How much do you spend at Christmas?

7roland8

Steve if you can spend that and not notice or miss it then fine. However you don't need to spend a lot to remember people and make them happy - the nicest thing I had off son one year wasn't the present (cannot recall what it was) but the beautiful card with heartfelt verse inside that had me in tears. I'd also have a fit if he spent anywhere near that amount - would rather he spent on mortgage or holidays for himself.

7roland8

For your question - sons would get around £100 each - either as gifts or cash, whichever they wanted.
Other family members and friends get around £15 with my sister a bit more - parents have passed on.
People these days are decluttering and don't want more. And often if people 'need' anything through the year they just buy it then - so really Xmas gifts are only tokens these days.

Magnolia

Thousands and thousands and thousands !!! Its my first Christmas with a beautiful Grandson :happylove

I already know he won't give a fig about the day or even have a clue what is happening but .......

He won't need that two wheeler bike for a few years yet - now will be need the swing slide combo just yet either - the battery merc will not be of much use either but ........

I gotta grandson!!! :grinheart

7roland8

Magnolia wrote: »

Thousands and thousands and thousands !!! Its my first Christmas with a beautiful Grandson :happylove

I already know he won't give a fig about the day or even have a clue what is happening but .......

He won't need that two wheeler bike for a few years yet - now will be need the swing slide combo just yet either - the battery merc will not be of much use either but ........

I gotta grandson!!! :grinheart

Congratulations. But if you give too much now you'll maybe saying in a few years that he has everything and what can you get.

Pollycat

7roland8 wrote: »

Steve if you can spend that and not notice or miss it then fine. However you don't need to spend a lot to remember people and make them happy - the nicest thing I had off son one year wasn't the present (cannot recall what it was) but the beautiful card with heartfelt verse inside that had me in tears. I'd also have a fit if he spent anywhere near that amount - would rather he spent on mortgage or holidays for himself.

My sister doesn't have a lot of disposable income but she does buy the most amazing, thoughtful gifts for me.
Isn't it the thought that counts rather than counting how much money you spend?

StevenB12

Depends how you look at it. If I got an apple for christmas I'd be happy enough that someone took the time to think about me to think he would like an apple, but if christmas always came down to the thought rather than an amount of money, how many people would you be putting out of business? Lol.

It's swings and round abouts to be honest. Through the year I rarely do random splurges of cash etc, maybe for a birthday etc I'll spend a little bit on a bottle of whiskey or a perfume but nothing excessive, then at Christmas it's always a bit more and after doing 12 months nearly of having to do 60 odd hours every week I think it just comes out at Christmas when I think why not? (to the amount of money) If I can't spend a bit of money on Christmas day then when can I?

It might just be me, but it's like if you ask someone and say they have a set amount of 10 per person for christmas gifts and stuck with it's the thought that counts, if they won millions on the lottery, would they still stick to that 10 per person and stick with that value/moral? Or would they treat someone to something a bit more out there

StevenB12

Have you never asked anyone what they are buying someone for christmas or how much it cost? Exact same thing lol.

I'll often ask just to see what someone is buying their girlfriend so it may give me an idea in that direction to what I could get mine and to what it's going to cost, that's why I said that they can afford to spend more but choose not to, as in is there a line as to how much you put a price on per person at christmas.

Nictom80_2

I don't have a big family so I spend about £50 each on them. I put away money each month for Christmas. I LOVE Christmas and I love buying gifts for people.

Magnolia

7roland8 wrote: »

Congratulations. But if you give too much now you'll maybe saying in a few years that he has everything and what can you get.

Already reigned in. Putting some money aside for his future. Maybe toward some driving lessons or whatever he needs.

Did I mention I have a new grandson- first one as well!:j:j

Pollycat

StevenB12 wrote: »

Depends how you look at it. If I got an apple for christmas I'd be happy enough that someone took the time to think about me to think he would like an apple, but if christmas always came down to the thought rather than an amount of money, how many people would you be putting out of business? Lol.

I hope you're not suggesting you're spending money at Christmas to keep businesses afloat....:eek:

StevenB12 wrote: »

It's swings and round abouts to be honest. Through the year I rarely do random splurges of cash etc, maybe for a birthday etc I'll spend a little bit on a bottle of whiskey or a perfume but nothing excessive, then at Christmas it's always a bit more and after doing 12 months nearly of having to do 60 odd hours every week I think it just comes out at Christmas when I think why not? (to the amount of money) If I can't spend a bit of money on Christmas day then when can I?

We're different.
To us, birthdays are more special because it's about one particular person.
So we would spend more on birthdays than on the crazy consumerism that is Christmas.
I have a couple of friends that I don't buy Christmas gifts for but I do buy birthday presents for them because that is a more important occasion (in our opinion).

StevenB12 wrote: »

It might just be me, but it's like if you ask someone and say they have a set amount of 10 per person for christmas gifts and stuck with it's the thought that counts, if they won millions on the lottery, would they still stick to that 10 per person and stick with that value/moral? Or would they treat someone to something a bit more out there

I don't think anyone can say what they'd actually do if they won the lottery.
I do know that if I won a lot of money on the lottery, the people I buy gifts for would have a share in that lottery (and not because we do syndicate tickets) so deciding whether to buy 10 gifts or 5 or 20 wouldn't come into it.

StevenB12 wrote: »

Have you never asked anyone what they are buying someone for christmas or how much it cost? Exact same thing lol.

I'll often ask just to see what someone is buying their girlfriend so it may give me an idea in that direction to what I could get mine and to what it's going to cost, that's why I said that they can afford to spend more but choose not to, as in is there a line as to how much you put a price on per person at christmas.

I've sometimes asked what someone is buying for Christmas (not very often as Christmas for us isn't that big a thing) but I've never ever asked how much they're spending.
That's none of my business.
Even if I asked what they were buying to give me an idea for a gift (I don't actually need ideas as I've been with my partner for over 30 years) I wouldn't ask the price, I'd check that out for myself.

To answer your initial question:

StevenB12 wrote: »

When ever I ask friends and that it's always a very low figure, and it's not that that is what they can afford it's just what they choose to spend, am I being to generous when it comes to presents?

it's entirely up to you what you spend.