How are people budgeting for Christmas with rising costs this year?

[Hotmessmum31]

I know its not even October yet lol, but I'm already thinking about the cost of Christmas and wondering what everyone else is doing this year with the cost of things.
The christmas activities are going to start creeping up... adding up the food, presents e.t.c.. its scary.
Does anyone set a christmas budget and stick to it?

Do you have a set amount you spend per child/family member, or are we just buying things and hoping for the best lol?

Has anyone started saving a certain amount each week or month until nearer to December? Would love to know everyone thoughts as I am feeling financially pressured this year.

My initial thought was in line with you but then I worked it out a bit. Sounds so much but really adds up!

I've always budgeted, had no choice throughout the years

I am constantly trying to save, all year round. Christmas, I try to spend as little as possible from these savings whilst still giving the children a special day. Other than them I have nobody to buy for, and we only have one “feast” meal over the festive period.

All the adults have agreed to only buy for the little ones, and not buy for each other this year - every year we spend a fortune, and whilst it’s lovely, we end up with loads of stuff none of us need (or want, tbh). So this year, I’ll be buying for my two sons, my partner, and my 5 great nieces/nephews, a huge change from parents, sister, nieces, nephew etc etc etc…we’re all quite relieved, as it’s eased the pressure financially and as we don’t have to think about what to buy everyone, the mental load has eased too.

Cut right back on what you buy. New other (Ebay), or second hand bargains (Vinted, charity shops). Auction sites have lots of bargains too! Tickets to shows: book months in advance and get them for much cheaper. Amazon returns for cheaper stuff. Also - do things like open a bank for £200 bonus etc.

My main thing is i shop throughout the year and buy gifts when they are on offer. today, i bought 2 beanie hats for £10 each (from £25) one for DS and one for DN.

i save up loyalty points from supermarket shops, use cash back apps and scan receipts, which goes towards Christmas gifts.

From here on in, i will start buying food treats etc during the weekly shop to put away for Christmas (checking sell by dates).

Food wise- we won’t be going all out. We have foods we enjoy, but i’ll only buy what will get eaten over the holidays.

We do a secret Santa between everyone including grandparents, kids and us. Budget is about £60 and then a few things to open on Christmas morning (try to make this clothes and things they actually need) with a stocking. That would have a few small things and chocolate coins nothing big. Then we go out for a meal as close to Christmas as possible and we choose family friendly cheaper places because it's about us being together and no one having to deal with the cost or hassle. We might also do a Christmas activity together as well, Christmas at Kew or panto etc. Less focus on stuff and more on time together having fun. It's taken us all a few years to get to this stage but it's far more enjoyable and cheaper. It also means we are home all day on Christmas in our pjs which is bliss.

We dont buy for many people - DC, 3 relatives, and each other. Try and buy something useful for each other, spend about £150 on DC.
Food & drink always adds up to a crazy amount though, regardless of what we plan on... This year I really will get a tighter hold on food budget!

We do the envelope challenge to help save, usually amounts to about 1,200. That also covers DS birthday and bday meal, which is right after Christmas. Also covers our Christmas Eve Chinese, our New Year’s Eve takeaway, our restaurant of choice for our annual Southampton/Portsmouth Christmas shopping trip, aswell as money for Christmas food, kids advents. I also save the child benefits throughout the year and use it for dd birthday and some for Christmas. We’ve lucked out this year because got a £40 m``&s gift card from the puppy’s pet insurance, DP got a £50 M&S card for meeting targets at work and I’ve got £10 in rewards on sparks card and DP has £7. We’ve also got £20 between us in nectar points. So should have some extra or leftover this year.

already finished shopping for our 3 dc including stockings. Utilised buying second hand where possible to stretch money further, but got a lot new on sales etc. I’ve honestly gone a bit overboard if anything. They have about 12 presents each, but they do range in cost/size etc.

Have also just booked tickets to the local panto- £80 for 5 of us because I booked a cheaper performance after Christmas near the end of the run. We used to go on Christmas Eve but it’s over twice the price and I can’t justify it, when we can still go but first week of January instead. Going to take the children swimming on Christmas Eve instead at our local council leisure centre.

Also booked the local garden centre Father Christmas for £40 but apart from that we will do free/very cheap Christmas activities like driving to see the local Christmas lights, a forest walk with a hot chocolate, making gingerbread men, living room disco, board game nights, film on the tv with hot chocolate, popcorn and an oven pizza. Etc etc.

we have to buy all year when we can to put away, as Christmas is important to me; making it special for our children. We don’t give them toys through the year (apart from a couple on their birthdays) so I like to make them feel seen, appreciated and special.

6.5K? For Christmas? Thats what some people have for a year.

We don't buy too much food. I think of Christmas dinner as just a bonus Sunday lunch.
I don't tip the postman or binmen (technically the latter are my colleagues).
I don't buy presents for friends or neighbours.
I don't buy Christmas cards (family don't get them either).
I re-use decorations.
DH normally goes back to work on Boxing Day which means Christmas is over.

We are ignoring it and fecking off to Egypt. We will get our two girls something and that’s it.

The word no is very useful here. As is the sentence 'I'm sorry we can't afford that this year'

I clear out the same cupboard every year and it’s called the Christmas food cupboard so everyone knows not to touch it.

I start buying snacks/crackers/chutneys/drinks/etc in September and add a few things to my food shop every week. Sometimes I’ll add wrapping paper and other none food items too. I pull it all out when it’s time to do the Xmas food shop and there’s barely anything left we need to buy bar fresh food. Everyone also gets really excited because the Christmas food cupboard officially gets declared open.

No it’s also got to cover 4 of kids birthdays and parties as well.
As all 4 have birthdays within weeks of Christmas either side. So we save to cover the entire period. some years we don’t spent everything other years we do. Just depends on who is asking for what. Such as We buy phones outright no contracts. That’s easily £600-1000 there on a new iPhone.

but I also have SEN children. And toys designed specifically for them can be a lot more for a small toy. A mirror chime about for example would set you back £120

As are the words 'this is her last year at home' and 'you only live once' and 'how many more opportunities will there be?'

I’ve said this year we are cutting back. We are having a quiet Christmas, cutting back on across the activities, presents etc

We are doing one Christmas show, that’s it this year.

Weve always gone with presents, want, need etc Kids are used to that and never had an issue.

I may just switch of social media in the run up though! & remind myself they just showing a small part of there life.

We did it similar last year, even Christmas PJs reused ! It was nice to go into January not feeling the pressure with money etc

We still had fun and it was special but want to try and find a way of it not feeling so pressured to do everything and the expense of my mental health and bank balance!

One child, birthday four days before Christmas and single parent here! I’ve already started buying gifts in the sales - asdas big toy event recently and Argos has had lots of Lego on 2 for £15/£30 offers. I’ll buy a few gifts each month now when I am paid.
For family I’m doing a hamper per household each this year with homemade sloe gin which I will make this weekend, homemade mince pies, and a few nice bits from M&S.
I don’t go to the works doo as I’d rather use the money to go for a Christmas meal with friends, and my daughter isn’t into the many Christmas events as she is autistic so I’ll buy some Christmas crafts and take her ice skating, both of which are low cost.
I will however spend around £450 on food over the two week holiday as we are both off (I work in education) and we like to get all our favorite treats in then hibernate!
Edited to add: we have a family birthday party at home every year which costs around £100 to host with drinks and pies from our local
butchers/birthday cake from Asda.

Nobody knows how many opportunites are left. Sometimes the simplest, cheapest things mean more.

Every year I just spend less in the UK. I travel back to see my family, and I used to buy presents in the UK, ready for when I arrive.. but each year the difference in cost between where I live and the UK seems to get bigger, and these days it makes much more sense to fill a suitcase and have the hassle of taking it with me than paying the ever higher cosrs of the same thing in the UK.

I shop all year through for Christmas presents. Have you looked at Whatnot? Download the app and there are loads of bargains on there

We simplified Christmas years ago and to be honest I enjoy it much more now.

We only buy presents for children, which reduces the stress of finding presents for lots of people and reducing the amount of unwanted crap afterwards. We only buy one main present per child then they have stockings with a selection of stuff like chocolate coins.

We stopped doing turkey because everyone prefers chicken anyway so our Christmas lunch is a jazzed up Sunday Roast with the extras like pigs in blankets, red cabbage etc to make it a bit different.

We do go big on a good selection of cheese!

We aren't religious so Christmas holds no meaning other than a few days off focused on spending time with family. Keeping it simple has stopped the feeling of it being an anticlimax every year.

I save £100 per month towards Christmas. I prefer that to buying year round as I don’t know what people will want until November, particularly the DC.

My DC are teens now but they have always been happy with our usual days out but decorated for Christmas, for us that was local volunteer run railway, Eden project and NT properties. The youngest always enjoyed the £2 church hall Santa. Youngest is going on an expensive school trip this year so will be getting token gifts. We’re veggie as well so that reduces the food bill. We all absolutely love Christmas though,

£1,000 on a phone? Really? Madness.

I'm not sure about toys for children with additional needs costing crazy amounts of money.