Am I Scrooge? How much does everyone else end up spending on Xmas presents

[Klara]

From reading some of the threads below, and stuff in the press this week that we are apparently all going to spend 350-400 quid on Xmas presents each...I'm begining to wonder if we are a bit mean in our house.

DH - usually gets a book, scarf, jumper or similar (impossible to buy for - quote

If DH and I each spent £350 that would be £700 total? No, we aren't spending that much!

Don't think you need to care what others spend.

I think also that i really dont want the boys associating Xmas with "getting lots of stuff". That's hard as granny and grandad etc want to spoil them - and to be fair that's their indulgence as grandparents if they want to, but I have asked them not to go too overboard.
We live in HOlland and Christmas is not much about presents here, and the children get one thing on Sinterklaas on the 4th dec which I enjoy alot more.
Tough one as this year they will bein the UK for Xmas so will get twice the whack - here on the 4th and there on the 25th.....

I will probably spend about 150 quid on DH, have to say we've spent about a couple of hundred on DD which is probably a little OTT but i'm not really bothered, only other person i buy for is my mum, sister and family will get a box of biscuits

spend round £200 each on our ds's
normally spend same on dh but were having our bedroom done so spending bout £40 each on each other
i get extra present as its my birthday

Have spent about £180 on dh (new digital camera) and he will no doubt end up with a bottle of Whisky as well, so maybe £200 all in.
Probably about £80 on ds
About £20 each on the grandparents (x4) and my brother
£10-£15 on my grandmother
Maybe £30 altogether on small presents for friends children/oxfam unwrapped thing for ds's teacher.

So I suppose it is just over £400 all in this year, although we don't usually get anything as expensive as the camera so it's more than we'd usually spend. But that's for the whole family, becasue I don't suppose dh will actually buy much if anything.

No, I am Scrooge.

i must be a skinflint

Last year i spent £4000, but that did include a weeks ski holiday in lapland, this year it will be much much less as im broke.

So about £200 on each child (have 2)
£150 on DH1
£150 on my new partner
£100 on my mom
£100 on my sis
Then little things for great aunt and uncle's.
Got most of it already start shopping in September get something everyweek and spread the cost.

i am a skinflint too....unfortunatly

Both DP and I have birthdays b4 crimbo which we do cheaoly and then, aside form one present to each other from the boys, we don't have our xmas then. We do ours in Jan/feb when the sales are on This year the boys have a few little bits and a 'big' present that i managed to get cheapky thanks to MN (the bubble game thingy) and a dvd (cars-using voucher earnt thru online surveys) and game (hungry hippos-on offer at woolies) between them.

am shocked at how much people spend

I reckon I'm spending £63 on DS and probably about £40 on DD

DH will get something about £10 and I'll get similar... All my family .. parents, siblings (3), their children (7) will on average get £10 each so that's £120 and we've managed to stop buying for DH's side

so actually spending £220 or thereabouts which I feel is too much

I spend about £1,000 on presents - including tips!

I don't host christmas though - I'm sure that is expensive to do

also, i don;t 'do' cards unless i have the stuff in already to make them which i don't this year 9craft taken a backseat due to lack of funds) i also don't do many other people, my mum and sis, DPs mum and borthers, they all get something small, anyone else gets a selection box as they are always in offers

I have spent hundreds on DD this year but it's only her second and I know I can get away with it, once she turns 3 and understands what presents are then she'll get far far less, just want to spoil her now before she realises she's being spoiled - make sense?

Am spending £300 on hubbies pressie this year, normally nowhere near that, but it's a practical pressie that he actually really needs so that makes it seem better. I always spoil my mum, and then token presents for my friends children. I buy my own present from hubby, which I got today, which was D&G perfume for £23, so made a saving there

This week I also joined Worldvision and sponsored a child from Chile, so that will end up being a very expensive present, but, I would imagine, one of the most worthwhile x

We spend about £600 at Christmas, but we have 25 people to buy for including each other.

I start saving in January.

I really don't mind, though, as I'd rather have loads of people to buy for than no family left.

And if we didn't have any money one year there'd be no pressure.

I don;t think you are "mean" - you can see from this thread already that the amount people spend varies hugely.

I hate the whole gift thing where you go into Boots and aisle after aisle is full of teh kind of presents people buy others when they feel they "have" to buy a present but have no idea what to get. It's ridiculous.

In total we will spend about £300, which is ample as far as I'm concerned.

I would love to be able to make presents, but I am utterly hopeless on the creative front.

my breakdown of money is v si,ilar o twigletts

i cant velieve hpw much everyone spends on dh

Sometimes I spend a lot on dh, sometimes I don't. It depends whether there's something we need or not. So a couple of years ago our camera died so I bought him a digital one. Quite pricey. Last year I bought him some tools for £17.99.

I got a necklace last year that probably cost £30-40. This year I am dropping very heavy hints about a laptop (for studies of course ).

Mr Brastraps - if you're lurking....

yeah, popsy! me too. Token gesture suffices here. Pretty half hearted gesture at that.

Dare not admit how much we spend - its not very much at all

I have spent 65 quid on ds
and 60 quid on dd.And thats it too...that includes stocking fillers and bits and bobs

I overheard a conversation today in the playground where one of the mums said to the other ' i mean you have to spend at least 250 quid on em don't you? ...What can you get for 100 pounds?? Nothing!!'

I slunk away scrooge-like into the shadows !!

Really?
I feel smugly superior when people go on about how much they spend on their children.
Vulgar