How much does christmas cost you?

[Bedtime1]

How much do you spend on gifts for family and friends, kids . And then christmas food, buffets, christmas decor. How much will you spend in total for everything .

No more then £1000 for 3dc and 11/12 other presents.

Food about £60 on gammon and beef - but I will slice up on a meat slicer so we will have beef and gammon for sandwiches for about 3 months. We don't tend to go overboard on food and drink as we don't tend to eat any more over Christmas then we do any other time of year.

About £500 at a guess.
That's for gifts, all the gift wrap etc and food.

I spend approx £500 but that is spread throughout the year, we don't spend a lot per head but use special offers, bargain hunt so the present value is usually a fair bit more. £100 out of that on Christmas food and catering for our boxing day party.

Probably spend another £150 on Christmas trips out (usually do a combined one for my birthday just before), new clothes and a new tree decoration.

I love Christmas and work hard all year to keep within our budget as it does have to stretch far, lots of people to buy for and 3 dc.

Last year spent quite a lot on decorations as it was our first ever christmas in our new house. (My parents old tree, but about £200 on decorations - they will be all reused this year.
Couple of hundred on Seasonal food,(to nibble on over a fortnight) Xmas day lunch (cooked at home) and drinks and chocs.
Will probably spend a couple of hundred on DS, about £80 on DP and £20 on MIL. so about £600.

That was £600 last year, will be about £400 this year. We live in France, so no local family and the french do not go Xmas crazy the way they do in the UK, also they don't send cards.

We spend about 1500 - 1700 on presents, 2 DC and big family.

About 500 on daytrips and meals out over the Christmas period.

Maybe 150 - 200 on new clothes.

Reuse decorations and generally have Christmas and Boxing Day at my parents so don't buy any food.

I save Nectar Points all year for Christmas food - last year I paid £3.16 for our Christmas food shop.

I budget £40 per child for stockings and £100 for one big present. Sometimes its a bit more than that, but mainly its less, so 3 DC's is £420 altogether. It will be less this year as Ds2 and DD want cheaper things. Then another £50 on new pyjamas and slippers.

DH and I dont buy each other presents, but I buy for 5 other people, so I will budget £150 for that. DH buys for his family, again 5 people, but he probably spends less - closer to £100.

I lost my spreadsheet showing what I'd already spent when I changed phones last week - but oh well I may feel better off not knowing ggr how much I've spent lol!

As a guess:
On presents: about £600 total on the kids (one of them has an expensive hobby and needs new stuff for that)
Hubby £50
About £150 on everyone else
No additional for food shopping-if anything it goes down! (we have Xmas dinner at family's house)
Or decorations as will just reuse last years.
£100-£200 for Xmas days out - planning on panto and maybe paultons park Xmas day out.
So all in all about £1000.too much imo but never seem able to cut it down.at least a lot of my shopping is done.

The big gifts of 'Tablets' for children sorted ( 2 from Aldi for £80 each)
They have wanted them for two years now, so I think they will be happy.
Lots of little things stashed away over the year.
About £100 extra on food.
It'll be less than £500. Nearer £300 if I can manage it.
Just no money in the pot this year.
Any extra I can squeeze will be doing Christmassy trips out if possible.

About £100-120 for tree and presents. About £300 on food and wine, as we like to do special meals Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day, as well as NYE. Priorities :)

All in all, well under £500, but it will just be the four of us, and DH and I don't get gifts for each other.

£100 each on 4 DC for main present plus £15 stocking each plus a book each so say £500 . £100 for DH and MIL . £50 each for 2DGC . £150 on extended family presents. £15 wrapping paper. £50 cards and postage. £ 50 to theme my grotto ( sun room that we have large Christmas lunch in for 10. ) I always repaint it and this year I am doing a retro theme with paper chains and concertina balls . £50 tree. £200 food and drink to feed family.
Blimey that's a lot . Probably £1400 . Oh round it up to £1500. But...but.. It's worth it.

Gifts wise it's going to end up around £400 I expect - I buy for DH, DD and 22 others but buy throughout the year and hunt out bargains and discounts so get much more for the money iyswim.

Cards and wrap around £25

Decorations we reuse, but I usually see something I can't live without like and this year we need new lights so am thinking maybe £25 there

Food shop is £50 if I do it, £100 if DH does as he tends to go way overboard on things like Pringles!

This year want to take DD to Thomas Land with friends and the panto so can kiss goodbye to another £150 there I expect with petrol etc.

All in am looking at £650 - £700. Plus whatever DH decides to spend on me of course!

I would hate to pin down costs .

hides head in sand

However, we do not buy for family anymore, they get calendars instead, of children.

we rarely buy for each other, instead may put some photos into photo book, things like that. Joint stuff for us as a family.

The children I start to buy for in August Sales, picking up bits and pieces throughout the year.

I am nearly done for xmas this year! Only two children to buy for is our main expense.

I save up nectar points for our tree from Homebase, we have £25 thus far and tree is usually £40.

Food not that pricey, but this year I have splurged on some tickets to Christmas theatre.

Gifts -
3DC's: £900
Family: £300
DH and I: £300
Friends kids/Work/Neighbours £180

Advent Calendar: £40
Visit to Father Christmas: £22.50
Weekend to Christmas Market: £800
Christmas Eve Hamper: £120 (includes new PJ's for all)
Christmas Eve meal out: £100
Food: £200
Drink: £140
Decorations: £30
Tree: £50
Cards/Wrap: £20
Nights out: £200

A disgusting amount when it is all written down. I am starting to think the bargain thread is leading me astray!

Gosh Christmas is expensive .

I have spent roughly £600 on family
Sil x2 and partners £85
Mil and fil £125 between then - it's a lot but they are helpful and generous to us
Mum and partner - £80
Sister - £65 - always spent alot
5x Nieces and nephews - £125
My cousins kids x3 gift vouch £10 each so £30
GrandmA - £30
Friend who lives on her own with no family. She's 80 . Spoil her so gone a bit overboard probably £60

Can I ask why some of you don't spend equal on mil and mums etc

Then we are having Christmas Day at mine and got buffets etc so all food, drinks needed. Ill probably m and s it. So probably £250ish

We will also need to buy new decorations etc as moving house so not sure how much there. Then there's cards and gift wrap etc.

What do you spend on family members individually? We don't have kids but I can imagine if we did it would be going in to alot more money , days out to see Santa etc , Littke festive treats, clothes . Then there's kids friends presents, cards etc how do you do it then ?

Used to spend £500 on husband but now we are moving it won't be the same . It will be less and we like to spoil the dog.

£500 max on presents 10 people
£100 on drinks Mil buys all the food.

£200 each child (less if I can get good bargains), £100 on Dh, £250 on all thr rest of the family and friends we buy gifts for. Going to my parents for Christmas dinner This year so will just stick a few luxuries in the trolley, like some buffet food for boxing day and new year for the 4 of us, so an extra £50 max.

So £600

I usually budget for about 2.5K for everything.
However it is going to be more this year because I am getting DS2 a bike and that is nearly £1,500 ( he is putting the rest towards it Thank God!!)

About £1000, that's for everything presents, food etc. I do bargain hunt during the year though for presents besides dc. DC I always do in December as they change their minds so much.

Crikey. I am tight then!

I would say probably £150 of 3 DCs. They don't want expensive presents yet (they got Hudl tablets last year but used Tesco vouchers and split the cost with my parents). Little, cheap stocking fillers, a few bits and bobs clothes-wise. OK, maybe £200 at the absolute max.

H & I usually buy something for the house - as a combined gift to ourselves. Maybe £50.

Other relatives - 2 sets of parents / 3 siblings & 3 partners / 2 nephews / 2 cousins / 1 godchild. Maybe £100 in total.

Real tree - have got the IKEA tree for the last 2 years, £25 but you get a £20 voucher to spend in January. Have lasted longer than any other trees we've had.

Buy Christmas cards / paper / tags in the January sales. Peanuts.

Bit of extra food but not massively extravagant and don't usually host (or if I do, my Mum brings the turkey and all the trimmings!). We just provide the alcohol - so maybe £100 or so on wine & beer.

So about £450 - £500. Everyone is entitled to "do" Christmas how they want, but £1000 on a child is really extravagant in my view - how do you top that each year? If you have more than one child, is that £1000 per child ?

Sweetsomethings Fucking hell. £1000 for one child?

I spend around £400 on DS. Roughly £50 for family... (all together, not separately.)

but £1000 on a child is really extravagant in my view - how do you top that each year? If you have more than one child, is that £1000 per chil

my old neighbors spent that in toys r us going round with shopping trolley, racked up in no time.

luckily we have no technology yet, keep holding off buying tablet, and wii etc, thats when it starts to rack up.

I know I've stated I'm spending a lot on DS2 (£1'500 towards his bike) but the point is I can afford it. I am paying half and he is paying half. And people are saying it is extravagant. I do have more than 1 child. The other child is having a £100 voucher and one aftershave.

It's not about how can I top it next year or trying to out do any one. This is why these threads are a bit pointless. I have stated my case several times on the thread asking if teenagers are more expensive than toddlers.

Last year I spent £70 on DS at Christmas and he was lucky to get that.

I think this is the first time ever I've thought properly about it!

Approx £300 on family and friends kids
Approximately £500 on presents for kids and dh and me to each other.
£60 on a real tree each year
£200 on food.
£120 ish on mine and dh's Christmas parties
£100 ish on costumes/ bits for kids shows
I usually go to Scotland to visit family/friends so at least another £200 on that.
Goodness, so around £1500 I expect.