How much are you planning to spend this christmas? Told dh £80 and he laughed. Loud

[finefatmama]

I thought it was doable. The kids are both under 18months and won't notice.
DH just took a pay cut to enable him spend more time with us. I'm on mat leave (after taking on a new not-as-well-paying part-time job) with £108.85 MA paid weekly. I used to earn 1.5times what dh was earning but not anymore. Somehow, I get the impression that image is important to him as he just won't be seen to not be able to afford stuff (like tickets to premiership matches and pricey clothes).
I was wondering if anyone was doing christmas for £100 or less and how.

we will be well prob £150 but definatly nothing more than that, I think for all the family it will be £75 ish and i'm recycling some things so really it's just me and DH which will prob be a gift set each and that's all still it's what you make it I think.

I saved for vouchers this year and have still spent over £200 of my 'own money' already already!! I can't believe it gets spent so quickly to be honest. I do have about 30 people to buy for though.

finefatmama this year I have spent around £120 between my two[ds 3.1 and dd will be just 1]thats mainly thanks to a elc voucher for 20% off. Last year DD had £10 spent on her[she was 9days old] and ds had around £60 so you can do it especially with a small age gap as they can have things bought between them. I only spent £120 as wanted the ELC kitchen that was £60 rather than one I saw for £15 as the elc one was more sturdy.

It depends what you are doing in terms of other people like parents etc as to whether they are included in the budget.

do you mean just for presents ?

I think its definately doable with kids that age. It's all the other presents though isn't it?

DD £150-£200, Me and DH about £100 each. Then rest of family/friends will mount up as there is a fair few of them - total around £400 for them should guess (at least). So presents will amount to a staggering £800!

Then add the rest on top - tree, decorations (must see what we already have), food, drink, crackers, etc.

It depends on what you include - is that for presents, cards, postage, food, christmas decorations, parties (either outfits, travel or booze). Do you have things such as cards, decs, wrap etc saved up from last year? At the age of your children they're almost not going to notice, and your and dh's gifts could be non-monetary (you could write each other vouchers - eg you could get 5 hrs of baby free time, whilst he could get a massage or anything else he might like you to do for him .

Do you have many people to buy for outside of dh and the kids?

At the end of the day if you have not got the money don't spend over what you can afford because it really is not worth getting into trouble over christmas in my opinion.

So far i have spent about £100 on ds who is 4 but this does include a new bike which was £70. He will only be getting a couple more little things after this.

DD who is 10 months has got a couple of little toys & she is getting a walker & thats her done.

SS - Asked for a bike which we have brought & that was £130, he also got the extra stunt pegs for it which were £10 & thats him done he is 8.

We are only doing the kids this year & probably dp's nan & little things for our parents, we don't want to waste hundreds on Christmas & leave ourself short.

If you don't have more than £80 i would say it was fine

quite scooby - for us it will be a normal shop - only us 2 anyways unles DHD@s family come down then we'll get some special stuff in, but pressie wise, boy will have about £20 the fmaily are from my avon (basically i'm getting goods instead of commission so they're sorted out) so just me and DH as I say, which if we're lucky will be £20 or £30 each.

There was news item on the Farepack Hampers thing last night and I was a bit shocked when one woman said she had lost the £800 she had saved with them! Even adding up all the extra food we buy as well as presents, etc I don't think I would spend anywhere near that on Christmas.

I'm including presents, international phonecalls and postage, food, christmas decorations. No parties planned as one of the aunties hosts the extended family on christmas evening (you cant escape them) and another on new year evening. However, we don't do presents outside of our respective nuclear families and absolutely nobody gives a toss about santa claus. we just show up with a cake or chocolates.

I've got £20 next vouchers, A couple of free movie screenings and a free odeon voucher. £7.50 in tesco clubcard vouchers (worth £32.5 in days out) and 8000 nectar points (£40 in sainsbury's or argos), jewellery making supplies and loads of cards left from last year. I could stretch that but there's deorations minus tree (ds1 will try to wreck that) and food. we don't drink much and I'm on a VLCD.

We usually have guests 'drop in' (always the same people) on the 24th and 26th so I have to cook loads. My brother and his girlfriend stays with us as well as SIL plus three kids. dh won't because dead not serving up a storm and playing the rich host.

We send £10 each to the 4 little cousins
About £15-20 on MIL/FIL
Same on my dad
£20 for Becky
£30 for Jessi
£10 each for my brother and SIL
£20 max for aunt and uncle
£20 max for granny and grandad

thats £150 tops.

Going to dads for christmas so dont need to worry about food etc

Me and DH will spend a little on each other - probably just a gift set or something - £20 max probably!

why can we just hide indoors and eat a pizza meal/diet shake with the lights turned down and watch sound of music? if we can put the boys to sleep, dh can get some almost-sexy jellybelly dancing plus sex as chritmas present.

Total cost £20.00

Christmas texts to all family at home (free) and abroad (25p per text) £7.50

we've cut loads of people of our xmas list this year and in a further bid to reduce the cost of xmas I am buying "couple presents" instead of 2 x individuals for people like my sisters and their dhs. dh's parents (x2 couples)Aside from immediate family Im only buying for one friend and her 4 children. Hoping to do it all for less than £200 - plus the children of course !

Last year we spent £80 on ds1 for Christmas and he had everything he asked for.

This year we have spent about £60 each plus a bike & a trike. If we hadn't bought the bikes , probably would have been max £90 each.

They are 5 & 1.

Not much chance as parents have just announced that they're visiting for Christmas, and as they've both retired and don't need to rush back they'll stay until new year. Oh and they'll bring my grandmother too. So feeding 3 extra people for 10 days would probably swallow that much before we even consider feeding ourselves, presents, etc.

Sorry, only read your OP.

Apart from pressies for the boys, we'll spend probably about £20 on chocolate. Food comes from DPs work as he gets a hamper with turkey and loads of other goodies. decorations, wrappng paper & cards we have loads of, and we don't get presents for anyone else.

FF - I think if u use your vouchers and points etc then you prob could do it, depends on how fancy you want to be I suppose.

tbh I normally save up all my vouchers etc and points then use them at xmas when I know i'll need the money.

I've gone a little over board this yr, i've spent £270 just on clothes for Darcie and just spent £30 on educational dvd's as buying her £120 in car dvd player.
Spending £60 on mum,£60 on dad, £60 on my sister, £20 on sisters DP, £60 on both nan's and £100 on my DP

so in total is £720.00 which is alot but have saved a little for it!!

but i only spent about £100 last yr, so i think that is fine!

At the moment Christmas won't be happening for us, so definately under £100... I'm currently thinking £30 between the children, and love n hugs for everyone else

going to mothers, so not paying for food etc on the day. the adults are doing secret santa, max 40 earth pounds. making presents for the kids. should keeps costs v v low.

am planning to throw a party though. and i do like to cook.

FineFatMamma

Where are your family ?

It may be cheaper to call them, I can text my cousin in Qatar for 25p per text or I can call her for 25p per minute.

It is a company called Telestunt.

the money side of Christmas really gets to me.

People go absolutely daft with gifts, often overwhelming little ones with piles of plastic. Spending ££££££'s on relatives is also barmy imho, it's nice to give gifts but shouldn't it just be a token. The number of people who take stuff back after Christmas is ridiculous (I used to do it too). Someone has spent ages choosing a gift and you've politely said 'how lovely' and now you're returning it! It's madness but your choice.

It's taken a few years but we're down to just buying for the grandchildren now which makes more sense to me and even they don't really need any more toys. Christmas is now the family getting together for dinner, having a few drink, laughs, games and arguments!

We only buy for the children in the family. We buy some different/nice food and a DVD and after we have been to church we have a lovely day. Lots of wine and nibbles, my two favourite boys and a roaring fire. Bliss......................

I have a £10 limit on all outside my family (ie DH and the DCs).

That's for nephew and niece, sister, mum, brother, DH's rellies (his mum, sister, brother's 2 children, sister in law etc etc).

It still mounts up as there are lots of them.