Christmas budget-am I.tight?

[clartins]

Christmas- I spend £100-150 each on my DH, DD & DS everyone else regardless of who you are £20-25 and that’s it.
Reciprocal gifts from family and friends are usually around the £20 mark.
Are we a tight family or is this ‘normal’?

There is no normal, it depends on each family.

I think spending lots of money for the sake of it is silly and wasteful. We already waste so much, and Christmas can amplify this. It's also sad to hear of some people tying themself in knots trying to find the money to reciprocate expensive gifts when they are struggling financially.

BUT if you can afford it and you get them something that they really want and get a lot of use/joy out of, then I think it's fine to spend lots of money on extended family.

Depends on how much you earn.

For my children I've never really set a budget. When they were little I used to see what got mentioned lots and try and get them it.

Now they are teens it's more expensive.

I don't buy for my parents or extended family. My shopping is purely for my children and something for them to give their Dad.

It’s about what I spend, less if I find great second hand stuff or make things myself.

We spend about £40-50 on each parent, £25-30 on each sibling and grandparent, £15-20 on a couple of friends' children. No children in family except ours and we don't buy for adult friends.

For our kids it varies so much depending on what they want or need and the state of our finances at the time. I don't agree with spending a fortune for the sake of it, it's so wasteful.

This year DS (8) wants something costing £600! We agree it will be useful and are able to afford it, but a £400 version would be more than adequate and we don't want him to expect such expensive gifts, so we've asked him to put his savings towards it. However we have spent less than £100 some years, and will probably do so this year for DD.

I spend a lot more but it's up to you
When I was younger and more skint I spent less

Normal, although my budget is £50 for our parents as they spend quite a lot on us.
I've previously spent £20 each on siblings, then the gifts evolved to giving £20 to their children instead.
I don't need to spend hundreds on my children, as they have what they want / need through to year. (They work at our business outside school, so get decent pocket money as wages)

Normal for husband and children. Looking at lists this year, they're at about £100/£150 each including stockings. Partner about £70 including stockings.
Very generous for everyone else. More like £5-£10 here.

Everyone else gets something for £5-10 if anything at all

Totally normal ! I've seen other Christmas posts where people are spending thousands on Christmas it's mind boggling !

I would say that's about normal

My 4 dd's have a budget of £200

Other than that only buy for my parents about £20-25 each and

£60 in total on my best friends 4 children

So around the £900 mark which is a lot of money

We spend £70 ish per child (but wealthy grandparents spend £250 each on them). £40 each on our siblings and parents. £20 each on nephews and nieces. £10 on teachers. No presents for neighbours or friends but we'll have an open house.

That sound normal, but DH and I would spend much less on each other - about the £25 mark. Our parents and siblings get token gifts. The teens get about £100-£150 each.

There is no normal , but I would find it strange if a couple spent as much on gifts for each other as they do for their children .

I save every month for Christmas and at the beginning of November I have £1000 for everything. Cards, wrap, gifts, turkey. I’d read another post regarding an expectation to spend £50 per person and it got me thinking. We see Christmas as a time to have a few treats but primarily to spend time together. My DD is 22 and DS 20, they know the budget and are fine with it. I won’t get into debt over Christmas and I’ve always been realistic with the children, requesting a Christmas list containing a variety of different things that would cost anything from a couple of ££ upwards. I’m not saying we’ve got it right, but it works for us.

@Floralnomad

There is no normal , but I would find it strange if a couple spent as much on gifts for each other as they do for their children .

Strange, how so?

DH and I don't buy each other gifts and save the money for a weekend away (except last year as we weren't allowed overnight stays until April).

Definitely very generous given update/your children are adults!
When mine are adults they'll probably just get a nice book or some cash to help, that sort of thing. My mother gives me £20, in laws don't get their adult children anything now there's grandchildren but pre-grandchildren it was PJ'S, fancy box of biscuits, that sort of thing.

Not tight by anyone's definition, v.generous. Enjoy your festivities!

@clartins not so much when kids are older like yours are but I always find it a bit weird if someone is spending £100 on their child and then spends £100 on their partner . I suppose it’s because I’m an adult and really don’t need anything , it’s probably just me .

[quote Floralnomad]@clartins not so much when kids are older like yours are but I always find it a bit weird if someone is spending £100 on their child and then spends £100 on their partner . I suppose it’s because I’m an adult and really don’t need anything , it’s probably just me .[/quote]
We do this, DH and I spend £100 on each other and £100 on each of our DDs. For DH £100 may just be that I buy him a really nice bottle of whiskey and some aftershave whereas DDs are small so £100 equates to quite a lot of presents, especially as they're more than happy with second hand toys. Admittedly as they get older I imagine they'll get more expensive at which point DH and I's budget will have to reduce.

Ah, I think it makes a big difference now I know your kids are grown ups! I thought it was acceptable but on the low side if they were children.

Of course £100 is suitable for adult children. I couldn’t manage on that with mine just because we tend to give things like equipment and clothes for their hobbies and sports/necessary items/new bike if they’ve outgrown theirs. But I wouldn’t be spending that much when they’re adults!

Either way, it works for you. Christmas is not a spending contest (although some people treat it like it is!)

I don't really have a budget. I probably spend £50 per stocking for each of my 5 kids, and then 15-20 presents each, but this can include stuff they actually need, like underwear, and cheap stuff like selection boxes. I spend around £50 each on my niece and nephew, and £20/£30 per adult.

We spend more on our kids than we do on each other.

@windmill26

We stopped years ago this silly merry go round of gifts for extended family and friends . It is a huge waste of money and time (especially between adults). We just buy gifts for our child and a little treat for myself and husband,everyone else get a card and maybe some chocolate. So going back to your original question OP, normal (actually way more generous than me)

I did the same . So much easier and less stress.

@clartins

Christmas- I spend £100-150 each on my DH, DD & DS everyone else regardless of who you are £20-25 and that’s it. Reciprocal gifts from family and friends are usually around the £20 mark. Are we a tight family or is this ‘normal’?

That’s sounds fine....I used to spend a bit more on my kids when they were children...but nieces and nephews was a tenner each and a selection box ....pressie for my mum but apart from that, no adult gifts.... so it likely works out the same....it’s whatever works for your family