How much do you spend on Christmas and how many do you buy for?

[onedayatatime73]

Every year I go mad a Christmas just because I live Christmas. But I spend more than I can afford and every Boxing Day I feel sick that it was all a bit of a waste and no one really cares about all the "extra" things I stupidly bought and I start panicking about all the credit cards I will spend the year paying off.
So how do you find a way of being sensible about it?
I am well aware that for some people this will sound like an inappropriate question because some some people buying anything at all is hugely stressful. So I don't mean to sound glib in my question. But I do need help in finding a more sensible way forward.
I usually start shopping in July and have stopped this year for the very reason that I just start buying stuff that people don't want or really like just because I like the buying part of it.
I just don't want another January of feeling awful about myself for spending money that would be so better spent on other things.
I tried one of those spending Apps and found it so laborious I gave up.
Has anyone experienced and conquered this?
I have a huge family so I need to find a way of making this work somehow
Sorry for long post

DD - between £100 to £200

DH - £50

Parents and parents in law -£40

Other adults in family (12 of them) - £15/ £20

Other children in family (5 of them) - £25/£30

Cat - £5

We make a budget and try to stick to it.

My mum £50
In laws £20/30
Nieces and nephews £25 each (6 of them aged 3-10)
Godsons £10 each (3 of them)
Teachers (sometimes) £5 each
Dh£60
Aunties £30 in total
DC £300 each
My best friend £10

Also give what we can afford to donate to food bank and Mary's meals etc

Also have my mum, one godson, my best friend, mother in law, dh and ds who have birthdays right next to Christmas which isn't the best!!!

I set a budget and that is it - I can't afford to go above it - we are on low income. I have saved throughout the year. My girls are both getting £180 (though dd1 will likely get more and dd2 less - dd1 is a teen and dd2 is a toddler and getting a wooden kitchen and bits for it, a keyboard and easel). DH and I will spend between £20 and £50 on each other depending on funds in December - but whatever limit we agree on we stick to. We have saved nectar points which will pay for the turkey and coppers get saved and that pays for the veg! Oh and from about August I put one extra item in the shopping trolley (stuffing, sausage in bacon for the freezer, Pringles etc) so there isn't a massive food bill to pay at Christmas (though it is only us four at Christmas - we like a quiet relaxing family day) and we can have treats without worrying too much about it.

Mum
Dad
Stepmum
Sister

• all have something made.

Niece and nephew have something made and some silly bits like stationery (can't be too big as it has to be posted to Australia).

DH about 20/30€ same spent on me (mostly a token something as A we both work and buy whatever we want/need and B it is good DS sees us give each other gifts).

DS about 100-150€. He will be 5 this year and his birthday is also in December. He has a ton of toys and doesn't need much really.

I make things for friends and family (tree decs and the like).

Food is about €100 for extra stuff we don't have the rest of the year, like wine and fancy ingredients- and chocolate but mostly lunch is a glorified roast.

We don't do teacher gifts. I'll make biscuits for immediate neighbours the ones i like

We never use our credit card or go into debt, the thought makes me feel sick.

I think writing a list of everyone you are buying for, including a budget and gift idea is the best way forward. I have seen so many bargains this year but I only buy them if its something i would buy at full price. I know its easy to over spend at christmas and I also love buying gifts for others but its definitely not worth you getting into debt.

I thought I spend a lot but not according to this thread! I write a list of everyone I need to buy for and a budget for them and then pick something within that budget.

DH - £80 (usually spend more but have been on maternity for most of this year so neither of us has much spare cash!)
DS - £25 (DH will double that so overall £50)
DCats - £2.50 (DH will double)
Goddaughter - £15
Parents and step-parents X 4 - £20 each
Pair of grandparents X 2 - £20 each
Single grandparent - £15
Aunt and uncle - £15
Brothers X 3 - £20 each
Couple friends X 3 - £10 each
Single friends X 2 - £7 each
Parents cats - £5

Will be using Amex points to reduce the spend a bit so I have worked out my overall budget is £326.50. Don't use credit cards or overdrafts for Christmas so that will take me down to skint for January

DH us in charge of his family.

Budget is...
Parents - £10-20 (x3 MIL is widowed)

DH - £50-100

DS - £50-100

Family secret santa - £30-50

Stockings for DS and DH included in those costs

Usually everything is at the lower end of those ranges and I bargain hunt through the year.

Actual spend so far...
Parent 1 - £5 but perfect
Parent 2 - Free but will add biscuits
MIL - £20
DS - £10, will add another £10 gift and a new bike
DH - £40 with some stocking stuff to get
Secret Santa thing - £35 (I think) with a couple of small things to add

We'll spend a small fortune on food and drink though.

And DH will also spend 2x£20 on his two best mates and £50-100 on me

10 family adults £10-20
2xnephews £25
DS (working) £200
DD £300
DH £100
1 friend and her dc £10 each
Plus we host a big family party.

Not a penny goes on credit cards though.

Wow I am amazed at how many people buy for!
3 x parents - about 30 each - more a token than anything as they have everything.
Dh - about 100 usually less
Ds - has been about 150 includes santa - but he wants an xbox this year so it will be about 300.
Sil and bil - this gets my goat as I don't buy for my bros and sisters but about 20 - usually joint
Nephew x 2 - about 30 between
Godchild - 40
Granny - token about 10

I never get myself into debt and refuse to have a credit card. As much as I love Christmas it is only one day and I still enjoy it, my DS thinks he gets loads off Santa - 5/6 gifts and that's all that matters!

Write a list of all the people you are buying for and separate according to which side if the family they belong (you or DH) with adults and children separate and how much your budget is beside their names. I do this for everyone except DH and DC's. For them there is a separate list with everything I intend to buy then I start in October to spread the cost.

DP- About £300
DM- About £150
Dog- About £50

ILs- About £200 between them
DH's brother and sister: About £15 (bottle of wine/spirit and some chocs)

DH's nieces and nephews- £20 voucher each

We normally spend about £1000 on food and drink but that's for the whole of December.

i think we spend quite a lot TBH
DH £100-150
2x DC probably £100-150 each depending on what they want
PILs £100
£15 on 6 nieces/nephews (no longer get them birthday presents though as they are ungrateful millennial wretches of 18-22). I don't buy for my siblings though.
BIL + wife £50
SIL - £25
5 assorted extended family adults - £10 each

we have the only young DC in the extended family, so our DC frequently get birthday presents, Easter eggs etc from distant relatives, so we like to remember them at Christmas.

two saving graces though - firstly, we can afford it. No credit cards involved. Secondly, DH's and the DC presents are at least partly made up with stuff they need - new clothes, things for hobbies, stationery/toiletries - that would otherwise come from the household budget at various points during the year.

We buy for 7 people on dhs side including 2 children and 4 on my side , we roughly budget £50 per adult except one of my sisters and my mum who get whatever spent in them ( last year dsis had about £200 spent on her) . DH and I don't buy for each other at all , we have two DC (17. & 23) and they don't have a fixed budget . Both of my DC buy for everyone on my side of the family and dhs mum with their own money . I bought my first present this weekend but do the bulk of my shopping in one or two days in November / December . I reckon I generally spend about £2-3000 , depending on what I have bought the DC but I've never actually added it up . Dog gets about £40 on presents from me and DC .

Should have said no credit cards or debt involved in our Christmas spending .

Truthfully I hate buying for adults not so much actually parting with cash for them more I hate trying to think up ideas for people who don't need anything or who would prefer to pick their own clothes. So we cut out siblings as soon as they have kids.

Parents 4x £50
Nieces / Nephews 4x £35
Friends kids 4x £20
DS £150, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on needs / wants.
DH £70, more / less.

I think you have to decide what you can afford and split your budget accordingly. If I didn't have the cash I would not spend as much. It would also depress the hell out of me to get a bill in January knowing I couldn't afford to pay it off and that I'd bought stuff that people didn't really need or want.

Op we had a very lean year to give us a chance to save up for the following year. So one whole year we had three nights away by the sea, and cut back on everything, and started to save for everything.

Two years on and we are in a better position, although I still go over sometimes.

So every month we put money away for all our needs but do it separately, ie one for xmas, one for hols and so on.

i also find TK a god send for gifts.

re nieces and nephews I wouldnt feel too obligated to buy loads for them. Children really do adore having money! A tenner in a card is a good gift!

DH and I don't buy for each other at all

neither do we and its fine

I bought the majority on the black Friday weekend last year and saved a fortune. Iirc everything was discounted.

I used to spend loads of time throughout the year carefully choosing lovely gifts I knew the recipient would love, but in the sales or at a fraction of the price so that I got much more for my money. Used to spend about 300 in total on family, DH, and various friends and friends' children - probably about £35-40 each on parents, £20 on siblings, £30 on nieces and nephews, £15 on aged gran (has dementia and in care home so doesn't need or want much any more apart from toiletries ), and about £5-10 each on a few friends and neighbours.

Until last year, when my grumpy old Dad, who's having some kind of life crisis which makes him a giant miserly old pain in the bum, complained loudly all Christmas that "everyone" thought that I was spending far too much on presents for people. (I'd had a bad year and had really been looking forward to Christmas and this really spoilt it. Plus I really hadn't spent a lot of money, just been really careful buying!) So this year all the family are getting a bottle of wine and some chocs, all bought when they were on half price, £20 or £10 in total each, and they'll like it or lump it. . And I've already bought them using various store vouchers and points I've collected throughout the year, so I've not only more than halved my spend, but also significantly freed up all that time I used to waste spend on sourcing presents for the lot of them Maybe next year they will appreciate them a bit more...

So that means so far I've spent £20 each on my parents, £10 each on siblings, and £20 each on nieces and nephews (but everything bought at at least half price so that's more like £40 each RRP). All these are on Tesco/Nectar points. £15 as usual on gran; from Boots so I used Advantage points, plus about £15 on MIL, on a Boots 3 for 2 so got some extra stuff free for a friend. DH and I get something token for each other, so no more than £20 or £30 at the most; and he gets a main present for MIL.

Then I have got only a few token things for friends' small children - they're all under 5 so I find it easy to pick up nice things cheaply. This time of year The Works have children's Christmas books on their 10 for £10 offer like Alfie's Christmas and so on, which are normally about £5-7 full price, so I pick up a stock of those and then give them as toddler presents with a chocolate Santa or some choc coins - makes for a nice small gift that only costs a couple of pounds! I also keep an eye on Tiger, Book People flash sales and Dotcomgiftshop throughout the year - you can pick up some lovely things (cookie cutters, books, stationery, lunch bags, craft sets and games - for a couple of pounds in their sales). I even picked up a stash of Merry Christmas bunnies in JoJo last January for 50p each reduced from about £4 - great for babies and toddlers this Christmas. Team with a choc figure from Tesco, Aldi or Tiger and job's a good 'un!

I reckon so far all in all I might get away with spending less than £100-£150 this year on family, DH and friends - then I usually spend about £150 on DD, including stocking. This year it might be a bit more, as I think she would love some Playmags and they are expensive - but I reckon I can justify it from the savings on family presents

Way...I've had this too 😞😡
Spending ages picking out thoughtful gifts or sourcing hard to find no longer made things
No more.
I'm so fed up of getting a box of debated Chocs that I don't even like. Or more opaque tights I'm looking at you mil! or something obv picked in haste in boots 3 for 2...
Dhs very rich aunt has great form for giving me free gifts from cosmetic counters and chipped glassware from boots sales...
This year we are not buying for adults at all
It feels rather freeing :)

Dhs very rich aunt has great form for giving me free gifts from cosmetic counters and chipped glassware from boots sales...

^^ at least thats HIS aunt, not yours.

my dc have two extremely well of aunts and they give diddly squat. It breaks them to squeeze out a decent gift, we have had free toy given with a car, pack of pencils from a flight! Last year she had the nerve and temerity to hand over a book with the front page ripped off - where she had tried to get rid of the discount sticker.

I felt like beating her round the head with it no dc of her own, very well off.

Humid...I used to make such an effort with her gifts.
No more.
What's the point?
This is the same aunt who on my 40 th b day gave me a used jar of boots wrinkle cream! 😀