Here we go again...Countdown to Christmas 2026 (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

365

Evening!

I'm a bit tipsy and very tired, but it's been a good day.

Round 2 tomorrow with the roast dinner!

I’d say my dad switched his spending on me to more token when my kids were born. My mum is probably similar, but husband and I always get a Christmas stocking bits and the kids get a smaller amount of gifts but probably slightly more spend. Actually my step mum does that too…

I think until they are fully fledged and earning well I’d keep it similar but more practical maybe?

This year my boys both had spendy presents, but I imagine they’ll have smaller gifts this year as there is less they want. I should probably budget £400 each for all their presents and stockings.

If I break it down
£800 for kids
£500 for each other
£500 for other people
£500 for food and drink for Christmas and new year.
£200 for tree and wreath and decorations
£300 for Christmas events
£150 for unexpected spends.

So that’s £3000. That feels insane, actually. But we can justify it and I could trim it back. At least if I have a budget I can try and stay within it and change it again next year.

I think our issue lies with eldest we will no longer fund phones, laptops, gaming systems etc. But we still have 4 other children (12,9,6 and a baby) who obviously are still at the age we fund these things usually as gifts.

so there’s a big gap between costs and size of presents.

our parents and siblings etc tend to cut you off at 18. Neither of our families buy once you turn 18. But you do get a token gift (£20) from each side (parents) so that doesn’t really help.

Again, I think whether I'd buy those would depend on that child's circumstances.

I wouldn't cut budget purely because of age, and certainly not when it's my child!

Budgets for adults are lower in our family but both me and DH receive presents. My family are probably around £50, MIL is similar and FIL is probably £100 ish for DH and slightly less for me.
Over the years both me and my sister have had practical presents like money towards new blinds/a slow cooker/microwave and my dm particularly likes to buy us both the toiletries we like that are a bit spendy.
And a few years ago they combined my birthday and Christmas money to buy me a really good pair of winter boots ahead of going somewhere snowy for Christmas.

I think it makes me sound a bit bratty but most aunties and uncles etc stop buying for you when you turn 18ish so if parents didn’t you wouldn’t have much at all.

My ‘day off’ has been busy with housework, meeting a fitter for flooring and a painter for prices on the new room, admin phone calls, school run, food shopping and a speech and lang appointment for LO.
Am now about to leave for swimming lesson then home to do tea before DH can come home and take over ready for me to go to a club meeting for my sins I’m now involved in a kids sports club for LO then I’ll be coming home, having tea and falling into bed as LOs current cough/lurgy is getting me 😷

I haven't added up the Christmas budget for the DC , I do buy them practical things that they'll use and in DS case , he wouldn't go out and buy for himself .

DD had a piece of very nice , very £ jewellery for Christmas ( I had some inheritance so I was feeling generous ) she will wear it forever , classic piece .
I gave DS money , I am trying to be fair but he's like a little Gollum my precious with his savings , whereas DD likes physical presents ,

It’s so interesting how families do things.

I have two child aged nephews on one side and an adult and about to be adult nephew and niece on the other. I spend £30 to £40 on each and also £30 for nephews girlfriend. I feel like the adult / near adults are pretty broke and appreciate it more than my littler nephews. They’ve also not got much in the way of family aside from us, so I’ll keep it going and if they have kids I’ll buy for them, too. I tend to buy books connected to their interests and nice things I think they’ll like. I enjoy choosing stuff though. I’d quite happily stop buying for sil x 2 as it feels futile. My sister and I do a £7.50 challenge, for the four adults. It’s great fun and amazing what we come up with!

We use the Nectar Points for Christmas food shop (the Big One !) , DH and I buy each other something around £50 level.
DD reckons there's no pockets in a shroud

love the idea of 7.50 challenge.

the children don’t get each other gifts per say. We do “secret Santa” with a £20 budget. So it ends up being 1 gift each from a specific sibling who got you.

we don’t buy for siblings. When it comes to family now. I purchase for my parents. They do a token gift per a child and partner if they have one. But they don’t buy for grandchildren etc after 18. Siblings also don’t buy for neices/nephews after 18.

I think that stems from grandparents. As both my parents from large families. My mothers side there’s over 100 grandchildren so my nan cut us off at some point. It seems it just continued.

we don’t cook Christmas dinner as we eat out every year. But one side hosts Boxing Day. Other side new year. We all tend to chip in with that instead of gifts.

DS and DD don't buy each other presents but they get a £10 value present from the cats .(their Little Siblings)
DD got a Baby Guinness set ( 2 fancy shot glasses /mini Baileys/mini Tia Maria )
DS got £10
The Cats don't care enough to think of something and DS likes cash

Budget wise, both of our families do secret Santa for the adults and we both take part on each side. It’s £50. Then about £30-50 on children, totalling £300-ish.

We spend about £50 on each other or we buy something we jointly need/want and spend about £10 on consumables. So let’s say £100.

We will probably spend around another £200 on our own children.

Then about £30 on desserts and treats. The food shop for us is a pretty average weekly spend as we’re vegan and make things from scratch so aside from desserts and maybe fancy baking ingredients for them we’re not spending that much.

Our two eldest are both adults now and we made the decision to continue to spend the same amount on them until they leave home. Ot for uni or education but properly leave home. Unless they have a child before they move out. My DH family stopped buying him anything from around 10.

My DC only have us, their siblings and 2/3 other people that buy for them. I think if my DC received things from both families then it would be different. I just don't see myself ever being able to not buy them presents. My DC have already decided that I have to continue making advent calendars and fill stockings forever.

I have seen a family secret santa type thing where they each had to buy 1 person an outfit from vinted. It looked so fun! My DC do secret santa each year between them and I don't think this will ever stop.

The adults in DH's family do secret santa to the value of £100. Everyone makes a wishlist of up to £200 and then it's at least a bit of a surprise what you get.
The kids get £70-100 spent on them I'd say.

346

Morning!

It's my office day again...booooo! It comes round so quickly. 😩 The good news is that it was dry and not frozen, so I could walk to the station OK.

We're rattling round to the first Rudolph Day. Not sure I'll be doing much for this one!

The first Rudolph day is mine & DH wedding anniversary, so we will be celebrating that instead.
We agreed on cards only and a meal out to celebrate instead.

I think I have the joy of taking LO to a birthday party at a soft play place on this Rudolph day 😩
Aim is to have orders cross stitch Christmas cards and started one by then…

fluffy I hope you made it to the office ok. My day is tomorrow and I hate the commute, it’s such a waste of time and I’ll only be in for a few hours as I feel rubbish and no one is going to want my lurgy

Today I should be taking delivery of the new storage unit thing for LOs room so the sort out of the house continues later.
Until then it’s work interspersed with doing some washing, putting away the ironed clothes and prepping tea. All riveting stuff!

I did book tickets for my dad’s birthday today though. Going to see Anna Lapwood (organist - random but df will like it) so that’s something!

Can I have a list of ideas for things I can do on Rudolph day? I need some inspiration this year.

I have to join this thread, hi 👋🏼

Mum of 3, Eldest is 16 and the younger two are still young enough that we’re in the whole “Father Christmas” era

I love Christmas, and i’m really feeling the post Christmas blues, even though I really enjoy the month of January- I love Winter.

I’m missing the events, the fun, the fabulous food and drink, and the decor. I keep fairy lights up year round, can’t bare to be without them.

I don’t want to wish my life away, but roll on the “Ber” months.

I’ve just booked the Polar Express for early December, and i’m planning to watch a few Christmas programmes that I missed due to a manic December.

Anyone else booked anything for Christmas 2026?

We’ve already got Panto booked! Have done for a good few weeks.

we usually go to a specific country house for the house and light trail, but are switching it up with a local ish national trust which will be much cheaper. We won’t need to book it, so I feel a bit odd not doing that.

I am going to look for a cottage for the weekend though and see how pricey that is.

@FurForksSake We headed to a cottage between Christmas and New Year this year. It was lovely! Toasted marshmallows, watched Christmas films, played board games etc…

We’re booking Disney Paris as the kids’ main present this year - we leave late afternoon NYD, in the park 2nd and 3rd Jan which should be lovely as it’s still decorated for Christmas and has all of the Christmas shows on until 6th Jan.

We love a panto. Due to my gallivanting to a Cottage between Christmas and New Year, we went before Christmas instead. This year we’ll go on 27th December. When have you booked for?

If anyone’s missing Christmas, I suggest watching “A very British hotel at Christmas” On the Channel 4 app. It’s fabulous! I want to go to this hotel for their Christmas afternoon tea.

@VillageFete we’ve booked for the 5th December, always the same weekend. It starts the season for us.

I’ve just put in the diary dates to get the tree and book the trail. 6th December will be tree day.

Paris sounds great! We’re currently saving for a big trip to Canada next summer so I need to be sensible-ish!

Welcome @VillageFete ·

I do miss Christmas with young children but at least with adults you don't have to make it all "seamless" where they believe it happens by magic !
DH used to take the DC to the cinema and I did the Sainsbury Big shop in peace then we all loaded ourselves into the car and home . (They never questioned where I was , just delighted I was there to drive them back !)

One year I took DS to the Pantomime he had his pyjamas under his clothes so he could just go straight to bed ( he fell asleep in the car ) and my parents travelled down overnight so they were there when he woke up .

Last year we (DH,DD and I ) went for a weekend to Glasgow , this year we're going to Leeds . Staying in the town centre so we can wander about it's one of those self cater apart/hotels .
DH will look out things to do and where to eat .
We had afternoon tea in Glasgow last year , it was delicious !
I like the idea of Afternoon Tea but often it's a bit too fancy and I don't drink so no mulled wine or glass of Prosecco for me .
I sometimes do an afternoon tea myself - sandwiches, fresh made scones with jam and cream, nice cake . Usually Mothers Day when I can choose

So far only the Leeds weekend booked but it's a start !

I'll have to think about Rudolph Day , it's nice that it's a Sunday , and it's also Burns Night ............. so Not Haggis but I could do turnip ( neeps) and mash ( tatties) with dinner .
And some Judgey Stag Shortbread ?

Those childhood bits sound lovely @70isaLimitNotaTarget and the trip to a city is a great plan. My two are 12 and 10 and I think we might do city breaks as they get older. I didn’t realise there were apart hotels here, that’s brilliant!

Thank you @FurForksSake , I hope my DC remember Christmas with a cosy sort of glow
DS pretends he doesn't remember ( the little git) but sometimes when it's it's just him and me chatting in the car he'll come out with some memories and I think ahh yes it did make Christmas nice for them

Maybe when he has his own DC he'll do some of the Traditions ? I know DD certainly will , she's already told me what her Future Child will look forward to