How much is your Christmas budget?

[DrSausagedog]

I've decided to sit down and try to plan a rough Christmas budget later today, to hopefully keep me a bit on track with how much we spend over Christmas.

So far, I have already bought tickets to quite a few Christmas activities and days out so need to tot the total cost of those up, plus make a breakdown for gifts for everyone, Christmas Day food, drink, crackers etc as we have both sides of the family round, as well as other things such as any new decorations as its the small things that add up. Have I forgotten any other important spending categories?

Out of interest, does anyone else keep track in a similar way or has started a budget yet? I'd be very interested if anyone is happy to share and am happy to share mine later when it's completed.

I just realised my budget sounds ludicrous at over 2k but for me that is not about just Christmas day but the whole Christmas season and includes, panto, meal out, taxi's, a haircuts, a couple of birthdays over the period. I would also add that not all this is spent in hard cash, we use cashback sites for everything during the year and cash it in around now, plus careful use of vouchers (doubling up). I guess I spend for a couple of weeks about the same as I would spend on a reasonable summer holiday and the Christmas period for me is exactly that - a holiday. This thread is fascinating, I love a nosy into other peoples lives and how they do things, and I am glad it has remained friendly.

Ah nits I forgot Christmas dos.

(..... adds another £200 to the pot, considers whether she should have paid more attention to Martin Lewis )

About £1500 on kids gifts (between the 6 dcs) about £200 on adult dss. £15-20 each for my 2 nephews. £30 on my mum and her partner, £20 on my nan and grandad. £50 ish on extra food for Christmas. Me and dh will probably spend about £200 each for each other so £2240 ish in total. Started buying presents last January though so it has been spread out over the year

Yep I'm with you grumpyoldblonde. I am a cash backer, sale shopper, and points user, always get at least double the 'value' for what I buy, and this is the same as a summer holiday for me. As you say, fascinating to have an insight into others PoV.

It has to be under 1k all in. Last year was 930, so this year I'd like to beat that and get it lower.

I save nectar and boots points all year to spend at Christmas- these help quite a bit with stocking fillers and treaty food bits.

About £1000.
Mostly on presents for DC, parents, nephews, nieces and 1 friends DC.
Extra food and drinks for Christmas day and our big Boxing day party.
One pack of charity cards, wrap, crackers etc