How much do you spend?

[skybluepearl]

OK it's been done tons of times before I'm sure but how much do you spend on gifts for immediate family unit, extended family unit, friends, xmas food etc .. Am I the only one who keeps things low key? Everyone I know seems to go crazy.

Kids - about 30 each (but they get 25 from each set of grand parents too and smaller gifts from lots of aunts/great uncles/my close friends. Sometimes we pool money to give bigger gifts but more often larger items are second hand anyway, so cheaper)

Partner - about 30

Brothers/sisters/parents - about 10 per couple

Neices - 5 each

Three best friends - between 3 and 15 pounds

Cars - we make them and deliver by hand or send second class.

We are very low key here...very

No gifts for either of us.

Boys 8 & 13 will get $25 dollars each + stocking.

Daughter 3 will get a toy and stocking.

Relatives tend to give the children money too, they always end up with about $100 to spend.

Seems we spend very little compared to others here.

Another reason for keeping it low key, we are moving back to the UK...EVERYTHING has to be tiny! :)

Rosemary, yes we are looking forward to Sunday . Although I will probably be most happiest when everyone has got their lunch and I can sit down and relax!! I am playing host again . Funny how my grandparents did it, then it went to my parents and now i do it, although the numbers have now got smaller.

Merry Christmas and a happy healthy 2012 to you.

Far too much.

It's pretty ridiculous tbh.....all paid for in cash tho so can't grumble too much

'can't grumble too much'

Aww c'mon, this is AIBU, surely you can find something?

Make an effort, 'tis Christmas

Right YABU.

ALL OF YOU.

YABsoU it's making my fingers twitch.

I have spent £900 on food - DO YOU NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILIES???

Pity the children - what will they eat?

(Happy now ZigZag?)

I spent £1569 on boxes of coop (£1 a box) of brandy liqueurs.

Got three boxes left (they weren't half nice though ) (and I did buy the DDs a small packet of white buttons each) (only because I don't like white choc and they have a chance of survival)

IABVU - I've spent hundreds on presents but only did a £40 food shop

There is only myself and DS though so it really is plenty!

We stopped buying for adult siblings & their partners years ago. There are far too many. Have spent about £150.00 each on four sons and their partners and about the same each on three grandchilden. Nieces/nephews get £5-£10 depending on age. MIL about £40.00 OH has done REALLY well this year...about £200.00. Thank goodness for my Christmas bonus... Food & drink NOT included.lol

I'd be scared to add it up, the shock would probably kill me.

Every year I promise myself we'll reign it in but I don't seem to do understated well

Presents: DC £250, DH £50, Parents and MIL: £150, Godchildren, etc: £100 (10x£10), tips for tradesmen £70, odd box of chocs/bottle of wine for people who have helped us £50.00

Cards 130 - probably £130 including postage.

Food - probably an extra £250.00

Trees and Decs - £225

That's £1,375.

Good grief, I've said a thousand times on here that we don't go mad!

Been well stingy here. Did Christmas club with Tesco all last year and then waited til double up points and got all FC/kids toys/ nephew and nieces there/wine. That helped a lot. However Tescos can't do everyone [though I tried!].
Tried to do 10- 15 pounds max per family member. Big family. Worried not spent enough on some friends who look as if spent lot on us as I nervously look under the tree at flashy parcels.
Money is tight and I need to go to the dentists and optician in the new year!

This year:
£200 on DH
£200(ish) on DD. She was 1 on 18th Dec, so also got presents then
£700 on DTS's aged 23-BUT the main bulk of this, was payment for them to come with us to a hotel over Xmas-plus some tops, aftershave. DH paid for us, and thankfully, DD goes free.
£60 on MIL & FIL-I always buy them my own separate present from DH
£30 each on DSS x 2 and DSD
£20-25 each on x5 DN and DN-my sis and I have now from this year, stopped buying for each other
I don't have any other adults to buy for as my parents are dead and my extended family is not close-in fact, fractured
I don't rein in, or have set budgets for people. I buy what I think they would like/I want to get them.

Maybe about £50 - £60 on DCs (4 and 2) - it's more about size and quantity rather than cost though :)

Family - our parents, anything between £15 and £30 (would aim to spend about £15 but happily pay a bit more if needed as I always have the "what to get them, what to get them" thing). Our GPs - about £15, sort of £17/18 max. Same for others - cousins etc. Think we spend a bit more on DH's brother and his wife.
Like I said it tends to vary - if we're struggling to think of something then if the 'right' thing comes along we'll pay more. But it works the other way - if we've bought the right thing for less we don't go out and make up the difference.
Don't patticularly buy each other anything, other than to make sure we have something to open in front of the DCs. This year I have got DH some pate and jam, think it was £7 in total, he has got me 2 books (he doesn't know it yet!) for £7 too.

skybluepearl can you make me a car as it would be the ideal present for my 18 year old DS!

Spent about £200-£300 on each of my 3 DSs presents and the bill at the checkout in Asda was over £300 on Thursday. But no-one else apart from my DB gets my boys anything as we don't have a large family whose kids get loads of presents from others do.

Let's see... roughly £25 each on myself and DH for gifts for each other. Then about £40-50 each for DS2(5) and DS3(2), and £20 each for DS1(27), DIL, & DD(25). £20 each for DGS1 and DGS2. £20 on MIL. £5 on a family friend. £25 on cards/postage. £3 on dog. Food shop was an additional £40 on top of the normal shop.

Dh & I don't give each other Christmas presents
Ds 1 £ 200
Ds 3 £ 50
DD 1 £ 50
Ds 4 £000 . He will enjoy the wrapping paper and the noise
Mum £10
Mil £ 5
Food £ 60 extra
Nursery £10

We've been tight careful this year as hopefully we're moving in Spring so are saving for solicitor fees etc.

So: £50 on DH
£50 on dd inc pajamas and stuff she needs anyway
£15 each on 4 neices/nephews
£10 each on my parents
£10 on my sister
Homemade stuff for DH's family (he is one of 4)
Going to MIL's so only taking nice 'extras', so £50 ish on booze etc.
£100 on travel: fuel and ferries.

I've been to the butchers this morning to pick up our beef for Christmas, came to £79!! I was a bit taken aback!!

Far, far too much! But I am a big kid at Christmas love Christmas, and we save all year for it, so as it's all our own money, I don't feel bad, we both work hard for it!

Dh about £300
Me about £300
DS about £300
DM £80
DF £80
DB £50
DSiL £50

Tree and decs £60

Food and drink £400 (we have lots to feed!)

Cards and postage £150

Breakfast with Santa £30

Pantomime £60

We had years of scrimping and saving early in our marriage so now we are comfortable and have DS, I love all the fuss and excitement don't mind spending our money on Christmas

£100 each for me and DH. I choose my own present - a winter coat and a pair of trainers, I really needed them so it's not luxury.

For children, about £70 each including chocolate/stocking.

MIL and friends - probably about £50 in total.

We have one 'joint' present for them and a few smaller presents, some bought from ebay second hand (a puppet theatre) and others are new (a tardis??).

We spent £25 pounds on tree and decoration

Food is about £150 for four adults and two children.
We went to see Santa for free (at Westfield in Stratford).
Plus cards and postage probably £15 in total.

It's a lot really when I think about it...