I just finished the christmas shopping for my kids.

[MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel]

Big Amazon order will arrive over the next few days (except for a game on pre-order) and I know it's not even November yet, but it's always such a relief to get the kids done.

Now I can focus on the food, drink, and other gifts (not that I really buy for anyone else).

Happy as well as I came in under budget by around £90 😁 across the 3 of them.

They'll get money from the inlaws and my parents which they'll spend on lego undoubtedly come January.

Anyone else finished? Hows the budget looking?

I hardly have to buy for anyone these days. All.kids in the extended family are over 21. All friends kids are over 21.

Gave my eldest 1k last week for new baby and Xmas. Youngest got an iPhone few months ago for birthday and Xmas.

Got my DP a cruise.

Blimey you're efficient!

Haven't even started yet. I only start shopping once bonfire night is out of the way.
DD(7) will write her letter to Santa in the next couple of weeks and then I'll start buying.

She's mentioned a few things like a Switch, magical mixies, Melissa and Doug sets... but nothing else so far.

I do go OTT but that's because we don't have any family, apart from my dad, so I do overcompensate.

Budget so far is £400, could be more than that, could be less. Depends on if she still wants the switch or not I suppose.

So far I've bought things for dd's advent calendar (lip balms, eyeshadows e, stationery etc) and I've bought ds a ps5 game he wanted and some shorts. His birthday is at Christmas too as is dh's so I need stuff for both.

Ds has asked for AirPods, history books, football strips (he's 16). Dd wants a dressing table or a vanity desk as she insists on calling it. (She's 12)

Have bought dh a coffee machine and will get him clothes for birthdays.

No idea what to buy nieces and nephews this year. Nieces are 9,11,11 and 14 and nephews are 12&16. Any suggestions welcome! You'd think I'd have ideas given they're close in age to my own kids but they have very little in common.

What about a craft kit for your nieces or nephew?
I bought my niece a modern calligraphy book and some watercolour pens.
My other niece got a bath bomb making set

£90 under budget in total.

I budget £600 in total for the 3 of them.

Thanks @NoWordForFluffy I did see that one originally but it’s second hand and I was a bit worried it’ll be rubbish but I’ll take a chance. I don’t think I’m going to find it new anywhere. Have ordered. 😊

No, the one from Amazon was new. There were second hand options though. Or that was my reading of it.

Oh great find @EricNorthmanYesPlease have cancelled the secondhand one and ordered that instead. Billy bargain too!

It’s early I’ve not had my second coffee yet

I'm almost completely finished and will come in just under budget it looks like. That's for DDs and my side of the family, DH takes responsibility for buying for his side of the family.

DDs I budget £100 each and I'm just over that but all they need now is a new toothbrush each in their stockings so that won't break the bank.

DM is done, DF I just need to buy a bottle of wine and he's done.

My siblings and I that have children just buy for nieces and nephews and not the adults and they're done.

One DSis needs a small extra present, probably just a box of chocolates as does my Aunt.

DH about 90% finished, I think a box of craft beers and he'll be done. He's made a start on his side of the family shopping wise but has most of his still to do. A lot of his side is various nieces and nephews though who are all getting a little bit older so he's suggest a box of chocolates and £20 in a card each. It's not very exciting but money is probably what they'd want and at least is easy to sort!

All my kids are done, most of my nieces and nephews and my in laws. Just need to get my husbands and my parents and I’m done.

Oh and budget wise we put aside £1k a year to cover Christmas. That's all presents and food shopping. DDs are young though and not into expensive things or if they want Playmobil/Lego I buy second-hand. We also don't host many people for Christmas otherwise I imagine the food and drink bill would be a lot more!

All done except for the play kitchen as it’s so big I don’t want to have to deal with the storage of it alongside the other presents with a while to go. 3 kids and 18 family members plus two December birthdays I’ve done quite well to be organised this year. I did save £1000 with Park over the year though so that helped a great deal.

We've cut back this year as DD1 had way too much last year. She lost interest in it tbh and behaved a bit bratty on occasion so way less this year and I'm hoping relatives get her a lot less too! It's nice they're so generous but it literally took hours to open her stuff last Xmas, even spreading stuff out over days, and there was so much she couldn't handle it and couldn't decide what to play with and just got overwhelmed.

Honestly if someone bought all that stuff someone listed earlier they'd bought for their niece for DD1 I would be so stressed and a bit despairing! Grateful for their generosity of course but it's far too much stuff for a young kid IMO (and we are on the 'buying a lot' end of the spectrum in the first place!) and we'd have a nightmare finding space for it all

For those with teenagers that are spending around £150 or less including stockings, could you possibly list what you have bought and put prices beside them?
I would really love to only spend around £100 each this year on my teens but when I think about even just a stocking it seems to really add up even when it is cheap things in it.

Thanks :)

@Kenworthington - how about a nice black eyeliner for the DS GF? If she's a goth then I'm sure she gets through gallons and would really appreciate it. If budget would allow then Kat Von D tattoo liner or there are others for less. If they break up then it's easily re-gifted (don't mean to sound cynical but young love and all that!) That with some chocs could be a nice gift?

Oh and Come on Feel the Lemonheads is a great album - still have my 90s original :)

Omg you are all so organised! I usually get all the shopping done in one day, usually 2nd week Dec. Out for dinner this year so no food really to sort out just a few nibbles for Boxing Day.

Yes I did it yesterday too. They did lists and I ordered everything. I have spend approx £150 per child (2 kids). Feels good to be done and now wait for next payday to get other peoples although I won't be doing much ad can't afford to atm with cost of living...

Agreed. I hate it when people pile on just because someone has a different budget to them. And it IS difficult to keep on budget with teens and tweens. So much easier when they are young

Just got to get heated blanket for DS.
Kitchen Aid flowery bowl for DD1
Sleep leggings for DD2 to go with her Oodie SleepTs
Present for DGD 10
Present for DGD 6
DGS has vintage space ship from 1987 that he desperately wants. DH is going to adapt a wooden trolley so DGS has somewhere to display them.

All parents that need posting are wrapped and ready to post to family.
Started doing homemade cards yesterday. Stamps and other cards bought.

M&S shop booked.
Tesco slots open at 6am on 15 November.
“Stockings” done for adult DDs
Cake made.
Flavoured alcohol soaking.
Get ahead gravy in freezer.
Wine bought.
Christmas foodie bits bought AND hidden ( mostly from me )

Oooh Willow Wreath workshop booked it’s a highlight for me.

I'm about half way through. I spent alot (2k) from this months wage and just need to buy pressies for dd's Dad(my ex) from her now. I've not really got much ideas of what else to get dd. I'm lucky that I have enough disposable income to do this and work hard for it and have always spoiled my oc on Xmas as I love seeing her happy.
Ideas for a 10 y.o who already has a bike, phone, laptop, desktop gaming p.c and Nintendo switch?? Have bought loads of arts and crafts stuff already and clothes, oodie, jewellery, make up?

I've got the big presents for DS and DD2 and I know what I'm getting for DD1.

I've started on their stocking fillers and will be having a shopping day in a couple of weeks with my DDs to pick up a few bits.

I need to do a small Amazon order for guitar strings for DS's stocking and I've spotted a set of travel makeup brushes that might be an idea for my DDs - everything else seems to follow the same format that has worked for 25+ years and I think there'd be a riot if I went rogue 😂

DH is still having a think about his present but I have bought him a little something for the garden to unwrap.

DH sorts MIL's gifts and we buy vouchers/cinema passes for eight nieces and nephews so I can get them organised in early December. I have one adult couple to buy for and I'm knitting their presents this year. One person finished and the other will be started next week.

Glad to be of help :)

I've now made a start on Christmas food shopping as I try to budget quite strictly. There was a woman moaning in the supermarket that all the Christmas food is out already but for people like me that are budgeting so want to pick up a few things at a time to spread the cost it really helps.

So that's now a Christmas pudding bought plus some florentines and stollen bites. All dated until next year and from now on I'll try to pick up one or two items with the weekly shop and put them away. The next two weeks we are trying to eat down the freezer food to make some space so I can start stashing stuffing balls/pigs in blankets/turkey etc.

The one I linked was the new one, so you've properly baffled me now! 🤷‍♀️🤣