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Original poster

How much did Christmas cost you?

219 replies

Jbrown76 · 30/12/2023 08:03

And how long will it take to pay it off? Or how long will you be skint for?

It'll be Summer before I'm in the clear 😓

OP posts:
Netcam · 30/12/2023 11:19

We seem to fit in with the average of £600 overall but make sure presents are things everyone needs or wants, plus some nice chocolate. Our best things were a really nice Christmas lunch and time spent relaxing, chatting together and playing some of our favourite board games with my teenage sons. We probably spent £150 more on food than usual over the Christmas period, but we like nice food! DH and I spent about £450 on presents between the two of us, but that included presents for each of us, my teenage sons, a close friend and some close relatives.

Itsjustmeee · 30/12/2023 11:32

I started buying stuff in September
not a huge family but 3 nieces & 1 nephew my son his partner my sister and my husband

probably in total 2k including going out for Xmas day lunch

But I probably spent about £500 on my son and the same for my husband and £100-£150 on everyone else .

But I’m not in debt for it as I paid for presents as I bought them

WonderingAboutThus · 30/12/2023 11:32

Oh god. About £1100 to get home for two days (most of that an expensive car rental), £140 on ballet, £80 on a light festival park walk, about £350 on our parents, £50 on the Christmas gift round in the family, £200 on our three godchildren. He spent about £60 on my gifts and I spent about £360 on his (shared finances so it doesn't matter).

Our own children got so spoiled by their grandparents that we only got them two gifts each, for a total price of £50, so at least that part was cheap.

Ariela · 30/12/2023 11:34

We were very lucky this year, all presents bought well in advance and we didn't spend a lot. Turkey (frozen) was gifted to us after Thanksgiving by some American friends, we grew all our veg bar the potatoes (slugs got them), and we didn't spend on treats/chocolate as again gifted.
We bought a lot of stuff this week for the freezer at stupidly reduced prices (eg 39p for a salmon steak) - for which I used a gift voucher I'd been given. We didn't drive anywhere or go out other than that 1 trip to the supermarket. So we reckon overall that Christmas will have saved us £250+ over a normal week.

Riverlee · 30/12/2023 11:36

Op - have you fallen in the trap where you’ve spend the first half of the year paying of Christmas, and the second half paying of your summer holiday? We’ve been in that trap before.

If possible, start breaking the circle by putting sone aside for your summer holiday/next Christmas now, every month. I know that’s easier said then done, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

TheChosenTwo · 30/12/2023 11:37

Lots. But we haven’t gone into debt for any of it. If we couldn’t afford it I wouldn’t have spent it (I wouldn’t have had it to spend in the first place!).

Maverickess · 30/12/2023 11:40

£150 - £200 just presents at work all over Christmas and so just didn't need any Christmas food because I wasn't here.

LadyBird1973 · 30/12/2023 11:57

Not formally added it up but I'd guess at £1000. When my kids were younger I spent more on presents because I was buying PlayStations and games. Now they are mostly adult (one teen left at home) so I've brought the spend down, as they have jobs and money to buy their own stuff.
Did spend a fair bit on the teen still at home though, and on my little nephews.
Am lucky to have been able to buy gradually, so could manage from normal monthly income, so no debt going into January. I'm very glad to be out of the days when it took all year to pay off the credit card after Christmas!

ErnestCelendine · 30/12/2023 12:25

I spent the Christmas monzo pot of £500 and also spent two other pots earmarked for other things so 700 in total. So only in debt to myself. Overspent mainly on kids gifts (turns out I wanted to spend more than 100 per preteen) and food - for which I blame DH and the Aldi middle aisle!

EmotionalSupportWyrm · 30/12/2023 13:09

About £150 🤷🏼‍♀️ £100 was small presents for 3 x adult DC and prob £50 on various bits of nice 'extra' food and drink. I wasn't hosting anyone this year (BLISS) so could please myself .

My exH used to go overboard with food and drink at xmas - I'm very much enjoying NOT doing that!

Fullofxmascbeer · 30/12/2023 13:14

£300 on food and tbh we didn’t go overboard on that this year. It mainly all got consumed.

Probably £1000 on presents. More if you include my new phone, although that was on the cards anyway.

swimona · 30/12/2023 14:47

I worked out that I'd spent about £400 on food for the 2 weeks DC are off, including snacks, fizzy pop etc that I wouldn't normally buy. Absolutely crazy how the extra 'little bits' added up, definitely need to rein it in next year.

mickandrorty · 30/12/2023 14:55

1.5k but it was all paid for with money we had

familyissues12345 · 30/12/2023 15:43

Spend about £750 on presents for everyone, and probably about £250 on food. Anything put on the credit card this month will be paid off when the bill comes.

idontlikealdi · 30/12/2023 15:57

Probably 2.5k if you add it all up. This is including everything eg new tree this year, new outdoor decs, door wreath, crackers, wrapping, games, we play a game called the present game which is £15pp..

On the actual day £600 for presents and food / drink

ladyvimes · 30/12/2023 16:12

Prob about £600 as we didn’t host this year. Can afford it but January will be tight!

OhmygodDont · 30/12/2023 16:14

Erm around 1.2k on presents then maybe £300 ish on food and drinks. But that all came out of Decembers pay in one hit so won’t be paying it off over credits cards or whatever but January will still be a tighter month as I pretty much took the whole of December off work.

Pearlyb · 30/12/2023 16:26

About 2k in total.

Decorations (including trees) - £300
Food - £1000
Presents - £650
Tickets to Christmas show - £50

Food was more expensive this year as went out to eat on Xmas day (couldn't be bothered spending all day in kitchen!). The food bill also includes takeaways for Xmas eve/boxing day, and drinks for hosting family before Xmas.

Presents are for two children and nieces/nephews and a few friends.

I had budgeted about 1.5k so went somewhat over budget, but the extra came from savings + small Xmas bonus. Wouldn't go into debt! I save £300 per month for Xmas from August paycheck onwards.

popandchoc · 30/12/2023 17:42

Probably around £600 . I save most up over the year with things like surveys and then some comes from normal disposable income.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 30/12/2023 18:37

Probably about £900 all in. Food, drinks, presents, panto, visiting santa, clothes etc.......... but its paid for over a few months and we would never ever put stuff on credit card. If we don't have the cash we don't have it.

Dachshund40 · 30/12/2023 18:39

Not too much, just my sanity…

Timeforanewnam · 30/12/2023 19:13

I would think about £1000 all in .

£150 x two on the children
£200 on food and drink
£150 on a Santa train day
£50 Christmas night out with work (might have been a bit more
£100 on other gifts - nephews , mum ect
then we are going to my mums for a second Christmas shortly- that will be the final £200 in petrol , eating out and bits

now I haven’t put any money on credit cards or gone into an overdraft, and tried to spread it out - however I have £200 worth of bills that I have stalled paying untill next month , so in that respect I am going to have a tough month next month to get back on track .

we have enjoyed our Christmas though it’s been lovely

I think we would struggle to cut down much more and still have such a nice time doing things …..

doggiedoodah · 30/12/2023 19:17

About £1200 inc panto ,presents ,trips out ,hosting for 10 .

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 30/12/2023 19:45

I think around £800 in total, that's more than normal but dd needed a new phone so that cost loads.

I save all year for Christmas so no debt.

Wrapunzel · 30/12/2023 20:46

About £2500 Blush £192 was a quadruple rib of beef and we have one rib left so can take off £50!
I'm a bit extra at Christmas and love buying presents that people wouldn't treat themselves to.

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