How much do you honestly spend on Christmas each year?

[MrsTxx]

As a family of 3 I’d say we spend around £300 on DS including clothes
Around £200 on eachother each
£200 on food (we host the family) and nice bits
£100 on alcohol
£400 on gifts for family (large family both sides)
So about £1200 in total, which we save up for throughout the year.
Interested in other peoples budgets and how they spend at Christmas

I used to spend about £120–150 on DD but the cost has crept up now she’s getting older. Still probably spend about £20-25 on stocking (I buy in sales during the year); then about £60-70 on a Father Christmas present, and around the same in smaller presents from us. This year I’ve already got a big set of Harry Potter Lego on a good prime day offer, so that was £65 on the FC present (reduced from £90). Have also so far got a Lego music app cube thing for £5 (thanks to bargain thread!), a Harry Potter T-shirt (£10), and a gravity maze game reduced to £16. Oh and a couple of book sets left over from when the Book People closed down. I’ll probably also get DD some HP chocolate frogs or something and any other small stuff that takes my fancy close to the time.

I’ve already bought Christmas pyjamas and advent calendars etc.; Dd normally also has a Christmas party dress and one or two Christmas tops for school jumper day etc. (this year all bought from eBay, hooray). Probably about £40 in all. So with presents and Christmas clothes together, about £200.

That’s probably pretty much all from us as she also gets presents from grandparents and my siblings. I spend about £100 on all the nieces and nephews, and just exchange a small food gift like a panettone or bottle of fizz with my siblings. I spend about £80 on my Mum and Dad, and about another £40 on small gifts for friends, teacher gifts, a couple of staff at work, a couple of small things for friends’ kids and DD’s friends. DP and I just exchange small gifts, about £30 in total. Add £50 for stamps, and any extras I’ve forgotten, and that’s about £500 on presents etc.

Then add at least £150-200 for extra Christmas food and alcohol, and about £200-300 for Christmas trips/events - normally something like a ballet for DD, a couple of meals out etc. and a winter lights festival - and overall it’s probably coming in at £1000 for everything.

I don’t get the impression that’s massively out of the range I see people spending on MN - obviously we could spend less and lots do, but I get the impression lots of people spend much more. My sister spends at least £400 each on presents for each of her kids, plus eats out 5-10 times over the Christmas holiday, and we definitely don’t do that!

1 reckon I spend about a grand in total. £600 between 3 DC and partner of eldest (adult), £100 on dp, £100 on friends and family DC and £200 on food. I save £500 a year with Xmas saving scheme and the rest is split between Oct/Nov/Dec wages.

Normally about £1400. This year I'm aiming for about £850.

Adding everything up it was usually ~£3000 year.

But last year with lockdown we ended up spending under £1000 and will be planning to keep it that way.

@toolazytothinkofausername

Please this Christmas remember what Christmas is meant to be about and think about the environment.

Buy for only immediate family. Buy gifts they will use all year round. stop buying plastic tat that will be used once or twice.

For others give edible gifts in recyclable containers.

There is no planet B.

This is one of the reasons we're cutting back on Christmas from now on.

Covid has warned us all that the world is a fragile place.

Yes, we’re definitely aiming to cut down where possible and buy clothes from eBay rather than new, avoid buying plastic items, reduce meat consumption over Christmas etc. I probably spent only about £600 last year as eating out, ballet and panto etc all weren’t possible!

@MrsTxx why did you start this thread and why are you so interested in what others spend at Christmas you've said yourself you're 'loaded' just curious ?!

£100/ child = £200
£100 on OH
£100 on each parent = 300
£100 on sister
£50/ nephew/ niece =£300
£20 on god child
£50 on one friend
£250 ish on food
£20 to see Santa

It varies year on year. If we host we spend a lot on food and drink, but also on minor house improvements that otherwise might go in the long finger.

On the years we can afford it, dh and I have spent €300+ on each other, but there were years when we spent less than €5.

The dc have got more expensive year on year too. But as one has asd, attending a lot of events doesn’t suit us, so while our budget for gifts is high (imo, by mn standards they’re paupers), there are no expensive outings.

I never really see the point of these threads as budgets aren’t comparable. Some people never host, so will have lower costs, some will only add their food and Santa bill and forget about other costs. Some spend lavishly on credit and suffer for it. Some claim the moral high ground for spending very little but are cf guests who contribute nothing. A £1k spent on a teen’s laptop that might be needed anyway for schoolwork is not the same as spending a £1k on a toddler. It’s all relative.

I hate to think of people feeling demoralised by these threads or feeling pressured to take on debt.

@lollipoprainbow Maybe you should read my comments correctly before you start being chewy. I’ve never said I was loaded and I am not ‘loaded’. I created this thread as I like Christmas and I’m interested in what others spend so I have an idea if I’m spending too much as im reviewing budget for this years Xmas

Around £100 each on two kids including the Santa sacks, £30-40 on Dh, he spends more on me usually (don't know why) up to £100, food is around £200. Then £20-30 each for 6 other family members.

So around £750 total. But only £600 is family money as DH and I use our own money to buy our gifts for each other. If we visit family over Christmas, which we do two years in every four, we don't spend on the food so those years it's £400.

Depends.

One year I might give the kids £150 each. The next I'll buy them new iPhone.

Aside from the kids..
£250 on my friends and family and about £300 on my DP.

I never host but buy starters and dessert. We don't drink.

Around £3000 including Christmas events, days out, clothes and food.
We’ve got DD 7 and then 3 adult children plus their partners to buy for. Also buy for DDs young cousins and a couple of family friends. DP and I only buy token gifts for each other though.

About £2000, we save £150 a month and then spend a bit more in December itself. That's everything from food, presents through to activities and tree etc.

Generally about five hundred on our daughter, my husband and I about three hundred on each other, and and say another five hundred on food and booze, we usually have big Xmas’S with friends, although this year it was just us, we still spent the same. So about 15-1600 really,

@User5827372728

£100/ child = £200 £100 on OH £100 on each parent = 300 £100 on sister £50/ nephew/ niece =£300 £20 on god child £50 on one friend £250 ish on food £20 to see Santa

£50 each on nephew/nieces?

How old are they?

If they are still young enough to get toys, decide now what you want to buy them from amazon. Then go to uk.camelcamelcamel.com/ and sign up for when the items are reduced in price.

My son wanted a lego set for £44.99. I signed up to receive an email when the price was reduced and I was able to buy it for £20.99

If they are teenagers and older this can be tricky, so I understand why it costs £50.

Not much, a small gift fir close friends ( one close has decided we won’t do presents),;two sons, money each, daughter in law gift.
Live alone so no entertaining, lunch at friends.
Prob £300 if that

Maybe £150 max...

Blimey.

£500 and that includes food

[quote MrsTxx]@lollipoprainbow Maybe you should read my comments correctly before you start being chewy. I’ve never said I was loaded and I am not ‘loaded’. I created this thread as I like Christmas and I’m interested in what others spend so I have an idea if I’m spending too much as im reviewing budget for this years Xmas[/quote]
It’s irrelevant what other people spend , everyone has different circumstances . Fwiw I’ve never added it up so I have absolutely no idea .

£1k easily - that’s for three kids, 2 grandparents presents, stockings, outings and posh Xmas food.

Around £500. I thought that was a lot and felt embarrassed!

About £1,300

@WildSwimming101

Around £500. I thought that was a lot and felt embarrassed!

It is to me too , I spend less than that on gifts for everyone but food /drink nights out it’s more . I don’t think wow someone spends £1000 on gifts I’m not spending enough because what I spend is enough for me .

Only but for kids in our family

Probably £200 each on ds/d's
£75 on nieces
Odd gifts for teachers/cards...£20
Extra £100 on food if we're not hosting

So about £600...I buy from September -December to spread out the cost