How much will Christmas have cost you?

sparrer

Quite a lot and this year I'm not going to add it up. My oldest granddaughter, who we lost touch with when she was 4, has come back into our lives as a wife and mother of 4 adorable children so quite lot of spoiling just this once, plus my DD and DS, their OH's, and 9 further grandchildren. I can't take it with me and would rather be able to see them enjoy it than sit around waiting for me to pop my clogs!

Kim_kim

I'm only buying for 4 people, 2 adults, 2 kids. I've spent about £300.
I'm having dinner at my daughters but I will be buying stuff to bring, booze & food & I'm hosting Boxing Day, maybe £75 for the booze & food.
I should buy or make my team small gifts, make chutneys or buy chocolates or better still both.

notanewuser

Xmas is nearly over for us. Yippee!!!

£25 tree
£12 baileys
£100 food
£30 bits for DD (plus some of her October birthday presents that she hasn't opened yet)
£24 2 gifts for 2/5 nieces and nephews

Once I make it through Saturday that's it done for another year and I can get on with other things. Cannot wait. Might cancel it altogether next year.

Craftyblue

Christmas doesn't really cost me too much. We've just bought a new mini Christmas tree, baubles and a garland of star shaped lights, these cost a grand total of £15. We do have a bigger tree but we can't put it up because of our naughty (but very cute) pet bunny, who would just chew it to bits
I've spent about £300 on presents. I don't have any children, but all my friends do. I spend about £70 on my partner, a couple of pounds on the bunny, then about £20 each on my mum, dad, auntie and brother. Then there's seven children and about six adults who I spend about £10 on each.
We have Christmas dinner at my mum and dad's, the only thing I have to bring is my homemade mince pies and I made the mincemeat ages ago, so that doesn't cost much. We have plenty of sweets left from my birthday in November so we won't need much in the way of treats. The grocery budget can stretch to a few bottles of wine and beer!
I don't mind spending the amount that I currently do but next year I think I'll attempt a theme- at least for the adults. It might make things a bit easier, in theory. x

Mrs_Ryan

Ugh. A small fortune! Have bought for 12 people. Out of them most have had £10, apart from one who has had 95 (OH) one who has had £40 and one who has had £30. mum and dad have had £90 (Mum) and £62 (Dad) with cards and wrapping (bought them all individual cards from Funky Pigeon) Ive added it up to be nearly £500 :eek: that's more than my monthly benefits :eek: I bought them all with my last wage from my old job. They're my only expenses though- no food costs as going to Mum's for Xmas. Recycled last year's decorations and the tree is about 15 years old :eek: but bought two new baubles and a fan decoration that were reduced in Sainsbobs to 66p each
I envy OH. He only has to buy for me, his Dad and stepmum, his brother and SIL and his nephews. He bought DVD's for his Dad off Amazon (50 quid- three lots of box sets) rugby shirts for his nephews (110 quid) A marks gift card for his stepmum and is giving his brother and SIL and me money. However on those few presents he's spending almost as much as I have on 12 people!!!

kezlou

Have to admit this Christmas has been quite expensive adjust. Things have crept up but I have the majority of presents bought. Food wise no idea but probably dinner at home and we want to make it really special as it's ds2 last Santa Xmas, he starts secondary school next year so can see belief in Santa disappearing. Another factor is that I want to make this memorable for the children and my dad, he has dementia so trying to make good lasting times for us all.

Not spending on CCS just using what we have.

black_cat

Kezlou - there are times when it's good to spend money. I hope your dad has a lovely Christmas.

We've budgeted £280 for gifts this year - the lowest ever. That's about £20 each for all the family members we buy for. The biggest change is that OH and I have decided not to buy lots of smaller things for each other. We're thinking of buying ourselves a laptop (we use ones from work at the moment), and giving ourselves some spending money in the sales.

We're visiting family over 4 days over Christmas so we won't be spending on food - just the cattery, petrol and one night in a travel lodge. I have paper and cards from previous sales and I make my own tags (love the after Christmas therapy of making them). I’ll look out for more cards and paper after Christmas if I need any. All in all, we’re looking at £400. If we were having people to us it would be about the same I suppose, with food instead of travelling expenses.

It’s interesting seeing what everyone spends!

Ilona

Nothing. I don't do Christmas. But I might buy a bottle of sherry.
Ilona

dingdongsaving

We budget £250 for presents & we've gone under this by £19.

We buy for
* each other
* ds & dd
* sister, brother in law & nephew
* mum & her partner (joint gift)
* cousin, hubby and son (1 'family gift'...last year a gingerbread house kit & sweets to decorate it for ex)
* 1 dear friend who's not local
* 1 Secret Santa (all of my local friends and I have agreed to meet up at our homes where we provide Christmassy drinks/nibbles & we exchange our gifts).

Some of our gifts are new (1 is a charm for a very popular type of bracelet, 1 is a gift card to put towards clothes at a well known outdoors shop) & some are 2nd hand (1 present for ds is a Wii and some games from a FB group, dd is getting some pretty dresses from the CSs, hubby is getting slippers using an online cash back site)...so everyone gets a little treat but within our designated budget.

We also save & use as many of our freebies/deals/competition wins from the year as we can come Christmas time so that it "feels" extra special...free coffee, free chocolates, free treats from b00ts (for doing some baby food surveys), free chocolate coins, free wrapping paper, free cards, free presecco, free biscuits, free dog food pouches & treats, a free cat toy, a won hamper of toiletries, a won hamper of liquor chocs, a won collection of children's books...

In terms of groceries, we have my mum and partner here for 4 days, my sister and brother in law here for 2 days (and mil/fill are arriving from the USA in time for NYE celebrations! but that's a different budget!) We've allowed an extra £150 for the extra food/drinks for the extra mouths from the 23rd to 28th, & as we make most treats ourselves it should be easily done.

A favourite Christmas morning treat is cinnamon & butter bread balls baked in a bundt tin and pumpkin spice loaf with fruit...Christmas day is a traditional meal with buffet style leftover based "tea"...Boxing day we have "party food"...most of which we make ourselves so it's very affordable...pinwheels, mincemeat/jam tarts, devilled eggs, sausage balls, spinach dip & crusty bread, chutney etc.

It's really interesting seeing what everyone spends. I think what matters most is that everyone does what they want to do & spends what they want/are able to spend.

Kezlou, it sounds like you're making specific plans to make this special for everyone involved. I hope it's lovely. x

kezlou

Thanks everyone

For Christmas lunch I think I spend about £20 for five adults and two children.
Tend to more on the Christmas tree to be honest, we buy a real tree every year and use it as way of "bringing in the greens" after we trim it we use the left overs for decorations around the house.
We turn the picking of the tree into an occasion, for the first time my father wants to come with us. The boys pick and cut the tree down themselves and carry it to the hut to pay. Last year we came home with a two headed tree lol Afterwards we go to a cafe for hot drinks and cake, come home and decorate the tree. Then we have our dinner which is normally sandwiches or something light and watch a film by the light of the tree.

Have to admit everyone says we act like 90 yr olds not early 30's because we make our own decorations, treats etc
Christmas day we normally don't have the TV on, just music. We play board games, muck around , visit family and then watch a film before kids bedtime.

We tend to make our own fun which is more based on family and being together. For us Christmas day is the only real day we have off work. So we make the most of it.

Now if I could just have a sprinkling of snow , frost whatever on Xmas morning I will be a very happy bunny