To ask about presents in your house (yet another Christmas thread!)

[Alittleodd]

Judging from the AIBU front page apparently we're thinking about Christmas now so I was wondering: how many presents do you buy at Christmas/for the holidays (if you celebrate in a non Christian way)? Who do you buy for? Is it one gift or many? Do you have a budget? And how early do you start?

This is my first Christmas where I'm being more money conscious, especially as I now don't earn over the whole month of December. In the past I've just bought whatever I fancied and never really budgeted... and I often end up "topping up" presents with extras. But I have a teeny tiny family so I only buy gifts from me to my husband and then we buy joint presents from both of us to our son and for each of our parents.

So what do others do? AIBU to ask for your present buying info?

Large families on both sides, so I have a spreadsheet to keep track of things I buy throughout the year as I see things that would suit specific people. KK among adult siblings.

My DH and I only spend about £15 on each other. Another small £5 or so present from 5yo DD. its strictly £15 max for other relatives and friends presents. usually a DVD or book or for couples we do hampers or vouchers worth £30.

For DDs stocking I stick with the four gift rhyme:

Something you want
something you need
something to wear
something to read

want will be a small medium sized gift from her santa list (he cant spend lots as he has other children to provide gifts to)
need is usually stationery or crafting supplies (last year was pritt stick)
wear is always PJs a size up for next year
read is usually a classic book

plus a few other bits like a pirate matey, hair accessories, oranges and chocolate coins.

Christmas doesnt have to be piles of presents.

forgot to explain DD was always moaning about no glue sticks in the house and had even put one on her santa list so she was delighted with her own large pritt stick. I printed a sticker with her name on it so everyone knows its hers...

We have two kids.
We have a limit of £20 on each other then the children have one big present off Father Christmas and their stockings (nothing in the stocking can cost more than £1 per item and there’s about 6 items) each.
Then we have about 10 smaller gifts off mummy and daddy.

For other relatives we try and stick to £10 each for our parents/brother and sisters and then we spend £5 or less on grandparents etc.
The children are given £5 each to buy daddy something and £5 each to buy mummy something.

I don't really have a budget in mind, it depends on what the DC want that year.

They know DH and I buy the presents, the younger DC think we send them to Santa and he brings them back on Christmas Eve while the older DC know we hide them and bring them out again. We get them to write a wish list each and remind them they wont necessarily get everything on it, it's just a guide. Saying that though, last year DS list totalled £43 and he said there was nothing else he wanted so he did get everything on it. This year they all want bikes so there around £100 a-piece plus smaller gifts and stocking fillers so will likely spend round £300 per child.

We spend up to £100 on each DC, often less. They get loads from relatives so there isn't much point spending more. I think it was £70 and £50 last year. (GPs buy the 'big' presents).
We also buy for our parents, my brother, my niece, and our godchildren. We get a gift for each other too.

We are on holiday over this Christmas so only a small gift each in the day. But it's Skiing so loads of snow!

Normally about a hundred on my parents.

A few hundred on my wife. About one hundred of that is surprises and stocking fillers.

About a tenner each on my nephews - my wife sorts that out.

I don't buy for anyone else.

I do buy presents throughout the year, not just in the run up to Christmas, but that's because parents and wife are sods to buy for. Ideas, rather than money, are the problem.

We always budgeted £100 each for immediate family (DH and two DC) but this year as I'm on maternity leave and money is tight we're doing a £50 budget each. DC get a main present from us plus some other small bits, stockings are from Father Christmas and are just cheap small things like little books, crayons, chocolate etc.

For extended family we buy for parents and siblings/partners and nieces and nephews. We don't buy for cousins, aunts, uncles just the children. Budget is around £20 to £30 each. My siblings and I tend to club our £30 together to buy my parents something bigger between us (nice meal out, concert tickets etc) and for siblings and partners I tend to spend £30 making up a hamper with food, little candles, soap etc as a joint present.

In total we try to budget £1k for Christmas with our Christmas present budget usually around £700 which leaves £300 for food for Christmas day and parties and taking the DC to see Father Christmas somewhere local in the run up.

When my children were younger, we'd get a good selection of next stage toys, or whatever they were into. One year we got my DD a whole Polly Pocket World £150 (in 1992), but it was money well spent. As was lego. We'd buy bikes etc at Easter.

We'd spend on my Mum/Nan/Single childfree Sister, what they had spent on my children and us, combined. My PILs were dead, his side didn't do presents.

When I was a LP (Widowed), if my Teens wanted, Uggs/Hunters etc, they had to be part of the Christmas presents. I couldn't afford them out of an everyday clothing budget. They'd have around £300 each spent on them.

When my Mum Died we stopped doing Adult gifts and we do meets ups/days out, instead.

I now spend arpund £150 each on my Grandchildren. That includes clothes, if presents aren't wanted.

Those saying that they spend very little, or the family that go camping in the wild, might spend more over the year.

Which is why i hate the sneering at the Working Class and their Christmas Budgets.

We buy for our parents - one gift each jointly from me and DH. Gift to his parent is usually a bit crap (level of box of biscuits from garden centre) but then so is her gift to us, we reduced the value overtime. Gift to my DM bigger and better but then she buys us loads of high quality stuff and is broke

Then 1 joint present to each of DH's siblings. SIL and I have tried to put a stop to these but 2 in the mix are still holding out for the ritual exchange of boxes of chocolates and bottles of cheap wine. So we continue.

And then presents for nieces and nephews, as they have got older these have turned into cash gifts, going rate about £20-30.

No children so then it's just each other. Probably about 4 presents-ish each, mostly books.

Cats get the cardboard box the meat came in. They are delighted every year.

I've started to put money on a Asda/Tesco/Argos and M&S card for Christmas spending.

Asda had the limited edition bottle of JD on offer for £16, which I've picked up for my youngest (22). I've bought in some chocolate when it was on offer for my Granddaughters.

I used to shop all year, when things were on offer, when i used to buy for Adults. But mine were happy with alcohol.

I've got Birthdays in November/December and I've already bought for them.

Kids - 1 main gift around £50-70 mark plus a stocking (with a mixture of useful and consumable items)
My siblings - £75
Nieces/nephews - £20-25 (only U18s)
PILs - £50-70
Great aunt - £20-25
Friends kids (specific) - £20-25

We buy for all 5 parents, then grandparents and our son. This year will also include DD. Currently trying to decide if we'll be buying for anyone else as both of us have large families. We may just stick to giving presents to married siblings (so 3 plus sister who will be engaged by then)
Budget is usually £10 per person.

And for each other, it'll depend on what we've asked for and how much money is left over. Stockings are usually joke items or chocolates etc from Poundland

Those saying that they spend very little, or the family that go camping in the wild, might spend more over the year.
Which is why i hate the sneering at the Working Class and their Christmas Budgets.

Nobody is sneering at anyone. We each budget according to what we can afford. I don't care what other people spend its thier money but i also dont apologise for not spending £100s per child/relatives. I can't afford to and won't go into debt over 1 day.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a class thing. I know someone with 6 kids who spends around £600 on each. They save all year and blow out.
We tend to do other things during the year - theatre, festival, meals out, etc. so don’t blow out. It’s about priorities as well as income.

We spend a max of about £50-£100 for each of the 2 DC, might go up when they're teenagers and want more tech stuff. Usually one big thing (bike/kindle) and maybe one small game/educational thing/item of clothing, then maybe 6 small things in their stocking.

DH and I buy for each other anything from £100-£300 depending what it is. Usually 1 present + 2 smaller things from the DC.

Then we (by which I mean I) buy for my parents, siblings and their partners, nephews and nieces, and same for DH's side, 16 people total. Probably £50 max for each parent, and £20 for siblings, £10 or so for nephews and nieces. For most we will buy second hand if it's available.

I buy through the year, picking things up in sales or when I see something I know they'll like. This annoys the hell out of DH, but means I usually have most of xmas done by early December.

I buy for:
Husband
Mum
Brother
2 Nephews
Niece
7 friends
3 bouquets for sisters/SIL

I spend about £60 each on family.
£10 - £15 on friends.
£20 on each bouquet.

Tbh I worry so much about what to get that if I had to spend more I would as I get stressed out by it all (probably because I don't do it enough in advance although I am hoping to to this year).