Christmas budget 2023

[Fatcat00]

Inspired by two recent threads RE gift limits, reselling etc. genuinely curious to know what the average person spends on their children at Xmas.

I know it is very much dependent on income (generally). But I’ve seen lots of posters saying they spend £100 for example and would find it ludicrous to spend any more regardless of income.

where I live, well off or not, people go to town on gift buying - and obviously post it on SM which is something I never do.

I have noticed some people that do this don’t go all out on their food, which for me is the peak of Christmas. I’m very much into an elaborate tablescape, top top quality food and amazing presentation. Which can cost quite a bit.

So what do you tend to spend on kids, partners if you have them, family, and food?

Partner - nothing (prior agreement) we usually just decide on something we both want - usually a holiday and make a contribution to that fund.

Immediate family (two couples and two children) - about £30 each

Partners family (inc stepson) - his responsibility - don't get involved.

Food - we usually just have a slightly nicer meal than normal and some extra nibbles and luxury items - so probably about an extra £80 or so on the normal weekly shop.

Decor - reuse the same ones pretty much every year supplemented with free greenery.

That is it. Christmas is so much nicer since I made a proactive decision to pare it right down - no frantic saving, no debt, no obligation.

I don't have a fixed budget as such for the kids, as it depends on what they want each year, but for others it's around £40 for friends, £50 for parents/sibling, £100 for partner. Spend on the kids probably around £200 each once you take into account the stockings, new pyjamas from the elf (they are teens now but still need this😁), main present, some smaller bits, etc. But my only expense on food is half the turkey as that's our contribution to dinner at my parents'.

Partner: not actually sure! We’ve been together a year and a half but last year was still early days plus he was away with family for Christmas so didn’t do gifts.

Children: I do go all out. I probably spend around £1800 combined. Ds has been asking for a Meta Quest since February so he will be delighted! He and his sister have autism and learning difficulties. They find things difficult so I like to spoil them. Dd isn’t really bothered though! I end up opening her presents for her 😅

Children’s dad: Around £50 so the children have something to give him. They like gifting as well as receiving and his family don’t tend to get him much.

Food: I go to a relatives for Christmas dinner so I don’t have that expense. Maybe around £150/£200. I basically do a nicer than normal weekly food shop. I tend to do a buffet on Boxing Day as well so I’ll get the stuff in for that. I buy Christmas chocolate from now onwards when I see good offers so that is done long before the food shop.

Husband- we spend around £30 on each other 'from the kids'. More of a token so that the kids have something to give us and we have something to open on the morning. We usually promise ourselves a treat in January when it's all over!

Family- £20 each on the adults (12 in total I think). Maybe £30 on my youngest nephew.

Friends kids- between £10-20 (5 to buy for)
Our kids- maybe £150-200 (they're 8&9)They haven't done their lists yet but they don't want any big ticket things like a switch.

If I see something I like that's a little over budget I buy it, if something lovely is a little under I don't 'top up' with extras.

Food. God, I honestly don't know. We host Christmas day (9 for one meal, 11 for an evening buffet), a second Christmas day type affair for dh's family (10 for that one)and a party for dh's work colleagues and lab staff and students. It amounts to a shit load.

About £2000 all in. We save £180 a month into a Christmas fund. We've saved monthly for Christmas since we married (only £50 back then)'and have increased it as income has increased. Easily gets spent and I don't think we are overly lavish, about £1000 for the kids and our presents (2 kids), about £500 for family presents, and the other £500 goes on food, some decorations and Xmas activities (pantomime etc).

I love the idea of a Boxing Day buffet but have honestly never got around to one! I host for Xmas every year (13 this year which is the biggest yet!) and my in laws do a whole Xmas dinner again on Boxing Day. As in another turkey, trimmings etc I don’t know how they have the mental capacity to do it and it’s always 16+ people

I tend to get a bonus from work most years in November and that is our Christmas budget - it's usually around 1k. Usually 750 on presents (2 kids, me, dh and my mum is about 100 each then 250 on nephews/nieces). The rest is on food and Christmas-y outings like lights, used to do panto when the kids were young etc.

If I didn't get the bonus, it would be smaller.

I’ve never even considered activities to be part of my budget. Good point.. I suppose because they’re booked in advance I never really consider them.

Partner - nothing (and vice versa)
Kids - depends but all 3 have birthdays either side of Christmas so we have to factor this in
Family - we do parents and that's it as we have a massive family (8 siblings and 19 neices and nephews between us) so by prior agreement we don't do Christmas gifts. I'll meet up with some of them around the festive period and we'll each bring nice snacks / drinks / nibbles and chocs for kids etc.
Food - I use my Nectar points (usually £100+) for all treats and extras but get actual Christmas turkey from M&S.
Our food budget has dropped as I don't drink anymore (18 months +) and I used to buy a lot of alcohol at Christmas. Wine, Baileys, champagne etc.

We're guests this Christmas at my siblings so we'll bring stuff with us (booze, posh chocs etc) but we'll give my sibling money as a contribution beforehand. This is not asked for or expected.

We've 5 nieces and nephews and budget is around 20-40 each. DS1 is now 4 and we've not gone over £100 for him yet, but just because we don't do lots of stocking fillers! He gets a few books, a few small gifts and one big one. Just because of his interests so far these haven't been expensive. I'd have no problem going up to about £200 for him if there was something he particularly wanted that was expensive. DS2 is not even 1 so he's getting a shape sorter and a book mainly so DS1 thinks he's not forgotten. I can imagine with older children who want games consoles etc then it can become pricey very easily! DP and I don't buy for each other, then probably £150 all in on other people? No extra food costs for Christmas as we go to rich relatives who won't accept any contribution towards it, but definitely buy a bit nicer food for the surrounding days

For us last year it was definitely the stuff around Christmas that ramped up the cost, so going to the theatre, going out to see Christmas lights and then cake etc. after. We've cut down on what we're doing to save some money there.

Prices always seem to creep up. I spend around £100 each on my older two and under £50 for my youngest who will be 21 months. Already got her main gift from fb for £10. I spend less than £20 on everyone else. Siblings were £7 each already ordered.
With my partner we usually buy an experience. Last year it was tickets to Hamilton this year. So excited.
We don't spend much on food because we don't host anything maybe 20/30 more than normal.
The person spending close to £2000. That's more than our annual holiday. And I don't think I could bring myself to spend that even if I won the lottery. But if that's your budget I hope you also donate to local food banks and charities. Even 1% of that budget will help a family who have nothing.

I hope you also donate to local food banks and charities.

I hope you donate every time you and your family spend on discretionary items too, like your £2000 annual holiday, even 1% of that will help a family who have nothing,

I am amazed how you manage to do it so cheaply. Genuinely curious how you find suitable gifts for so cheap?

Those that don’t buy for partners and vice versa has that always been the case? I spend around 700-1000 on DP but don’t expect it to be reciprocated and i much prefer the build up and the social side of Xmas than the gifts. But I would feel so sad not buying him gifts for some reason?

I’ve not started on gifts yet but have ordered the Turkey at £180 and spent around £250 on the table setting so far. Activities booked have probably cost around 500 so far so I am genuinely intrigued by how people keep the budget so low? (I also understand my decor and hosting can be OTT so in no way am I saying it’s unusual to not spend the amount I do).

I've been saving £3.75 a week since November last year so will have £195 next week to do all the present shopping with for 2 adult kids, mum, dad and 2 other relatives.

Food shop will just be the normal weekly one. Christmas Dinner is sausages, mash and veg with gravy 😊

So about £250 all in.

Umm I don't spend £250 on a table setting What the fuck even is a table setting anyway?

My partner and I have only ever given each other token gifts really. Now it males no sense to spend money we woudl rather spend on the house or for holdiays on stuff - we are adults so can buy anything we might want with our own money.

The idea of spending £1k on a Christmas present for anyone makes me feel slightly sick - that's our monthly mortage payment.

Just clocked the username with the escalation of description...

Probably around £200 on each dc (I have 4). The tree presents are around £100 but then there's the stocking, Christmas Eve box, advent calendar, Christmas jumpers etc and it all adds up.
£30 per adult (dparents and dsis).
£20 on food because dparents host so I'm just doing snacks really

£££££ on activities though. Panto, films, Christmas light trails, Santa visits etc. I value experiences over goods every time

On my DD (10) probably around £500 but that's not fixed and depends what she's asked for, what I spot etc.

No partner, small family, but excellent friends probably another £400 all in. Ranging from £10s at cousins to £60-£70 on my couple of best mates/brother/step-son.

food I don't go mad. Just a slightly glammed up normal aldi shop. So food shop increases by about £50 to £100.

activities with DD/nights out/meals with friends. No idea. I probably don't want to know.

My username was a name change for a thread I created regarding a friends parent being greedy. Don’t read too much into it.

Tablescape as in charger plates, linens, napkin rings, decoration, place setting gifts I.e personalised cookie wrapped in cellophane type stuff, crackers, runners, chair covers, candles etc.

I would much rather do the token gift thing or just book a holiday on the day. But dp likes to all sit together and open gifts.

1k is our mortgage payment too but I don’t see why that should matter?

Christmas Eve box! You’ve just reminded me about those things 😩 must remember to sort

You don't know how people manage to keep their budget so low?
So my table settings are two white table cloths (I paid a fair bit for them but I've had them over 15 years), a table runner a lady I used to work with made me, napkins I made, two candle sticks that were my grandmother's and a small glass candle holder that my MIL bought me. Last Christmas was the first without her and we couldn't have it out but it will have pride of place this year. My kids make crackers, last year they had wine glass charms (a few quid on wire and nice beads)and these chocolates they made out of dinosaur and unicorn silicone thing. What can I say op, it just didn't come to £250!

We do the local panto which is £60 for all of us. We go to a Christmas Market and have hot chocolate, mince pies etc but it's not very expensive. A trip to the garden centre (which is amazing)which is usually tea and cake, a new Christmas decoration and £20 for the brass band. The church do an advent thing in the village which is for a donation. A trip to a local world heritage site for the day as they have the most fantastic trees and some kid friendly, free/cheap events. The kids have a lovely time.

Er, I would imagine people keep their budget ‘so low’ because 99.99% of people don’t have the budget or inclination to spend £250 on a table setting (whatever that is.)

We will spend on good food and wine, but not excessively. Although we get given a goose each year in return for a favour we do for a local farmer, and we get a couple of lovely hampers from clients.

Our table setting consists of a box of crackers, a centrepiece (made from greenery from the garden) and the lovely crockery, napkins and cutlery we got as a wedding gift, inherited or picked up along the way. Ditto our decorations. Lots of greenery, baubles inherited and from our travels. Tree from the local nursery.

We go to the panto (£25 a head), we go to the cathedral service (free), we see the lights (cost of a bus ticket), we visit and host family and friends (cost of a bottle/a meal sans £180 turkey), buy a few pressies (normally books etc, other years a special gift like a musical instrument). DH and I get each other something nice that we share at the end of the day (earrings, a scarf, a book.)

I don’t really associates Christmas with expense. Mostly I enjoy seeing loved ones, singing carols, reading and resting. Mercifully, all pretty much free.

Ooooh I LOVE the idea of wine charms! They sound fab. I’ll have to have a look on Pinterest.