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Christmas

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Original poster

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

52 replies

Klara · 16/11/2006 13:25

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

OP posts:
nikkie · 16/11/2006 20:09

Prob about £200-250 altogether this year.

nikkie · 16/11/2006 20:09

Prob about £200-250 altogether this year.

PeachyClair · 16/11/2006 20:16

Added together it's a lot but I have a big family, a fairer way to express it would be 10 - 15 for most gifts; my Mum and Dad got mroe (£50 between them)- they deserve it. For the kids its more like we choose their gifts then look for bargains, rather than going by price. I reckon about £110 each? But that's inclusive of main and that's a portable DVD for one and a (second hand ) GBA for ds2.

Skyler · 16/11/2006 20:18

I have ten close family members to buy for and then dh has another five so we have a £20 limit for them all. DD's have a £50 limit each and dh and I are spending £40 on each other. I will be sending lots of cards and spend money on luxury foodie bits and nice wine to make it a bit more special on the day though.
I think we spend too much but I have a large family and Christmas is very important to me. I also save for it throughout the year so my spending is guilt free from that point of view. It is interesting isn't it.

PeachyClair · 16/11/2006 20:20

Oh Dh gets a bottle of JD, supposedly something naughty but I have no idea what, and then things from the boys- Feeling CD, Mighty Boosh DVD and an Asda T Shirt. So it adds up. Usually he gets more, but we decided we'd rather buy the alkie and then make time to sit together and enjoy a drink on his nights off.

FioFio · 16/11/2006 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mustrunmore · 16/11/2006 20:27

I think we've spent around £150 total on pressies.
Thats £5 on each other, and then about £30 on ds1 and £10 on ds2. The other £100 is for 7 adults and 10 kids.
And funnily enough, we're about £150 overdrawn in our current account.

lapsedrunner · 16/11/2006 20:28

DS(4) is actually getting his birthday present (from Sep) that I never gave him. He got enough stuff from relatives that one more toy (Playmobile Roman Gallieon) just seemed at bit OTT. Guess I have to re-wrap it in Christmas paper .

Bucketsoffrozendinosaurs · 16/11/2006 20:34

We are spending £10 per adult and £15 per child so that works out as £205 in all plus me and DH and maybe a little bit extra on our kids. We're not hard up, just being sensible for the next couple of years because of our new mortgage and me being a SAHM.

Bucketsoffrozendinosaurs · 16/11/2006 20:45

LOL Lapsedrunner, that's practically theft! Nice one

ilovedolly · 16/11/2006 21:10

this year my sil and i confided in each other that neither have lots of cash and bargained what home made things we each would do - she does the lavender bags and sloe gin, i do the festive marmelade and cushion covers. think that will cut down on expenditure greatly (£5 a head?)

ilovedolly · 16/11/2006 21:11

obviously sloe gin not for the children

emmatom · 16/11/2006 21:21

A number of years ago, my large family decided we wouldn't buy the adults presents, just the children.

This was not a money decision, purely a 'oh god, what on earth can I get them' decision.

It used to be that Christmas was the time that you bought stuff you couldn't afford throughout the year, but in my circumstances, my family etc, if anybody wants something, they are able to go out and get it.

It is lovely not having the headache of trying to think of something for some auntie or uncle who has probably got everything anyway.

I and my family, get the pleasure from seeing my children open their presents. They get plenty. The rest of the pleasure comes from being with family, eating and drinking and old family traditions.

You should spend what you, individually, want and are able to.

PeachyClair · 16/11/2006 21:25

ilovedolly that sounds great

esp. sloe gin

We always spend what we can afford, there's no pressure. We were lucky this year tho coz my mum's gift was upgraded from basic (£50) to gorgeous (£200) as a result of supplier stovk problems- . Lucky old Mum! (Its a tent, BTW)

ilovedolly · 16/11/2006 21:53

yes my only fear is that as i am female the lavender bags will be my present and dh will get the gin.

octobermum · 17/11/2006 08:27

Probaly about £250 on dd for christmas and her birthday(end jan).

£20 per present for 3 cousins, sister her husband, brother and his wife. Dh's Brother, his girlfriend, my dad and his wife and my grandad.

£30 - £50 on my mum, mil and fil.

Don't buy for my aunt or sil as we only buy for children.

We don't tend to buy presents for each other as there is nothing either of us wants or needs and its just spending for the sake of it, we would rather spend money on our DD.

Original poster
Klara · 17/11/2006 09:46

wow - what alot of presents. I do like the idea of home made pressies - they mean so much. Two years ago we had a calendar from my bro which was pictures of the family - it was such a lovely present that it made me cry - so personal and so much effort had gone into making it on the computer. It's also a great pressie for grannies and grandpas.
I make quite alot of jam in the late summer and any surprise visitors often get presented with a jar as a small tolken gift - just cut out some festive fabric to put round the top so it looks all christmassy. Made some chutney this summer, so think that might get given away too as it's quite seasonal at this time of year and there is no way we are going to eat our way through 15 jars of plumy chutney!
Sorry to say my dh is rubbish at buying me gifts and as such I'd rather he just bought me anice book...he bought me a jumper three years ago in an extra extra large because "you're pregnant and need the extra room"...I cried - really!- it was like a tent. Needless to say I took it back to the shop to trade for a medium which was more than big enough - even allowing for the bump! Post that disaster he's kind of given up funnily enough.
think i might start a threat on that!
Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas...
klara

OP posts:
Original poster
Klara · 17/11/2006 09:47

oops - meant threaD!

OP posts:
HeadlessHorsewoman · 17/11/2006 10:43

Have just returned from the US where I bought a Martha Stewart magazine totally dedicated to gifts you can make - Homemade Holidays, I think was the title. Loads of lovely unusual ideas in there (good old Martha!). So much nicer than a cheap box of toiletries from Boots, and many of them easy to make - cookies always go down well. I don't like spending too much at Christmas - it takes the joy out of it if you overstratch yourself. I think it is far more important for a gift to be thoughtful and appropriate than expensive.

mousiemousie · 17/11/2006 12:43

I didn't realise I was at the top end of the spending scale

No wonder I struggle with paying for our holiday!

spinamum · 17/11/2006 13:39

Reading this thread with interest as I'm off to do ALL my xmas shopping tommorrow in one hopefully sucessful trip to Brum. I have decided to try to spend as little as poss on pressies(but try to get stuff people would actually want/like) as I'm about to go on Mat leave and we're having an extension built. My DH's family specialise in lots and lots of suff to show how much they care,but never anything useful(how ungrateful do i sound?)I have decied not to tow the party line and buy them ONE present each. I recently have DH's birthday and despite trying to be sensible with present, by the time I'd bought him a couple of things and paid for dinner out, I'd spent nearly £200 and he appeared to have received nothing IYKWIM! I have decided it's better to give one smallish present to everyone than try to give the impression of More Stuff=More love. DS will prob have about 30-40 quid spent on him and that will be for a globe (his current obssession) and a CD player for his bedroom for chill out time will I breastfeed DS2(due Xmas day) DS2 will have £5 spent on him(Rattle from Father Xmas)

spinamum · 17/11/2006 13:41

...oh and DS1 will be doing a lot of cookie making to satisfy the need for GPs to receive something "just from him".

WriggleJiggle · 17/11/2006 13:55

dd - £13 (£8 on baby musical instruments £5 truck from charity shop)
dh - £35 this year - ebay golfclub and a book)
Everyone else - £10-15 max each)

As children sometimes we had big presents (£50-£100), sometimes small presents (£10). It was never the same amount spent on each of us, and we never cared. PIL insist on spending same amount on all of their family, and will give cash to make up the amounts so they are equal .

spinasnowflake · 19/11/2006 12:51

Well,I didn't manage to do ALL my xmas shopping yesterday but quite a lot. Is it unreasonalbe to expect family/friends not to get too upset this year if their presents are a bit on the cheap side and not particularly inspiring? We usually spend first,worry about how much it's costing later. I'm really trying this year to work to a budget.
DH however has the idea that a little something for an aunt,uncle and two young(ish) cousins equates to over forty quid worth of stuff.(i spend £100 pounds on books for various babies and the books were on 3 for 2!And that was with me only going for books that were on 3 for 2 and no more than £6 each!)I might be sounding like a total tightarse, but I've got the combo of a list that's 40 people plus and the expectation that we'll spend £30 on each!!! Dh dosn't seem to think that buying kids pressie puts more stress on their families to buy back. And as we're due in five weeks, there's something a bit suspect about it!

I sound like such a scrooge. i'd love to buy all my friends a pressie, but i/they can't afford it.dh is a lovely generous man, but I have NO money.Sorry i'm ranting.

FrannyandZooey · 19/11/2006 13:11

I have 25 people to buy for, so yes it ends up being quite expensive, but we enjoy it

Dp and I spend quite a lot on one another - we don't spend a huge amount on ourselves throughout the year so Christmas is a time for treats

I spend a very small amount compared to what the rest of my family spend on us - but I am not going to stress about it - each person should spend what they think is right and that they want to afford, I think