To ask how much your spend on Christmas presents?

[Peaspleaselouise]

Just that.

Amount spent on children, other family, any friends you buy for, any friends’ children, godchildren, teachers/TAs etc, other gifts such as one for the particularly helpful postman etc.

I’ve saved up over the year but the money just seems to have frittered away, despite trying really hard not to spend too much individually. Agh!

£112 on gifts for 2 SIL, MIL, DSis, An Aunt and a friend. My mums gift won't cost me anything and we do secret santa so I don't have to buy anyone else one.

£20 so far on little gifts for the 3 older kids. Will spend no more than £30 each on main presents for them, the others are babies. I've got a 100yr diary for one and need to get something for the other. I will spend about £20.

DP has got a tablet (£160), a novelty mug (no more than £5) , I'm going to get a tablet case and screen protector (£10 off ebay) and maybe some loungy pyjamas (£15? from M&S).

I'll make sure I get an emergency Christmas dinner in, in case it snows and we can't travel on the day & I expect that won't be a lot (chicken to go in the freezer, potatoes, frozen pigs in blankets, frozen peas/tin of sweetcorn, yorkshire pudding mix, paxo, Christmas pudding, tin of custard). I'll have some treats in anyway, but we are trying to get healthier so aren't going mad on it all this year anyway.

I did the adults shopping in Boots in their 3 for 2 or on black Friday so saved a lot doing it that way.

(And kids aren't ours, all nieces & nephews).

Probably around £600 - definitely more than I can afford which is why I spread it over a few months

I don't bother at all now.

I've cut down the people I need to buy for this year either by agreeing with friend not to exchange gifts for the kids or buy agreeing that kids over a certain age won't be getting gifts.

I've a niece and nephew = £20 each.
3 friends that I buy for £50 each.
Mum and dad = £50 each
1 son = £400 ish
Older son and his GF = £300 ish
One friends child = £20

Blimey, we're pretty well off and I love christmas but the amount some people are spending astonishes me. I spend about 150-200 in presents, most is for DH, I tend to spend 10-15 per person on everyone else. We buy and cook the dinner and I cook from scratch for less than 100 euro. The amounts depend on wether SIL will be their with her family of 5 or not.

I don't have a problem with spending much but I wouldn't want to set myself up for the future where a lot of presents or expensive things are the norm. It seems with christmas that you can't spend 500 one year and 75 the next. Also, thinking up what to give everyone gives me a headache! My DH has no imagination.

I do love christmas though. For me the present giving is a less important side of it (once I've figured out what to buy). I love decorating the house and the lights in the christmas tree. I love baking and cooking the dinner. I love spending the evening chatting with a hot cocoa. I love when the evening is over and me and DH can snuggle under a blanket on the couch together.

think the vast majority of you have got it wrong. Christmas isn't about 'how much you spend' . Presents should be appropriate and affordable, and appreciated by the recipient

How arrogant of you to assume that just because people spend a certain sum of money (on a thread when that was the question!) presents aren't appropriate, affordable or not appreciated by the recipient!!
My children have and always will be grateful for what they get, but I would never just give them made stuff for goodness sake. "Here you are DS, sorry Santa couldn't bring you the Lego Jurrasic Park set you asked for this year but I'm sure the home made chutney I made for you will make up for it"!

Kind of see where @Ariela is coming from on the ever increasing commercialisation of Christmas. But likewise agree with @Taffeta that lots of people are time poor. I definitely fall into this category and it's why I do all my shopping online now instead of trawling the shops. I don't have the time (or the skills or creativity, frankly) to make stuff. And there are also a number of people I know who wouldn't view that kind of handmade gift as a lovely, personal sentiment and would far prefer either a practical gift, like a garden spade, or something luxurious they wouldn't normally buy for themselves. Be a boring world if we were all the same, eh?

You honestly would want me making you chutney, unless you like spending Christmas in hospital. But I would adore it as a present

H and I spend about £150 on each other, about £500 on our son, around £150 on our parents (per couple), together we have 4 siblings and spend maybe £40 on each. Then we have 11 nieces and nephews between us, so another £20 each.

I spend a lot on my best friend, but in experiences for us together. This year tickets to a musical and have booked a pre dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant.

I love giving presents! I am personally not fussed on getting them, but love giving, as I can afford it.

We have had years in the past where we could not afford more than a token gift and noone cared and we had just as nice of a time. But since we can now afford to treat family and friends, we do.

This year I'll be spending probably £25 on each of my parents, up to £30 on my sister & £10 each on a favourite uncle & aunt. Also £10 on one friend who likes to get me a present.

I'm sadly single & childless.
I'm also pretty skint as an HCA who's part time due to health issues.

I spend more on birthdays. I don't buy friends or their children Christmas presents as a rule but I do spend quite a bit on their birthdays. My friends and I (except for one) have agreed the no presents at Christmas rule.

I'm not doing secret Santa at work as it's over a tenner now - possibly for a colleague I hardly know.

I do send out Christmas cards though. And I've got two expensive Christmas parties to pay for - £70 for tickets then money for drinks & taxis.

@LangunaBubbles
You miss my point: the amount spent is irrelevant, it should be affordable for the giver and appreciated and appropriate for the recipient. If you like plastic tat and spending a fortune, that's fine. Likewise if that's what your kids want that's also fine. Equally if you don't spend a lot but your kids think it's great (pot of slime anyone?) than that too is fine.

However spending a lot thoughtlessly is not 'my' idea of a nice Christmas present. I appreciate thought and effort, not spending loads on nearest thing in the shop.

I do make an effort to choose nice gifts that the receiver will appreciate despite my restricted budget.

I also put lots of thought into it, despite my big budget. I buy presents over the year in sales (starting post Christmas sale!) and special offers, meaning almost everything is worth twice the amount spent.
I am actively sourcing special gifts for each recipient as I know it will make them happy and feel a bit spoilt.

I enjoy giving though and can afford it (nowadays), so take pleasure in it all and don't get stressed about it.

It's a nightmare. About £300 each on children, who are teenagers and like expensive things, but also still like leaving their sacks out.
£20 ish each on family
and me and DH spend about £50 each.
It's about a thousand pounds.
I totally recommend new parents to reign it in. If we hadn't started with bulging sack loads we would not be in this situation now. I just don't know how to cut it back now without them being disappointed.

We’ve scaled it right back this year by not buying for all adults in DH family and it is such a relief! We are making some hot sauce and chocolate treats for them though (done a few years ago and went down really well)

DS1 (2 yrs) - £50 + £15 stocking + pair of PJs
DS2 (2 mo) - £40 (mainly clothes) + £10 stocking + pair of PJs
Only buying for children in family and close friends’ children (x 5) - between £15-25 each
DH and I aren’t buying for each other but buying something joint for the house - £260
DM - £20 + something handmade by DS1

£0.
See user name

I've saved £1000 in my works Christmas account and will spend it all. Approx £350-£400 in each DS, the rest on nieces (3) nephews (5), 2 godchildren, my nan and my FIL. We don't buy for any other adults and me and my friends don't buy for each others kids as there are so many now. I'll also spend £50 on DH in top of the budget

No Ariela you have spectacularly missed the point, this thread is about amount spent not what the type of presents are. Why are you assuming people are spending money "thoughtlessly"?

About 1k all in .. all food, presents etc

About £800 in total on gifts - that doesn't include DH's family - he buys for them but there are far fewer of them.

This is all adult gifts - no DC in the family.
£150 on DH
£60-£80 on close family
£30-£40 on friends
Far too much on the animals

People are expressing they cannot afford it.... words like 'nightmare' , 'far too much' 'shocked' 'feel crap' 'way too much' 'crazy'
I don't think it's helpful to say 'I spend £x'. =The actual amount is irrelevant, but it should be affordable

DC...£150 each
Dh...£100

I don't buy for anyone else.

don't think it's helpful to say 'I spend £x'. =The actual amount is irrelevant, but it should be affordable

Er the thread title is "to ask how much you spend on Christmas presents"!