Christmas Budget

fawnsinthegarden

Well I was working on a £800 budget (tops) and am pleased to say I've come in much lower so far.

•DD1 £200 - includes presents/stocking/Christmas Eve hamper. DONE
Spent £176.19

•DD2 £100 - Will need some Christmas bibs etc. but will use Boots points.
Spent £9.32

•OH £150 - Have stocking fillers left to buy
Spent - £72.64

•Family £100 - homemade gifts/hampers - haven't started.

•Food and Drink £150 - Waiting for delivery slots.
Spent - £18.00

•Decorations £100 - Haven't seen anything I like yet.

Total actual spend - £276.15

kayester

thought i would update, going to toys r us later to get more for children

kayester wrote: »

Ok so I try not to go too wild but going to try put a cap on what I spend, and keep editing with what I spend, already spend £79.99 on daughter, which was a dolls house in the sale, meant to be £100.00

Son: £0/250
Daughter: £80.00/250
Mum: £0/50
spent £50 so far
Dad: £0/50
£50 so far
Friends (3): £0/150 (50 each)
Cards/decorations: £0.99/50
£72 need one more thing then done
Food: £0/150
£10 on turkey crown
Alcohol: £0/50
£36

TOTAL: £298/1000 if I come under budget then GREAT

:santa2:

lil_mama

I really need to make a start, seeing the Christmas adverts on TV and Christmas stuff in the shops really gets me a bit panicky as all I've done so far is bought one present for ds.

ds - £10/£450 (including stocking)
dad - £0/£40
step mom - £0/£40
sister - £0/£30
BIL - £0/£15
nan - £0/£10
granddad - £0/£10

Christmas cards / decorations / wrapping paper etc - £0/£50
(don't really need any new decorations, the old ones are fine)

Christmas food - £0/£50

Christmas outings (taking son to see father Christmas/ ice skating / pantomime etc) - £0/£50

I haven't got a husband or partner to buy for, Christmas food and drink shouldn't really come to that much as I hardly ever drink and me and my ds (and the rest of the family) always go to my dad and step moms for Christmas and boxing day, plus each year about a week before Christmas they give me and my sister one of those saving stamp thingys for Tesco, £50 worth of stamps on a book so will add that to my £50 food budget and whatever is left over will stock up on everyday food items as really want to get a good store cupboard going.

I'll be happy once I've got my sons presents all sorted, he's 6 and loves Christmas so much.

sarahj1986

I'm actually doing really well on my budget this year. I started comping in feb and that has so far won me a few bits and bobs for myself but most importantly £500 to spend in John Lewis, which I used end of September and got several gifts with. I've got a lot of stuff during the year when in the sales. My list as follows -

Niece x 2 and nephew £60 so £20 each. I've so far got 1 niece complete, £70 odd "worth" of stuff at full price all in the sale for less than £20 some was from Boots. Other 2 I've spent around £10 each, again all Boots sale items and a freebie off Amazon after the messed my order up. I will get them some clothes to make up to £20 each.

OH probably be around £150 so far spent £50, again stuff in the sale and in Boots 342 events. I got her a lovely gift off HQ hair which was "free" when 2 items were purchased, the gift set is £40 but it cost me £6.80 for the two item and then this was free.

Dad £10, between 3 of us its £30 but my sister is sorting his out.

Gran, aunt x 2 and their partners, 1 cousin, granddad all split between my and my 2 sisters at £20 each so I budget £6.66 each although my cousin and one of my aunts partners have birthdays on Xmas eve and boxing day so we get them a small gift for that usually £10 each/£3.33 budget between the 3 of us. I've got a few small gifts for them but they don't usually let me know what they want until mid Nov so I should know soon.

Sisters x 2 normally about £30 each but I spend £20 on them for gifts from me then we normally do joint gifts of £20 shared so it works out at around £30 spent on each. I did last year get my sisters partner a small gift and I have done the same again this year. Ive got all my gifts sorted just getting the joint ones in the next few weeks.

Friends and other family friends about £50, I have several bits and bobs I can give as I got items in the sales that are still fine so I can hand these out. The men in this group will need buying and that's normally alcohol!


Overall I'm probably about 65% complete. In terms on money spent I would say around £100 mark. The JL vouchers were of a massive help, I got several small gifts from their store so these were technically free and I get Amazon vouchers off Swagbucks and Dooyoo which I've used for online ordering. I have £50 in my account from YouGov which will go towards finishing the list off. For the "worth" of items I have which I would say is around £500 so the stuff I do get looks loads but really didn't cost it.

I spend around £100 on extra food, booze and gift wrapping.

I have my excel list at work which I regularly update and it keeps me in line with my spending. I have tabs for gifts, food and any special shopping events like the Boots points event 2 weeks ago. Its all planned like a military operation, I plan what I need/want to get, where from, price, maybe even location in the shop, get it and go, or order online.

declutterqueen

Reading all these i feel so tight! i have only spent 5 each on our nephew and nieces, I have bought them a book each and i am making them a stocking, Things are really tight at the moment. just moved house and i am on SSP,
Not buying for Adults only something small for mum and dad, going to spend about £100 on my 2 kids and OH will buy his kids theres or give money.
Was going to make some homemade cakes to give on xmas eve.

sarahj1986

declutterqueen wrote: »

Reading all these i feel so tight! i have only spent 5 each on our nephew and nieces, I have bought them a book each and i am making them a stocking, Things are really tight at the moment. just moved house and i am on SSP,
Not buying for Adults only something small for mum and dad, going to spend about £100 on my 2 kids and OH will buy his kids theres or give money.
Was going to make some homemade cakes to give on xmas eve.

We all have our budgets for Xmas, you don't look tight you look very wise, your spending within your budget and not borrowing money to fund it. Im sure you will have a lovely Xmas! :j

savingsp

Just been reading through everyone's posts and was wondering

How much does everyone save for Christmas? Do you do this each month?

Does anyone use their credit card?

I see people with trolley full of food and there is no way we could ever afford that?

I would love to start doing some competitions (I usually never win but you never know) any advice on where to start, which sites are good?

quidsy

Even putting a tenner a month away will produce 110 quid by end of November. This would buy a very decent amount of food & drink for the festive period.

I haven't been saving but start shopping for presents in June & buy the odd extra food item (chutneys, crisps, snacks, booze anything that will last) in my normal shop & store away in the loft around September time.

It helps me spread the cost but next year I plan to start saving £50 a month towards food, drink & presents to help spread the cost even more.

cazpumpkin

Ive liberated myself from the stress of xmas spending this year. My husband is taking on the food and drink and im doing the presents and decorations.


Decorations ive got from last year with an artificial tree so no expense there and ive spent around £50 on bits and bobs like candles, xmas crackers, xmas cards, wrapping paper, tags, etc. all the silly twiddly bits. I made a list and got everything in poundland as far as possible.


I shopped for all the small annoying stuff early and got it out of the way.


So as to actual xmas presents, extended family and ours have decided not to do presents and just xmas cards and an invite around for a xmas version of afternoon tea, no cooking involved.


Husband and I aren't doing presents this year but only because we always annoy each other more than its worth eg wrong items or not spending enough/too much.


Our 3 grown up kids are happy with anything and OH thinks £30 is enough whereas I like to give £100-£200. So to compromise this year im taking my OHs advice and theyre getting £50 each cash in an envelope. No idea what they will think!


So... now to the fun part. I can enjoy wandering around the shops at the weekend and ive been picking up odds and ends cheaply in sales, poundland , tk maxx etc and as ive been paying cash and only small amounts at that ive had a lot more fun getting things knowing I wont be running up debts for after xmas and I can stop any time I like. Ive so far filled 3 xmas stockings, 3 santa sacks and heaps of wrapped presents and it looks like more than when they were young children!


Yes I know im a sad specimen but I don't care lol

fawnsinthegarden

Right, best update my spends list whilst this thread is bumped.

All gifts including stockings, Christmas Eve hamper, book advent etc. - £312.00

Decorations - £65.00

Still need to buy more decorations but in general, that side of things is nearly done. Alcohol and picky bits sorted, just need to buy the Christmas dinner and party food which will hopefully be no more than £80.

I reckon I will have spent £600 altogether when finished, £400 under budget Will put some of the budget into the kids saving accounts too.

In regards to how we afford it, no we don't do credit cards, if you don't have it, you don't spend it in this house. I started buying the toys in the summer sales but made the money through survey sites during the year, reviewing etc so that brought down the cost a fair bit. Knowing when the shops have their sales and offers helps. I have already started on the kids Birthdays next year and saved a fortune already.