£20 Christmas

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We're doing a £20 Christmas in our family this year. The idea is that you can only spend £20 per person. It's a bit of a challenge, makes you think very carefully about what to get, plus helps keep it affordable.

Purchasing for 5 adults and a 13 y/o boy.

Keeping an eye out for bargains!

That's what we spend every year lol

What kind of things do you buy?

That's our budget for family members as well. So far I have bought the mr and mrs board game for £10 for SIL/BIL.

Great idea! I'm sticking to a £20 pp budget this year too. Boots were doing a good 3 for 2 offer on nice smellies at the weekend so I stocked up for SIL and a friend

DDad gets a jigsaw, DMum will get something to grow (plant of some description), DFIL most likely an iTunes voucher, DMIL whatever she asks for - sometimes a cd, book or something for the kitchen. DSIS/SIL/BIL get things like board games (they all host game nights), restaurant vouchers, cinema vouchers, etc. Last year we got a 3 month subscription to the spicery (curry subscription service). That kinda thing. All bulked out with beer, wine or chocolate (or all 3) to reach the budget. The DNiece(8) will get a toy based on her latest interest. DNan will get a homemade food item (cake, biscuits etc) as she does like money being spent on her plus this will be her first Christmas in a carehome

That should be doesn't like, nor does like lol. DNan prefers "presence over presents" as she puts it

We quite have a budget for Christmas too: saving £20 per month from January to December and then use that for gifts. But if I happen to see something nice in July that makes me think of a certain person I'll just buy it and save it for Christmas

We do a Secret Santa with a £25 limit, can't remember everything from last year but I got 3 books I had been wanting, DH got a graphic novel (because he's a big kid) DSiL got a running top, DMum got a couple of bits from Betty's, DDad got a cigar. Overall it worked really well.

Outside immediate family. I am doing this.
This is my haul so far

Lulu Gunness double make bag. 11.25 in the sale, plus earrings and bracelet 80% off at Lisa Angel for Best friend

Lisa Angel scarf 4.50 shopper, tea towel, pad, mug, wipes in (blue tit design her favourite bird) 6.50 at giftsdotcom sale. audio cd novel 7.00 and I will get her some chocolates near the time for MIL

Lulu Gunness vanity case 19.50 (reduced from 65.00) for fashion conscious, childless SIL

Nerf and Nerf rebelle came to 15.00 from home bargain for 9 and 10 nice and nephew. Will divide the remaining 25.00 on a stocking contents from giftsdotcom and Tiger as the parents are not English and the kids love a stocking.

Star wars pencil case and rubber on M&S sale. 4 quid. Pencils and puzzles frpm dotcomgifts sale 2 quid. Lego packet 4.50. Wubble Bubble 10.00 from Home Bargains for godson he will be 6.

We do about 10-20 pounds per adult and about 30-40 each for children. I normally do wine and/or chocs for the adults, plus some little gifty bits and pieces - books, jewellery, etc., normally from sales or Book People. We've switched to most of the main point of presents being for the small people I tend not to be able to think of anything I want much anyway that I wouldn't prefer to buy for myself!

I tend to buy in sales throughout the year so the £20 gets quite good value. Various places like M&S do good discounts on Christmas chocolates if you buy early in the season and catch them at the right time, e.g. 50% off so a £10 box is only £5. I also often get a case of 6 or 12 x prosecco on a good discount and use them for loads of people, including staff at work and nursery staff and so on.

So for my SIL for example, last year I got a bottle of prosecco for just less than £10, plus a box of M&S chocolates when they did them half price for £5, plus some little bits and pieces - a tree decoration, a book of postcards she wanted from The Book People, and a Superdrug bath bomb for £1.

Other years I've had success with nice but inexpensive costume jewellery from places like Lisa Angel or some of the vintage/arty/craft boutique shops in town; or asking what luxury item of makeup like a fancy mascara they would like; and so on.

That's what we spend every year lol
Same, although often we end up finding something the person would love for £10-15.
As a childless couple we tend to spend quite a bit on presents for each other. This year we are going to be more restrained and start with £200 and whatever's left will be split into 2 to spend on each other. I've already started lists and will be buying soon!

Try eBay for unusual gifts. A few years ago I bid on a Roman coin for DH - I was willing to go much higher but got it for £5! It's worth a lot more and was a very successful gift, DH is an ancient history buff so it went down really well.