Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

How much have you actually spent this year?

167 replies

Frankswife87 · 12/12/2018 22:37

Hi mumsnetters! I'm really sorry this has been asked so many times but how much have you spent on Christmas this year ? Have you actually sat down and went through your spending? I was inspired by reading the thread regarding the spending twitch we all get at Christmas and it made me laugh as I've had to force myself this week to stop buying unnecessary stuff for my dd's, I actually thought I was on plan with my budget for my dd's , oh how wrong could I have been I sat down and worked out I'd actually spent double my proposed budget per dd's! I'm actually discusted with myself but my DH told me that the dd's knever ask or get much during the year as we are always budgeting and have had such a bad run of luck this year Xmas Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
Frankswife87 · 12/12/2018 22:38

Please excuse the terrible grammar Mumsnet!

OP posts:
Original poster
Frankswife87 · 12/12/2018 22:43

My budget was £300 per DD, I've purchased clothes which were desperately needed in the gap sale, a new violin so we don't have to hire, DD has started collecting Victorian porcelain dolls which I purchased of eBay, a special edition evee Nintendo console plus various games, a teksta dog off Argos. My youngest DD has special needs so we have got her sensory toys, mr.tumble dvds, clothes.

OP posts:
mummyof2boys30 · 12/12/2018 23:22

I had a list in my phone but broke phone but I was more or less on track, 300 each DS. One slightly more as he has got more expensive books than his brother. Don't count clothes as presents here unless from other people

Original poster
Frankswife87 · 14/12/2018 00:10

That sounds like a good idea having a list on your phone, I may try it . I think I'm probably a bit old fashioned when it comes to present buying like my mum getting clothes for presents but luckily my girls absolutely love clothes shopping and my eldest DD is so smitten when she gets them Xmas Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Frankswife87 · 14/12/2018 00:13

I've just realised that we've ordered two separate meat hampers for Christmas from different butchers! DH thought he was helping and ordered it months ago and has only got around to telling me, just as well we have a chest freezer and love turkey! Blush

OP posts:
Oddsocksforeveryone · 14/12/2018 00:23

£355 for all 4 dc total. Haven't got stockings done and the littlest one could probably do with few more bits.
But DH lost his job end of last month so there won't be any crazy last minute shopping.
If I had the chance I would've spent more..

Oddsocksforeveryone · 14/12/2018 00:45

Actually I'm not sure what else I would get, the older 2 have boxes I've put together of things from Asia (Japan/Korea/China) snacks, stationary, bags, squishies, Plushies, keychains + more in the style of subscription boxes, with booklets I've made and printed myself. Also some Japanese candy kits. Parcels take a month or so to arrive so everything was ordered by October to be safe. Usborne books and activity books. Bath toys.
Littlest 2 have wooden toys and bath toys.
I havent thought about what to put in stockings yet.

Original poster
Frankswife87 · 14/12/2018 00:55

Oddsocks, sounds absolutely lovely what you have got! I'm sure the kids will love them. I've done my saving through park Christmas for the past two years and it's really helped us out, my DH was made redundant a few Christmas ago and I remember the absolute panick so we do park so the money doesn't get touched plus I'm also going to start saving with credit union as I will be less tempted to with draw the money. We have had a really bad run of luck this year and if we had not been putting money in to park Christmas I think we wouldn't be having Christmas.

OP posts:
Oddsocksforeveryone · 14/12/2018 06:23

I've heard of park, but never actually looked into it.
Yes the job loss was a shock, having the children's gifts bought in October really has taken the weight from December.
My children have an advent calendar that's been handed down a few generations, with a hand sized pocket for each day. This again luckily I had prepared for as I bought some lovely things in the sales after christmas last year, and for some reason bought all the christmas chocolates as soon as they were in Tesco. So although I've not got money free now, they've got some amazing things in the advent, elf post boxes, stickers, stamps, plush toys, post its, window stickers, chocolate Santa's/reindeer/lollies/coins etc.
Being prepared has really saved Christmas this year.

Pinky333777 · 14/12/2018 06:59

About £50.
The joys of first Christmases and first time grandparents wanting to indulge!
I will treasure this as my first and last cheap Xmas ever 😁

Shutupanddance1 · 14/12/2018 07:04

Probably around £500 when all in including husbands presents and food. I try and put an amount away every month towards Christmas and this year I’ve found it really helped. No panic or pressure, and looking forward to enjoying next 3 weeks.

My two DDs are both under 3 though so I’m enjoying the next few years of cheaper Xmas presents before they find that they can choose things themselves!

Mumto1miraclegirl · 14/12/2018 07:21

I'M NOT WORKING IT OUT!! (because I'm too scared to hehehe). No I'd say it's about £450 I've spent but my daughter's birthday is 2 days after Chrismas so that's included in that as i usually buy what's she's asked for (within reason) usually her one main present then the rest I buy I split between Xmas and bday. My hubby doesn't mind as he says I hardly spend during the year and he just leaves me to it hehe xx

Mummyilovejokes1 · 14/12/2018 07:32

About £700 on the two ds presents.
Am refusing to total the amount for friends and family as i hadnt realised we had spent that much on the ds's, infact im still.not sure where £700 has gone. I might try and total it again later just to be sure. We have included new clothes and underwear in that.
We go out for x mas dinner so not buying food or anything other than a normal shop over x mas so that will keep the cost down a bit.

ItWentInMyEye · 14/12/2018 07:32

A rough estimate would be about £600 but that includes 3 kids and quite a lot of adults. It's been worse in previous years, but my eyes have been opened since this July they each still had a bag of presents that hadn't looked at since Christmas 2017. No more little bits to bulk out their lot.

ItWentInMyEye · 14/12/2018 07:33

Also like above PP my son's birthday is just after Christmas.

OhTheRoses · 14/12/2018 07:34

£3k. Includes some big nights out, cards, trees and that we host and I'll serve about 54 main meals.

KeysHairbandNotepad · 14/12/2018 07:40

About £500. This includes presents for 3 children , gifts for adult family members and Christmas food. My daughter's birthday gift is also included.

NDNDNDND93 · 14/12/2018 07:42

About 3000k. That’s on 4 DC.

flapjackfairy · 14/12/2018 07:51

I think it will be around 1000 to 1200 in total . That includes hosting for 12 on christmas day and 10 people all through christmas and some for new yr.
So stockings and presents for all and then extra extended family and friends ( we are a large family ) plus drink and food so not bad really. I do buy throughout the yr in the sales and love a bargain and kids ( some adult some little ) have had about 70 pounds each I would say .

HRTpatch · 14/12/2018 07:53

Gifts about £2000 .
No food needed as we are going away for a few days.

Madeline88 · 14/12/2018 07:58

Probably about 400 pounds but that’s for everything, me, DP, dd, grandparents plus secret Santa gifts with siblings.

ArtisanPopcorn · 14/12/2018 07:58

Holy moly I need to up my game! Grin DD is only 4.5 and hasn't yet fully embraced the grabbiness of Christmas yet so I'm making the most of it. Spent £15-£20ish each on nieces and nephews but they are all under 5 too. Not hosting and only getting a couple of adults presents.

SilverLlama · 14/12/2018 08:15

£793 on presents (2 teens, one toddler, dp, mum and nan, 2 nephews)

I got a lot of toddlers presents on 3 for 2 offers and loads of others on Black Friday, would have been closer to £1100 if I’d paid full price!

Food shop ordered for the 23rd, just a normal shop with about £80 extra on Christmas dinner and snacks/deserts

Don’t buy for sisters/SILs, only some wine for the table so another £50/60 ish?

I have 2 free boxes of Freddie’s flowers so will send one each to my mum and nan as well as their presents.

I save £100 ish per month into an old account for Christmas, and have a jar that I put any 20p pieces in, and it looks like I’ll have a few ££ left at the end so will do a shop for the food bank with what’s left over.

JustanotherCHRISTMASuser01 · 14/12/2018 08:25

£119.53 so far.
3 neice pressies
1 nephew pressie
2 friend pressies and postage
Mum
Dad
2 x neighbour kids selection boxes
Favourite auntie and uncle token gift

Still to spend
Nephew £15
2x bottles of wine for neighbours (I have awesome neighbours- one contacted me abroad to say I had a house problem which involved her goingout of her way)
So possibly another £30

Husband has spent £0 but he will just give cash so his expenditure will be £100 on 2 neices and his mum and dad

Food:
Spent: £9 on a joint of beef £10 Christmas chocolates
Still to spend:
Probably £25 on additional foods which husband will probably pick up

WildFlower2018 · 14/12/2018 08:29

So far:

£40 for FIL and his W
£40 for MIL and her H
£25 for my DM
£20 for Dniece
£20 for one grandparent

DH and I don't buy for one another, neither do we buy for our siblings (nor do they buy for us). We don't have any DC. No friends/teachers/cleaners/gardeners/secret Santa's at work to buy for.

So about £150.

I've spent a little on Xmas lights this year too. Then Christmas food and that'll be the lot.