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Christmas

What's your budget per person?

125 replies

pieceoftoast · 20/11/2014 23:33

Just wondering what's reasonable to spend on ILs who are richer than us and often buy us more expensive gifts that we can't match financially.

Do you set a budget per person depending? So, for parents a certain amount, (adult) siblings a certain amount, etc? Or do you spend more on certain people because you anticipate that they will spend more on you?

I don't want to be tight, but equally we can't afford to spend loads.

OP posts:
Flissity83 · 20/11/2014 23:46

We spend £5 per person. Kids and adults. We have a 1 year old boy so he would get a bit more (£20ish) but everyone else is £5-10. If you try and make the gift thoughtful I don't think it matters how much.

WildFlowersAttractBees · 20/11/2014 23:48

We spend the same (well there or there about) on
My parent/PIL - £100 per person
Grandparents - £50 per person
Siblings/BIL/SIL - £50 per person
Niece - £75 (we only have one)
Friends children - agreed budget of £25 a head but only do this with very close friends.

We spend varying amounts on our own DC's but try to make sure they have the same amount of parcels to open.

The most important thing is spend what you can afford. I would rather have one small well thought out cheap gift than a pile of stuff that made someone worry about finances.

frazzled74 · 21/11/2014 00:01

Our dc's £150 each, everyone else between £2-20. £150 includes some things that are needed eg pyjamas, gloves, wellies ! This is what we can afford this year, it sometimes changes and don't get in debt for 1 day xx

frazzled74 · 21/11/2014 00:03

No idea why I put kisses at end of my post. Confused

AstonishingMouse · 21/11/2014 00:19

Don't have a budget per person, just try and buy stuff I think they will like without bankrupting ourselves.

happygelfling · 21/11/2014 00:33

I don't have a particular budget for DH or the DCs, just get something that they particularly want/need. (Previous Xmas presents have ranged from £5 to £100.) For other relatives (our parents, brothers, SILs and nieces) we aim at £20 - £30 per person (and the same for birthdays).

ShanghaiDiva · 21/11/2014 00:36

I think here it really is the thought that counts. You can make something e.g photo album of the year or calendar with kids' photos that they could not buy, regardless of how much money they have.
Re your question- 200 each on dcs, 150 on my mum, about 15 on everyone else and in-laws don't want to exchange gifts so big saving there!

PhoebeMcPeePee · 21/11/2014 01:05

PIL spend roughly £40-50 each on us, my parents £200+ each but we spend the same on both because this is what we can afford & that is what they can each afford. Definitely don't think gift received should have any bearing on gift purchased.

PhoebeMcPeePee · 21/11/2014 01:07

Oh on we reckon on £30-40 each grandparent but often do a joint present for less (tickets, hamper etc plus homemade gifts from DC)

chanie44 · 21/11/2014 07:07

£30 on parents
£15 on everyone else

I get what I can afford but I do try and pick things I think the recipient will really like.

patchesmcp · 21/11/2014 07:42

A number of years ago we agreed to exchange gifts costing around £10 with DH family and make a charity donation. There are 6 adults to buy for so this was a good idea. There are now 2 children in his family who we obviously also buy for and we spend £20 on them each.

With my family we spend £25 per person on the adults (4) and £20 each on the 2 kids.

DH and I buy each other gifts sometimes but don't spend much definitely no more than £50.

I will aim for no more than £100 on each of our kids (not including the December hamper) but it'll probably be a lot less on the 18 month old as I'm struggling for ideas.

Pixa · 21/11/2014 07:48

We spend roughly £40pp for both sets of parents and siblings.

For my DH, the budget changes each year as we play a little game and have to make each other something too.

We host Christmas day too.

SockDrawer · 21/11/2014 07:50

Adults: Our families set a budget so I aim for the pre agreed £30 for some and £20 on the others.
But that really is only a general guide, it depends what you buy rather than sticking to the budget too much. only saying that because I keep going over!

SockDrawer · 21/11/2014 07:53

Forgot to say we spilt up the cost of Christmas day food too; so we're each in charge of buying and bringing one 'part' eg; drinks, meat, sides, puddings etc. It makes for quite a feast! (and helps spread costs.)

ItAllGetsBetter · 21/11/2014 07:57

£150 for DSS.

£100 for DP.

£20 for every one else (only close family) Grin

PureMorning · 21/11/2014 07:58

We save every year and then dish it out

Dh and ds's -£200 each
PIL- £50
Every one else max £20 per gift. Many come in lower about £7 on a nice box of chocks from marks and some come in slightly higher like a £30 necklace for my sister


Some years there's been alot less to spend but we never go over the budget.I won't spend for the sake of it either. Four yr old ds has £70 left of his money but has everything hes asked for and more so that £70 will go elsewhere if I find nothing else for him

PizzaPasta · 21/11/2014 09:21

Not including DP and DC.

I budget up to £10/£12 pp as I have 14 adults to buy for. Thankfully no children.

DP spends about £50pp as he only has 3 people to buy for. (Mum and grandparents)

marne2 · 21/11/2014 09:22

We spend £10 max per person, I'm shocked that people spend £100 on adults Shock and I wouldn't want anyone spending that amount on me ( if there's something I want then I tend to buy it and chose it myself ). I spend around £200 on my on dc's ( each ), they are children so I would rather spend it on them than adults. I am buying my dad a DVD and some Turkish delight and have bought my mum some body shop bits and a tin of biscuits, I feel that's plenty ( maybe I'm tight ) Grin.

squiggleirl · 21/11/2014 09:47

We'd have an idea of how much we roughly want to spend on people. It works out like this (all figures are euro):

Parents: 80-100
Siblings: 60-70 each (3 between us)
BIL / SIL: 50 each (3 of these!)
Niece and Nephew: 50-60 each (only have 2)
DHs uncle: 20
Cousins kids: 15-20 each (buy for 6)
Friends: 20 each (buy for 2 friends)
Friends kids: 15-20 each (buy for 6 kids)
Teachers: 10-15 (buy for 2 teachers)
Creche staff: 20-25 between them
Cleaner: 15-20

DH and DCs don't have a set amount. Get them what we think they would like, but definitely spend more on the kids than us. Will probably spend about 150 on DH. Not sure about the kids yet.

CleaninQueen · 21/11/2014 09:55

My parents- £150 each
My brother- £160 this year
Bil & sil £80 each
Fil & mil £90 each
Grand parents get about £30 spent on them
Friends- £30 each
DSD- doesn't have one just buy what I think she'd like/asked for

CleaninQueen · 21/11/2014 09:55

Dh about £180

GemmaTeller · 21/11/2014 09:59

Adult Dc - £30 each
Everybody else £5 -£10

DH and I spend £10 on each other

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123Jump · 21/11/2014 10:04

We don't have set budgets, we just buy people and the kids what we think they will like.
But I don't think we go overboard, luckily the kids love board games and fiddly bits as opposed to big expensive stuff.
DS2 7yo has asked for this!
For MIL and SIL I hit Jo Malone usually, get them a few things each, so that is one of the more expensive things.
DSIS and I split our family gifts between us, which eases the expense there too.

slithytove · 21/11/2014 10:04

We have a budget of £25 pp but won't spend that if we don't have to.

So I got my sister a dressing gown rrp £30, but it was on sale, I used a discount code and had a voucher, so it only cost £9. Other than some sweets I won't spend more just for the sake if it.

Equally in laws, we have a budget of £75 (3 of them and we are doing a hamper) but once the hamper is full, if I have money left I won't buy stuff just because it's there.

We have 7 people like this to buy for. Then a few people who we might spend a tenner on.

slithytove · 21/11/2014 10:05

Kids around £50 each plus stocking bits.

DH it depends each year but this year I've saved up and I'm getting him an iPad, I'm so excited. He will NOT get that amount every year though!

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