How much will Christmas have cost you?

PenniesMake£s

We just have presents to buy as we are spending Christmas day with my in-laws so I don't have to buy in any special food. We have all the decorations we need, so all we needed to spend this year has been for presents for 7 children and 12 adults plus tins of biscuits for neighbours, cards and wrapping. I added the total spend up earlier and am upset to realise we have spent about £1000. I thought we'd been more careful as we had budgeted for about half this amount. Oh well, will have to have a frugal 2015 and learn from this.

How much will Christmas cost you and why? How many people do you buy for, are you buying in the food for the day etc?

MoonJelly

We are only buying for our DS. One pressie from mum, one from dad and one from Santa (all of it comes from under £100 including wrapping). We got a set to make our own cards (we have lots of friends and family) for about £40. The tree is £25 and got a wreath for £10. Ornaments saved from last year. Additional food on the main days of the holidays (Christmas day, boxing day, and New Year's) will be limited to what we are going to truly eat. I expect it to run for about £150 (including alcohol) based on the prices I see at the shops. Christmas day will be a small goose and trimmings. We are only three people so it is not too bad.

beluga

I have a budget of £100 for gifts, and food etc will come out of our usual budget for the month. I don't have many people to buy for (no kids) and we have all agreed to scale back this year. We'll be out at my parent's for Christmas dinner, so no extra cost there. I've also been making good use of freebies and special offers so far - I've managed to get a box of cards, some wrapping paper, gift tags and two individual cards (for grandaprents) all for free. Decorations will be the same as last year, and we end up eating so much junk / party food while out at various places that I'm only buying healthy food for home!

Brambleberry

This is the first year that the grown-ups in our family are not doing presents (except between spouses) and from feeling slightly sad about it, it is a blessed relief. This year, as a result, I will have spent about £200 on gifts for DP, nephew, a few dear neighbours and a work secret Santa.
Extra food for us and guests, plus contributions to the dinners back on the old ranch will probably be another £100. This is way less than last year, so for the first time ever, I'm facing the prospect of not having a huge cc bill later:T

Islandmaid

This year we are only spending on our kids, my one neice, and each other.

Last Christmas we had alot of 'we,ll buy you a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates, and you buy us a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine' - stupid.... So I raised it with family and we all agreed it was best not to 'play the game' from now on

C_Mababejive

As little as possible.I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry.

marco_79

Nearly £2000 which we save up all year for. We like a big blow out at christmas and to be generous to the family. We do get a lot back in gifts to.

WantToBeSE

Not too much...about £500.
I buy for my 2 sons (14 and 10), my sisters (2), sisters fianc!e, my Mum and my niece.


I'll spend another £100 on petrol driving to my Mums house and £50 on a weeks food shopping for her while we are there.

Debran

I give my grandchildren cash for Christmas. They prefer it that way - and so do I. I buy presents for no-one.

I make a donation to a charity each year in lieu of sending Christmas cards which, at best, only go for recycling.

As for the rest of Christmas - I just try to pretend it isn't happening. Can't wait for things to get back to normal.

Toonie

I only buy presents for kids though this still works out at quite a bit as I have 7 nieces and nephews and I buy a little token present for the kids I nanny for. This has come to £170 thus far and I have two presents left to get so it will probably creep up to £180 this year.

Food wise I'm not sure of my plans for Christmas day yet so it could involve around £15 if it's just me (on a guinea fowl or something similar and something nice for breakfast). Otherwise most of my Christmas treats are things I bake myself which I do most of the time anyway.

Hopefully spends will be around the £200 mark this year though I have a £300 budget for Christmas so a little extra in the new year will be nice.

Mr_Planky

I gave myself a budget of £50 this year for my girlfriend's presents. I think I've pretty much stuck to that although it's very difficult as I love buying her nice things! I tend to buy lots of small gifts rather than anything major and vouchers from Swagbucks helped. Other than that I only have my brother and one friend to buy small gifts for.


I have to admit I'm not sure how much we're spending on Xmas food as Lady Planky is taking care of that but it won't be anything too extravagant...probably one of those veggie Redwood food roast type things with lots of yummy roast potatoes