How much do you spend at Christmas - even being careful it seems like a horrendous amount?!

[Anitee]

Just present wise I just totted it all up, both from big families and brought each of our siblings families a gift rather than individual presents at around £25 per family X 6 = 150, both sets of parents the same = £50, plus grandparents = £50. Spent £70ish on each of our boys = £140 (£40 of that has been on the bits on a present we've made from scratch as well to try and save money!), stockings £30 each = £60 and I spent £50 on DH. £500 gone and we still have 8 to cook for and feed on christmas day - easily anouther £100+. I thought I was being careful and quite modest in comparison to others I know but even now it seems a huge amount. How has Christmas become so expensive?!

What can you get for men? Last year I bought a load of personalised mugs off Amazon for around a fiver. Eg Keep calm and (insert personal message). Comes with a box too.

crazy that's a really stupid comment. I'm paying about £200 for five meals out with friends. Eating the same at home would cost less but no be so much fun.

That's ridicule amounts and puts pressure on the parents to reciprocate - you need to sort it - quick call - sorry we can't this year -

elQuinto is that one bottle of wine for 5 adults or do the rest contribute to the booze?

Our Christmas work do is thankfully free! There are only 6 of us plus the boss, he pays for a quality dinner and then we go home!

We have a family Christmas wish list and like BackForGood I deal with some of the expense by putting items on it that dh and I would need anyway: so the umbrella that needs replacing is something I'd be buying in January anyway, but I get it (hopefully) wrapped in pretty paper in December and in a colour chosen by one of my brothers or SIL's. The rest of the family does the same: it's towels for DM and DF this year and something practical for dn's. I buy presents for around 15 people, but typically don't spend more than £10-15 on each.

My DM, who (bless her!) feeds all family at Christmas, spends all year stocking up on groceries and candles whenever there's a special offer.

The other thing which makes Christmas financially bearable (but suspect this would not appeal to most of MN) is that we don't drink much.

One bottle 5 adults. Fil doesn't drink, Bil drives them overvso abstains, Sil not a big drinker. DH and I aren't big drinkers either. We might have a tipple of something Chrustmas Eve and Christmas night once everyone has left.

I stopped drinking whilst pregnant, neither of us drank in the years we co-slept. Now I don't seem to have the same interest in booze I once had. A bottle of Baileys lasts us 3 years

30yo me would be incredulous!

Crikey, we spend £150 on booze for 2 adults

Some of these amounts are just eye bleeding
Fine if you have it and want to spend it but otherwise

Btw Christmas tv guides which aren't the Radio Times are available!!

But also- it's fine to celebrate Xmas big rather than scrimping and getting the cheapest always

English you spend the same on your child as you do nieces/nephews and less than Godchild? Seems a bit off TBH. It's lovely that your husband is so generous , but would think he's spend more on his own child (unless it's a baby who only cares about the wrapping paper)

In my family ,
Nieces/Nephews get £50 , adults get £100 (Including adult children - me ) . I think the rule of no gifts for over 18s is a bit sad TBH.
This year , the kids (12&13) have decided to use their pocket money to also buy gifts and have spent £10 per person (11 of us).

But also- it's fine to celebrate Xmas big rather than scrimping and getting the cheapest always

you realise that 'skimping' to get it cheap isn't necessarily a choice. Some people (I actually know quite a lot) simply cannot afford a great xmas with lively food and decent pressies for the kids.

Not added it up yet this year but definitely less than previous years.

A lot of the DCs' presents are things they needed anyway (growth spurt = clothes etc)

We informed everyone a while ago that we aren't doing presents outside immediate family apart from baby great nephew and that was well received and understood

Maybe

£200 per (our own) child
£25 nieces nephews
£40 parents
£10 siblings ( nice bottle of wine)
Dh and I probably spend about £250
each other

Re use decorations every year

£25 Ikea tree

£350 food and drink.

Yes crazy of course I know that but I would expect it to be a minority of people rather than competitive tightness you seem to get on here

Total spend including booze, food, presents for 12 people (immediate family only), trip to German market, NYE and all associated costs with festive meals/get togethers, we save £50 a month, so £600 to cover everything extra relating to Christmas. Any leftover pays for a treat mid January to beat the new year blues

If you can afford it, fine. But begrudged presents are not presents, and the mug/gift set/ stinks will be straight to the charity shop. The next generation won't thank us for all the waste.

Give things that vanish.

I don't know how much we spend. Much is spread through the year. More this year than previously because this year I have the money to do so (not be silly).

DH s birthday is in January so have bought for then too. But counts as different parcel of money. But presents for him about 50 quid. I guess my presents will be similar.

50 quid on new Dec's (I wanted some lights for outside. Some replacement tree Dec's as they had broken and a singing santa from b+m because who doesn't want a singing santa. I also bought a big wooden nativity so ds could play with it without worrying he would hurt himself on the cheap ceramic). No tree or main Dec's needed. Bought a nice fake one a decade ago and still going strong.

Only small contribution to lunch this year as guest not host. Don't know yet what it will be bit booze or a course or something.

Presents wise about 100 quid on my side of the family probably similar on his.

On ds we have bought a few toys -moderately expensive wooden things because I think it's the last year before electronics will be demanded! And usual useful things in stocking (socks pants cutlery etc). I think 70 quid in total.

For friends a secret santa max 15 quid. And on God children 30 quid (about 10 quid each).

So about 400 quid. But it is all discretionary. We didn't need the lights. Or to buy each other presents. I could have bought ds a cheaper plastic garage the wood was just for me (and I've got to make it up). I could have pared it down to 100 quid but I didn't want to.

I don't buy for any family members or friends. Just the kids.

wolver, well, pretty common in the circles I frequent - I have a severely disabled child and therefore know a lot of other parents of children with SN. We won't have a 'proper' Christmas and I know a fair few other in the same shoes. Not rare at all.

This year I've spent a lot more than I usually would on my DC because they want a PS4 between them. And being the softie that I am just that one gift didn't seem enough so they've got some other stuff too. I've probably spent £250 on each of them which is waaay more than I usually would.

DH and I don't bother buying for each other, we would rather do something nice together, a meal out, a gig or something. So we just do that at some point in the year.
Me and my brother put in £50 each for a present for our parents, this is from all of us. We don't buy for adults, just the kids and I usually spend £20-30 on each ( 2 nephews 1 niece).
Food I save a fiver a week all year round. My mum gives me some money towards it as they come to us for Christmas. And I've got £125 in Morrisons vouchers, so I think I'm pretty much covered!

I spend about 800-1k. Two dc, lots of nieces/nephews etc. I start saving in March, I put 100pcm into a savings account and try not to touch it.

£0

£200. No DC, though.

£500 on each dd x 4
£30 on each dd xmas eve box x4
£40 per parent x 4
£20 per grandparent x 3
£30 per niece/nephew x 4
£30 on brother who has no kids
£20 x 2 on small cousins
£10 x 2 on friends kids
£100 on dh
£100 from dh to me
£20 for teen dd to buy her best friend
Expensive but so worth it.