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[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by Experian CreditExpert to find out what budgeting plans you have in place for Christmas this year (2 months to go, folks! ).

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?
Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

Any other thoughts on the cost of Christmas all welcome.

Add your views and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £200 voucher for a major retailer of your choice - in time for Christmas!

You can find more info on CreditExpert here: www.facebook.com/ExperianUK

thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Firstly, can I say its ages til we can start on Christmas - got my fathers and husbands birthdays to come first (and Mum's just after).
Tho I think my oldest will start getting excited soon - last year he got excited, but didn't know what was really happening.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

Were lucky. It will all go on the credit card, and get paid off in full when when bill arrives (from savings)

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

we'll take advantage of offers if something really good is on, but generally wait til mid december, and see what's around.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?

Food - no budget, but we don't go overboard.
Presents - for friends and friends kids, we'd got for about £10.
Family, depends. If they don't really want anything, they will get a token, personally relevant present. If there is something they want (or need), will happily spend more.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

Used to meet up with Mum half way between our homes, and get most of it done in a big shopping centre.

With the arrival of the kids, most gets done on line, tho it means lots of trips to the sorting office (which is nowhere near where we ever go, so miles out of the way) to pick stuff up.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

Don't go overboard. A carefully chose present, however cheep, means more to most people than the actual value.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

I really don't want to add it up.
I guess an extra £20 on a turkey rather than a normal roast.
£30 on booze (were all lightweights)
£20 on extras for christmas cake, mincepies etc
£10 on snacking crisps and nuts for DH

4 stockings at say, £40 each
Presents.... eck £600 maybe?
Tree £50
Advent calendars £10 (the non chocolate versions are really expensive compared to chocolate ones)

Plus some bits I'll have forgotten to ad. Probably about £1,000.
We need to cut back. Its too much!

I start buying for Christmas in the January sales and stock up on paper, cards and crackers, and keep an eye out all year for bargains that I think people will like - easier than trailing round the shops failing to be inspired by anything in December. At the moment I'm keeping an eye out for half price wine when I do my weekly online supermarket shop to build up a case of wine for a relative.

I'll probably spend all my Nectar points on presents and use Tesco vouchers for Days Out and experiences like car days/airplane rides etc for people, things I wouldn't dream of spending that amount of cash on. Also they do good value magazine subscriptions.

I bought my Aldi four bird roast for our Christmas dinner this week to put in the freezer, as they'd run out last year when I tried to get it just before the 25th. It is sooo tastyand a real bargain.

TKMaxx is good for nice toiletries and I'm clubbing together with siblings to buy an expensive present for DF.

Our tree is artificial which saves us money not buying a real one each year. Buy new decorations for it in the days after Christmas when they're heavily discounted.

Online shopping is my preference - easier to find the lowest price and use Quidco and vouchers for discounts - but it's nice to go round the festive shop displays and buy things that you hadn't thought about, especially little stocking fillers. It does annoy me though when they package things up at a premium price just for a cardboard carton and a ribbon, when they are much cheaper individually year round.

I like making food hampers tailoring contents to what people like - that always seems popular.

Its rare i pay full rrp for childrens presents.... Some second hand in good condition(wrapped in stocking from FC they dont notice lack of packaging) or in sales/on offer. I dont buy many grown up presents but do go infor a good hamper. Dvd plus sweets and popcorn is a "night in" hamper. Cinema ticket voucher and a baby sitting iou voucher for night out. Bookpeople box set chocs and bubble bath is what my sister normally gets!
Obviously dh and i dont give pressies to each other.
Ive always been stingy with money and this hasnt changed with the recession.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I have a savings account that I transfer £50 a month into through the year, then use that to buy presents and things like the Christmas tree. Food and wine I buy from the normal household budget.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

I do tend to keep an eye open through the year for things that are discounted, and buy them if they are fairly small items - the "bigger" presents for the dcs I tend to leave until later as I want to be sure it is what they want.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?

For gifts for the dcs, yes. For everything else, not really.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

I feel totally safe shopping online. I don't think I bought anything in a shop last year.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

My brothers and I don't buy each other gifts now we all have children. We realised it was ridiculous when we all bought each other John Lewis vouchers two years ago. I do make gifts - I sew, so last year I made quilts for my parents and my grandmother which were enormous hits. However, fabric isn't cheap so I am not sure it was the money saving brainwave I thought it would be.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

I've got some bits and pieces already - I've probably spent about £40 on each of the children, and will spend around another £100 on each of them. I have some things for nieces and nephews, and for my mother, but still have a few more items. I will probably spend most of the £600 budget I have set aside.

I start keeping an eye out in the sales probably from September onwards. Especially with toys and books for DS and for friends/family children.

I also start putting money aside around the same time for purchasing my DH present.

I don't really set a budget for DS, we just buy him a main present, probably 10 or so smaller things to open and then his stocking. We do set a budget with family and friends presents and we set a limited for what my partner and I will spend on each other.

I suspect my tips are completely unuseful to anyone, but here goes:

only buy pressies that you know are needed
eat a normal-size dinner on christmas day
don't increase chocolate consumption

voila, cheap crimbo

When my dd1 was born she was due in nov and so i made sure that xmas was sorted by sept that year. It made for such a heavenly christmas that i make sure i do it all early and it def helps with the budget.

Use a clubcard or equivelent all year. I also use a tesco credit card as a fuel card to maximise my points. I then save the vouchers and buy toys and games during a double exchange event.

Shop all year, set a budget per person and keep scouring the net and get something when you see it. Argos clearance and amazon discount finder are excellent for cheap toys, fashion items and amazon particularly for jewellery.

Make food in advance and freeze it. Ham terrine, mince pies, stuffing ive made it all in advance to spread the cost before.

Making things is fine if you can do a decent job, food items are always the best but package them really nicely.

Wrapping can be costly but last year i used brown paper and baking twine with a candy cane tied on. It was cheap but looked fab.

I never put christmas on tic, i allocate an amount per person and set an amount for food. But spreading it over the year helps. If you save the money up instead to splurge in dec you'll miss the deals. I found a suzy smith bag reduced from 70 quid to 7 on amazon in july.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?
ive saved £50/mth all year, not a huge amount but enough to buy gifts for our 3 children without worrying. It's the first time I've ever done it, and I'm so glad I have as I'd be worrying now

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
i always search out a discount or bargain but if I really want to buy something and there isn't one, it doesn't stop me, within reason

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
not really because I normally host for my parents so they buy the food and I cook it. This year it's just us, but to be honest it's a glorified Sunday roast with a few treats alongside. No big deal

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
a mixture. Some great bargains to be had online, I can't resist. I do enjoy shopping in person, if I know what I'm looking for and am likely to get it. The Internet has made me very lazy in this respect, everything at my fingertips

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
definitely buy fewer gifts, or token gifts to show you are but without the big price tag

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year? I've saved £500, I'm hoping another £100 tops will cover everything. I can afford more, but choose not to.

I tend to buy stocking fillers throughout the year, I add them to my amazon basket then look at that every few days - sometimes the price of amazon items drops for a day or two then goes back up again, so I try to catch it at a low point. I don't budget as such but I know approximately how much I want to spend on each person and tend to stick to that. Almost all my shopping is online. Also, try to do almost all food shopping at least a week before Christmas as have noticed that all the offers have usually finished by then plus I'm less likely to forget something important.

I buy things throughout the year in order to spread the cost and take advantage of special offers and discounts. For everything else, I tend to wait for special offers and use online voucher codes. I've never really set a strict limit but I definitely use more discounts and vouchers now. In fact it's almost got to the point where I don't want to buy unless I have a voucher or discount code!

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I usually manage it very well by budgeting throughout the year ...this year things have changed financally things are very much tighter...I cant do much throughout the year as theres always something else needing the spare (haha) cash.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
I try and check out sales and promotions and this has helped a lot in the past.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
The children all have similar amounts and i budget that to what I can afford at that point .....the shopping I spend the same as my weekly shop plus about £100 but that includes goodies and drinks etc although the meat I buy bit by bit either having my friend collect me a turkey crown from aldi or bu buying a few stamps each week at the supermarket in the weeks before christmas

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I dont really enjoy shopping online as i like the atmosphere in the shops and since HMV had my card stopped when i did order online as they take a stupid amount first to check its a live account....santander became suspicious when a 2p transaction was debited and held my card in case it was fraudulent just what you need 2 weeks before christmas.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
Its christmas its not make every wish come true its not just about the day its the time leading upto it too

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year?
It depends what we can afford what I can sell on ebay etc etc

Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
about now I start buying and seriously planning for christmas.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?
i start looking for partential presents everytime there is a sale on even if it is january!! the presents can also sometimes be used as birthday presents as weel but its a good start.
Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
yes we try and get bottles of wine on sale through out the year especially if hardy wine is on offer as it always goes down well.
Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
yes i go on amazon alot for dvd and cd instead of trailing around the shops
What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
yes i always make a christmans cake and decorate my self with sugar icing and wrap up, it shows that alot of thought and effort has gone into the present making it unique for each person.
How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
normally after gathering things throughout the year spreading the cost we only spend an extra 50-100 depending what we managed to get throughout the year..

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I usually just spend what I have spare in Oct / Nov / Dec. As things are so much tighter now I think I will start saving earlier next year. I like the idea of putting £50 aside each month. I won't be getting in to debt to cover the costs though.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you? I usually look around for cheaper prices. The internet has been great for that. I don't really wait for sales as such, just shop around.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
Yes, everyone has an amount I spend, and a set amount for food and drink (although it isn't set in stone). I have to otherwise I would be in debt by January. My budget is certainly smaller since the recession.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
Most of my shopping is done online. I get better prices and more choice.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
Shop around online for better deals. Don't assume that because something says it is in the sale you can't get it cheaper somewhere else.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
I will probably spend about £500 in total including all food and presents for the 2 weeks. I haven't bought anything yet!!

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I have lots of saving accounts for things like car maintenance and holidays etc - one of these is for Xmas. i have a standing order set up each month to put a bit aside so Christmas isn't a shock.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

No, i don't really start buying until the end of November otherwise I find I spend more by buying bits all the time. I am very careful though and shop around for the best prices.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?

Sort of. I have a budget for Xmas gifts but food is included in the weekly shop. We eat at my parents on xmas day and MILs on boxing day so getting extra treats in balances that out.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

Both. happy to shop online

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

Don't panic buy or get things for the sake of it. I do bake stuff. Do gingerbread men for the kids stockings and have made mulled wine for people in the past.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

I'll spend:
£20 on parents, in laws, sister and bil
£50-75 per child (and this will include some bits they need such as socks and vests)
perhaps an extra £30 above what I'd normally spend on food for treats
£5 on the dog
£20 going out for meal at Xmas with work
£60 on going to the panto

I've saved for this throughout the year.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort? I have recently increased my working hours so we will be able to afford christmas this year.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you? I only really look for bargains on the ingredients for homemade sweets/chocs/biscuit gifts. I don't have much time or opportunity to shop any more.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started? I know how much I plan to spend per person and track this on a spreadsheet each year. Our budget has increased as I am working more hours since the recession.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online? Both. Yes.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
I like the idea of doing a kind of secret santa for gifts so that each person only buys and receives one gift but it is a decent one. Haven't done this in our family though as its like herding cats. I do make some gifts but like other posters I don't find this any cheaper.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year? About £1,000 I expect, spent over Nov & Dec.

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I start shopping for christmas as early in the year as I can, usually starting in the January sales for smaller things like stocking gifts wrapping paper and cards. I never buy anything that i cant pay for then and there and on the few occasions i have had to order something from catalogs if thats the only place i can get an item then i pay for it as soon as the bill comes in, I never take any debt from christmas into the new year.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

I dont necessarily wait for sales but I do take advantage of sales throughout the year to buy gifts.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not?

I dont tend to set budgets for gifts, i dont agree with spending the same on each child, they get what they want/need/like. Budgeting for food and drink doesnt really happen either, I buy a few christmassy treats with each shop during the months leading up to christmas (starting september) and save my tesco clubcard vouchers throughtout the year to pay for the turkey, other than that we dont go mad with food shopping.

Has this changed since the recession started?

I probably spend less on gifts than i used to but ive never been someone who spends a fortune on christmas so the recession hasnt really changed my christmas shopping habits.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

I shop online and in person, i reasearch gifts online to find the cheapest place to buy it and if it can be brought in store i will go and buy it in person rather than order online.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

Dont get yourself into debt, its just a day and it really is the thought that counts, you dont have to spent £1000`s of pounds. elderly relatives of mne really loved the homemade cookies i made last year as gifts and a batch of cookies also meant i had something to offer guests on boxing day.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year?

About £300 including gifts, food and drink

Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

I have nearly finished christmas shopping, i brought all cards and wrapping paper in January, stocking gifts throughout the year and bigger gifts from september

I set our rolling budget for the next year on a monthly basis, so inJan we already know how much we have for Xmas that Dec. This means that I can pick things up as and when I see them. I record everything i have bought on a separate Xmas spreadsheet so I know I'm sticking to my budget!

In addition to that budget i often pick up bits and pieces as part of the weekly food budget throughout the year, so if i see a dvd the kids would like i sneak it in the trolley and pay for it out of that weeks food money. This way I manage to get my stocking fillers, and Xmas eve elf basket sorted by about this time every year.

I also save all my nectar points all year, which pays for the extra food shop for the 3 days of Xmas.

We pay for everything we can throughout the year on my credit card, pay the balance off monthly, and collect the points on that too. This year that's earned me about £150 in amazon vouchers, which takes care of Santa this year!

looking back on that o suppose it looks quite anal, but it does mean we can afford to have a nice Christmas every year. If I didn't budget like this it would be very different!

I have a rough budget for Christmas generally start shopping in October. This is the first year I have Ds to buy for but as he's only 7mo it won't make much difference (I don't see the point in spending a fortune on a baby). In my family we only buy for children and partners but I will normally send home made fudge or shortbread to the adults.

I mostly shop in stores but do a lot of research online in advance to make sure I get the best deals. The exception to this is the inevitable Amazon shop.

From October we set aside a certain amount of our monthly budget for Christmas gifts. After that is spent that's it. We never pay for Christmas on credit. Wherever possible I'll buy in sales and take advantage of 3 for 2 offers. I don't spend more than £20 per child and £50 on my partner.

I haven't Bernard saving money for Christmas as we bit gifts out of our disposable income in October, November and December. I do save Nectar points throughout the year though. As well as Sainsburys shopping I have my Amazon account linked to Nectar and will only buy fuel where I get points. At the moment I have around £140 of points which will pay for Turkey, Wine and anything else for Christmas dinner.

Any other food is bought gradually throughout the year. If I go into poundland or home bargains I'll pick up nuts or chocolates or if I see a good offer in a supermarket I'll pick it up.

Other than Christmas day our food spend doesn't change as we both work over Christmas.

We budget annually andset aside a bit each month to cover the cost of Christmas (and birthdaysm and all sorts of other things!)

I do try to plan early and buy ahead in sales, but that more often works for birthdays than Christmas. I try to make sure I have time to shop around online for the best deals on presents we want to give too.

Online shopping is far preferable and cheaper. sometimes I get things delivered to the store to avoid postage charges.

This year I'm not going to send paper Christmas cards to anyone except elderley relatives. The postage costs are now too high.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

I don't wait for sales, but if I notice items on sale, I will go to those first. Also go to the reduced racks in places like Paperchase, or go for 3 for 2 offers etc. I also check online prices and secondhand to see if specific things can be got cheaper.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?

I do not set budgets. I am far to chaotic a person who wants to spend time on other things. If I had less money, I would have to, I guess.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

I feel safe-ish shopping online. I worry about items missing in the post and I hate the difficulty of returns by post (and the extra cost). I prefer buying in person, but sometimes the cost savings are too good to resist. Hope to buy some gifts on a business trip to US next month - that way I can get cheap things that are not found here (t-shirts, kitchen stuff etc).

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

Avoid rubbishy plastic tat that children play with and then break. But good quality gifts, but far far fewer. Make what you can - communal gifts - games, food stuffs are the best in many ways. These bring people together.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

No idea. Food will cost a lot - £300 or so over the festive days. We don't spend a fortune on presents - maybe £200 between the 4 of us, plus presents for other relatives.

I budget for Christmas very carefully as I am the main wage earner and my dh is the homemaker - we have secret santa in his family, so we can budget £30, and I wait until November to buy this, as his family like to tell you what they want!!!

With my side of the family, we spend a maximum of £5 on everyone, which helps to keep costs down - it is also fun seeing how inventive you can be! I start in the new year sales and carry on through the year - I often pick up really nice second hand things cheaply at yard sales, and no one minds this, so they get a nice present at a fraction of the cost. A lot of the rest of my family are very talented and make presents from their garden produce or give something that they have sewn / knitted! There are loads of great idea on moneysavingexpert.com on christmas presents for under £5.

For our children, they always write themselve's a list of things that they want, but they also know that they won't get everything, as Father Christmas's sleigh will only fit so many presents on it, and it has to be shared around all the children in the world! We will probably spend a maximum of £50 each on them, including the stocking bits and pieces.

Now the children are at school, we will not need to buy decorations for a long time - they are always making things towards the end of term, which gives a lovely feel to the decorations.

For food, wherever we eat, we tend to all pitch in, so it is never too much pressure on just one family to provide food for everybody! This year we are at my parents, and my brother, sister and I will divide up a course each and the wine, and my parents will do condiments / extras / tea time.

I have to be really careful in December as I also get paid on 20th instead of 25th, and this means trying really hard not to lose my head and buy lots of last minute items (it's very tempting), as I have to last until 25 January!

I do try and buy early as well, as and when I see things online (I never buy anything in shops, I always buy online).

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?
I try and save £50 a month throughout the year to pay for Christmas and most Birthdays. Seems to work well.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
No, not really sales. I do use Quidco for cashback, and ebay for some gifts though, or vouchers if I can find any.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
We have a loose budget on how much we spend per person, yes. This hasn't changed since the recession - but it hasn't gone up either!

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I never really buy anything in the shops, bar the odd thing that I see in the supermarket. I find it much more cost-effective to buy online and use any free delivery vouchers, cashback or offers that I can.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?
I keep a Christmas spreadsheet (yes yes, I know). So I don't lose track of what I've bought and it makes sure I don't spend too much.
I also buy early. I've been caught out too often by items being out of stock or going up in price.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
I try and keep it under £200 which I normally manage to stick to, but then spend another £50 ish on drinks, stocking fillers, decorations or

They'd like to know what plans you have to get finances in order - or is it something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort?

I manage my finances, make use of online banking, mobile banking apps, Experian etc - unfortunately said management does not translate to having a healthy bank balance or getting rid of debt [hsad].

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?

I try to get things on sale, or take advantage of 3 for 2 offers etc, or ebay/Amazon. In terms of things like decorations, Christmas cards, I try to buy these in the January sales for the following year.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not?

I don't have an exact budget as such, but try not to spend unnecessarily.

Has this changed since the recession started? No

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?

Online as much as possible, to avoid having to traipse around stores with crowds of people.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Do you buy fewer gifts?

Home-made Christmas puddings are good gifts, (if you plan in advance and make them ahead of time). Similarly, decorating tree with iced biscuits hanging on pretty ribbons is fun. I try to avoid buying generic crap stuff that won't get used, and instead try to think of useful or thoughtful gifts.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?

I'm not hosting Christmas this year (thankfully), so shouldn't have to spend too much. Am hoping less than £300 (including tree, gifts, decorations, food).

DP and I agree on an amount to spend on each other.

Spending on our respective families and friends comes out of our own personal budgets.

I haven't bought anything yet.

We're not hosting anyone so we'll spend a bit more on food than usual but not loads and loads.

I have an Xmas budget, all set out on an XL spreadhsheet - budget for each child, for DH, for relatives, for food. As I spend I log it in the relevant category! The budgets have being cut by a third this year due to the recession.

We pay ourselves quarterly and I put away a quarter of the Xmas budget at each payday. I also have an M&S credit card which I use all year to pay for everything (and pay off in full each month) and amass around £250 loyalty points, plus around £50 in boots. They really help!