawer and forgotten about. I'm working over xmas and no doubt my parents will be elsewhere, so I don't have to worry about xmas :T

Laurajo_2

We don't have kids, however I do have a habit of going ott at Xmas time....last year I had to resort to a payday loan in January, (stupid I know) which I am determined not to do this year, or get into any debt whatsoever.

Budget for oh gifts is £300 - however this will include some stuff for the house, too. I know what I'm getting him (I like to get a few presents to open) and have roughly priced it up, but will keep an eye out for bargains. £100 of this has come from my copper jar savings, too.

My brother, his girlfriend, bil, sil, fil & mil should come to between £15 to £20 each, however I'm thinking I may try and do it for a tenner each and supplement with home made goodies.

My mam only has me and my brother who give her gifts, so it will probably be around £100 plus some homemade things for her.

'Extra' food will be around £150, however we get a £50 Marks and Sparks voucher from work each, so will actually only cost £100.

Decs will be bought with vouchers we got for our wedding this year - I always said I wanted new decs the first year we were married.

Another £100 for alcohol, however gonna try and start stocking up, and keep an eye out for offers now.

So £700 quid tops, I've already saved up £450 of that and bought a few bits out of 'monthly' income....

Much better than last year! Should be fully saved by Decembers paycheck which means I won't be hit for buying pressies and all the extra sociLising over the Christmas period!

con1888

I'm cutting way back this year due to being pregnant and due in March, first baby and also unplanned so we need EVERYTHING.

Soo..

Neice 1 - have bought her a board game that I know she will love, it's a personalised one similar to monopoly, £24

Neice 2 - got her a little hello kitty jewelerry set, £10 ( not being mean spending less, I don't set an amount for them just get them things I think they will like)

Nephew - got him a Mickey Mouse plush toy today for £20 from Costco, usually £30, it's about the size of him ( toddler)

Mum £20
Dad £20
youngest brother £10-£20
other brothers and their partners £5 per couple ( just chocs as I get their kids)
Gran/her hubby £20 between them.

Oh mum £20
Oh dad £20
Oh stepmum/dad £5-£10 each
Oh brothers (3 of them ) 20 each
Oh grandad £20

I may spend a few £ more/less on each thing but that's a rough view. I also get my cat and dog a little something but don't really count that in ! Got all our decorations so if anything just some more lights if any have broken since last year and some Christmas scents candles but will add that into grocery shop.

We don't spend extra on food as we spend about 3 days going round the families and always come home with extra

charleybear

I don't really have a budget.
Partner - £72.44/£80 = £7.56 left
Sister - £29.96/£50 = £20.04 left
Mum & Dad - £14.00/£60 (£25 Each) = £46 left
Family - £16.96/£60 = £43.04 left
= £250

Not sure if i can afford it though.
So I'm hoping to buy things for cheaper.

(I am working out how much I have spent for each group now so I will edit once i have worked it all out)

mucktub86

Netwizard wrote: »

Think of all that extra money you will have available to spend on yourself then!

Very good point Netwizard. Buwahahaha!! Although I think any left over cash will be going to pay off my CC!!

You have my sympathies working over Christmas, our pay day is 3rd January so know I'll be at work at least one weekend if not more.

Think of the extra pay we'll get though :cool:

Netwizard

mucktub86 wrote: »

You have my sympathies working over Christmas, our pay day is 3rd January so know I'll be at work at least one weekend if not more.

Think of the extra pay we'll get though :cool:

It doesn't really bother me to be honest. Xmas time is very quiet, so I will just be getting paid to watch as many Top Gear episodes as I can fit into a nightshift

Money for old rope! All my friends have girlfriends / family, so I wouldn't see them even if they were off, so I may as well be working and earning some extra pennies!

charleybear

next month is going to be a struggle. I got a few sundays off meaning i lose £25.00 each sunday and I only have 4 hour shifts on the saturdays So I'd be earning £100 or less in November

Well at least it gives me time to christmas shop, aye.

SugarSpun

I budget by RRP and challenge myself to get as far under it as I can rather than spending an actual amount on people. My daughter's RRP budget this year is 200 (normally 120 but I got a dolls house RRP 120 for 20 and didn't want her to only have one thing), son is only 3 months old and his budget is 50 (actual spend has been 89p but he's getting some good stuff). DH's is 100, parents and brother 40 each and some friends and friends' kids 10 each.

I may have gone slightly over technical budget this year

carlamarie_2

My budget has been slimlined this year on some people last years budgets in brackets

My 3 kids £175 each -£525 (250 each-750)
Hubby £100 (200)
My mum, mil and FIL £30 each -£90 (50 each - 150)
My dad £20 (30)
Stepdad 15(20)
Little brother 10 (20)
2 nieces and 2 nephews 20 each -£80
Nana £5 (£10)
Dad's girlfriend £2 already bought her a gift set in boots sale, I don't see her, so why not?! (£5)
Best friends dd £20-£30
2x friends whatever I see, don't really set a budget

Next door neighbours, didn't buy last year but they have been really good to us this year, getting treats for the kids etc. going to take the kids to pick them some fish for their tank as a thank you, will get them a poinsettia and the kids will bake them some goodies erm £30?


Total - £907 if add up right!
Last years budget £1295

Food budget will be decided on nearer the time