Child-free people, how much do you and DH spend on each other? What kind of stuff?

[ThirdTurd]

I just had a conversation with a friend who thinks me and DH spend a ludicrous amount of money on Xmas presents considering we don't have children.

Me and DH usually spend about £300 on each other plus maximum of £50 on a stocking for each other.

I usually get him some clothes, a PS game, some booze, lots of chocolate, some random food-stuff, maybe a board game, a few books.

He gets me loads of books, pretty stationary, booze, food-stuff, smelly stuff, a little something for the house (I like Victorian junk)

Stockings are usually just full of food.

We can afford it and we both enjoy buying for each other but it got me thinking what do other people do?

[recklessgran]

I think what you do sounds really lovely - your friend just sounds a bit jealous TBH. If you can afford it then why on earth shouldn't you do something so thoughtful. I don't think it's ridiculous at all to want to express your love for each other in this way.
We don't bother too much ourselves as a couple but do buy each other a few thoughtful gifts. To be honest we have so many other people to buy for that we don't really make ourselves a priority in the present buying stakes!

[wonderingsoul]

Sounds lovely. I spend maybe 100 -150 but would spend more if inwas able to.

Your friend sounds jelouse, i love the stockings i did one for dp last year but he sidnt so im making him do me ine this year lol.

[Monkeybunkey]

We spend about the same as you, ThirdTurd.

[Wormwoodm]

We spent about that before kids. If you can do it then why not, enjoy it!

[Fueledwithfairydustandgin]

We spend about that maybe more with 1 child. Before him it was more. We both have expensive hobbies and can afford it so why not

[RedMapleLeaf]

New boyfriend and I just talked about this. He suggested half what I was thinking of. He has more family to buy for, and birthdays appear to be the bigger deal.

I think I'll buy myself a couple of pressies

[Ceaser1981]

Thats about the same as we spend, if you can afford it and both agree a budget then its nobody elses business. We spend a lot less on birthdays and really go for it at christmas.

[Dozer]

It's your money, your choice!

[AlbertaDewdrop]

Dont bother- we have joint money and so can just buy what we want. Never really understood a concept of having a budget to get each other gifts from shared money.

[BeastofCraggyIsland]

We don't have children and spend about the same as you and your DH. We can afford it and we also have expensive hobbies and the stuff we buy is often related to them.

[Fueledwithfairydustandgin]

We have shared money (thank god ) but I ask for things I wouldn't just get for no reason, for example I have a perfectly good riding hat but my show jacket is navy and my hat is black so I want the exact same hat in a different colour. I wouldn't spend £240 on it but will adore it as a Christmas treat.

[HandbagCrazy]

We spend about £100 - £150 each now as DH has been retraining the last few years. Spent more than that previously and probably will again now he's qualified.

We have shared money but I get 'the guilt' spending too much on myself so enjoy DH spooling me at Christmas.

[HouseworkIsASin10]

We spend around £200 on each other, but what always puzzles me about 'shared money' it's like buying your own Christmas present isn't it?
You are just taking £200 each out of the pot.

[HandbagCrazy]

Yes and no - where the money comes from doesn't bother me, it's more that DH makes the effort to show how well go knows me and takes the time to get things I enjoy and wouldn't treat myself to.

Essentially we could take the money and buy stuff for ourselves but where is the fun in that?

[buttercup15]

We have a £10 limit for bdays and xmas. I know that probably sounds really tight, and we did used to spend much more, around £100 each. But then when we were saving for our wedding we did the £10 rule and found it was actually much more fun so we carried on. We were thinking about moving abroad so we didn't want any more stuff to cart around. We normally get a bit of choc or sweets, a second hand book, a silly gift like a yoyo and maybe some socks or something.

Now that we don't need to save so much money we will often put any extra money towards a weekend away or day out somewhere.

[Fueledwithfairydustandgin]

So people that have shared money just shouldn't bother with Christmas

[mmgirish]

If I didn't have kids I would definitely be asking for the new Apple Watch this year.

[NotAMammy]

It changes most years as we've had different things going on. Sometimes we set a really low budget, like the year we got married, or this year as we're saving for a house. We'll spend around £30 (actually, i've all his sorted now
Another year we each had change jars and chucked money into them during the year, emptied them and then used that to set the budget - £250 that year.

[EmsyApples]

Hmm.... About £200 each + Stockings for about £30 + A lot of money on chocolate/treat food/Alchol

We both love bargin hunting and start shopping in october for eachother, and usually take about £10 each early december to a £shop for 'xmas tat' such as make your own snow, really bad wrapping paper, window gel stickers, awful xmas crafts to do together for a laugh.

Presents are usually PJs, Books, DVDs/Music/VideoGames, obligitary socks, ect and one 'big' thing each for about £40, OH wants a nerf gun (0.o) and I'm hoping for the usual soap and glory set (usually the one that comes on Boots Star gift + whichever small set OH thinks is sparkly enough)

This is gonna be our 4th 'proper' Christmas, birthdays are a lot less exciting for either of us and we don't spend a lot, usually just a meal out and one or two gifts, so i don't feel too bad for spending? We both enjoy it!

[ImpYCelyn]

Well we'll have three by Christmas, but it'll still be around £150 for DH. He often spends more than that on me. But I buy almost all the other Christmas presents out of my money, e.g. our kids, nieces and nephews, my family etc. He only really pays for his parents, occasionally he gives me the money for the nieces and nephews as they are all on his side. Thats my choice as I spread it out over the year, I like doing it, I rarely buy much for me, and it stops things being tight for us. So DH normally treats me and gets me the things I wouldn't buy myself. If we can't afford it, we don't. That's far more than we spend on the kids (£50 each this year, not including the baby), but things for adults are normally more expensive. Next year, we probably won't be able to afford it (job changes), so we won't. Although we spend more on us than on the kids, our presents will always be the first to go - things for the children and nice food for us all have priority.

[dudsville]

We used to spend loads. Then got bored of that and bought house things. Now done with that we have decided to get just a few token things. Like pp's have said, we tend to but what we want during the year so giving each other presents at Christmas is more symbolic than exciting.

[Crispsheets]

It's our 3rd Christmas (though we haven't spent one together yet...LDR). We spend about £300 on each other. The only other people I buy for are my teenagers, and I spend about £500 each on them.

[wonderingsoul]

Just because its shared money doesnt mean your buying hour own guilt and imo is kinda shallow. Its the thought behind it that counts.

[ImpYCelyn]

Oh you asked what kind of stuff. DH gets non-work clothes (he buys his own work clothes), board games, books, comics, this year a retro Nintendo. Erm, normally that kind of thing.

He buys me books, comics, Lush stuff, craft stuff - luxury wool or Christmas boxes from independent dyers, occasionally gadgets - iPod, iPad, a Nintendo ds, camera, kindle - obviously not every year! I've got them now so don't need them, but he kitted me out over the last 7 years.

[OpheIiaBaIIs]

Aww OP that sounds lovely!

DD is 19 so while not child free, we're sort of child free iyswim. We spend about £300-£400 on DD and about £150 on each other, although DH sometimes spends more - a few years ago he bought me an emerald ring, for example. He's very generous I usually buy him books, good whisky, an ale hamper which I put together myself, something beautiful to wear (cashmere jumper or scarf, velvet jacket), and something unusual - one year I gave him a Roman coin, for example. I love buying for him!