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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

[Arcticwaffle]

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 always sort finances before I spend, I'm really wary of using credit or taking loans.

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

Yes, I buy in the sales when I see things.

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, and no change since recession started. But I'm naturally frugal/skinflint so I tend towardds careful budgeting anyway.

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

I like shopping online, I don't much like real life shops, online is fast and easy. Yes it feels safe enough.

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?

We also mostly buy gifts for children, I tell people not to bother for me, and that limits the shopping and the excess stuff we don't need (which worries me, all that waste, I prefer getting less).
What I try and do is buy things we'd buy anyway and wrap them up as presents, so the dc get quite a bit but it's not a massive extra expenditure.

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 buy things over the year but don't particularly need to, we maybe don't spend as much on Christmas as some families. we buy lots secondhand, we all like making things, and our families don't expect huge presents. Maybe we spend about £100 per child, plus extra food and drink, plus parties and work drinks and work and social meals out which do add up if you're counting those.

[B3nnyB0y]

We?ve changed our habits a lot over the last 3 or 4 years. We now only buy gifts for the kids as there are now so many and we do 80% of the shopping online, never had a problem doing this and with the extra protection of a credit card hope never to have one.

Things like nectar points and Tesco card points are saved all year for Christmas and although there is no set budget for gifts we never really go too crazy. Most of the kids love the boxes anyway.

[DorsetKnob]

I joined my work thrift in January which pays out next month, I left half way through so not sure how much is in there but I am guessing about £400. I managed to secure work and went straight from one job to the next and as I was on casual hours and paid in arrears by a couple of weeks I had an overlap of being paid for two jobs, so DC's main presents were brought then.

I have always planned early in the year what to get people so most are bought or in the process of being made. Book people for cheap stocking presents/unexpected presents are excellent.

We don't buy presents for each other or only a token gift and this year will put a voucher in an enveloped to take my parents out for a smart dinner somwehere, they like eating out and are the typical have everything people and are really difficult to buy for.

[sleepyhead]

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
I try to get what I want on sale and shop around, but I'd rather get something smaller that I knew the person would like rather than something that seemed a great bargain just because it was on sale.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
Yes, I've got a general idea in my head about the max I'd spend on each person, but I'd go over that if I saw something they'd really love and save money elsewhere. I don't think I'm spending less than in the past - the budget's probably been the same for a good few years, going up a little as there are more children to buy for.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I probably do most of my shopping online now. I use "click and collect" type things for shops like John Lewis, Boots or Tesco quite a bit to save on postage and queues.

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 save Tesco vouchers. They had a voucher swap for gifts and toys last year that paid for a lot of things. I also managed to get some things from Boots using Advantage points which helps.

The main thing that helps is that we don't have a tradition in either of our families of buying gifts beyond the immediate family which cuts down massively on the number of presents we have to buy. As soon as children come along the parents stop getting presents from aunts and uncles/siblings, so we don't expect to receive, or have to give, presents to cousins, aunts/uncles, brothers, sisters. This will seem really mean to some, but it works for our family and we seem to enjoy a great Christmas without piles of gifts for the adults to unwrap. My friends and I don't buy gifts but we'll have a night out at some point.

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 save for Christmas, but as said above, have a limited number of gifts to buy. I'll probably spend about £60 on my parents, £20 on my grandmother, £50 on dh, £50-£80 on ds, and around £60 total on my 3 nephews and niece. We'll be at my parents for Christmas so don't have to buy Christmas dinner but will spend about £50 on cheese and wine to take with us. So around £300 in total.

[prettybusymummy]

I start my shopping in the summer sales, everything is bought in sales, or on a 3 for 2 or using loyalty points. I buy most thing so online although my card was cloned last year I am still doing it. I never use credit cards for Christmas and I do not like going into debt, although if you use sites like Next or Very there is not any option.

[HappyBloodBlackPumpkinEater]

What plans you have to get finances in order?
This year, the credit crunch finally caught up with us, and so we have had to cut our cloth to fit since last Christmas.

In the past we have been bitten by debt, and it took so long to pay it off, and was such a struggle I learned it isn't worth overspending to be in that situation again.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
Yes, we have to. Although a lot of the current sales prices seem to be the normal full price, and the full prices seem astronomical! I'll wait for prices to come down, and if they don't then I won't buy very much, and presents will be a pretty poor show this year.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
Yes, again, we have to. Having said that we are having to cut out most Christmas foods and the alcohol will be cut down to a couple of bottles of wine and beer between now and the new year.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I feel safe shopping online, but it can take more time and the postage costs eat into the budget. Having said that, driving and parking also eats into the budget, so I start looking around for gifts from around the end of September (to save up for, then go back to and buy from the end of November).

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts?
I've started to make some small gifts a few weeks ago. I've also decided that some of the bigger things I've made this year to put aside to try to sell, or was planning to keep for myself will become good presents for close friends and family who will appreciate them more than a bought gift.
We don't post Christmas cards every year, we try to keep in touch by facebook more.
Like others, I buy things like special lights and decorations after Christmas for the following year, and let myself add one thing each year. As such, I have some good basics to decorate the house with and make it pretty and welcoming, and so I won't need to buy anything new. Our artificial tree was on it's last legs last Christmas and we won't be able to afford a real tree, so I'm thinking of collecting some sturdy branches, and contorted hazel and using them to hang baubles from instead.

Do you buy fewer gifts?
Yes, we have cut down a lot on who we buy gifts for. Some gifts are simply a gesture - something to unwrap on the day, or just to give a small practical gift instead of a card, or some years we just give a card, even to family.

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

We need to try to keep it down to about £100 - £200 all-in this year, including any extra on food, travel, presents, decorating, any nights out, clothes, postage, and all those hidden extras like batteries and DVDs or games. In past years we've spent up to about £500.

Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
I've gone back to what I used to do in the nineties and I started saving in September.
I'm also keeping in mind all the other things we have to save up for, to keep the Christmas spend in perspective. There's the cost of house and 2 cars, food prices going up, being burgled earlier in the year, and missing out on a family holiday.

Any other thoughts on the cost of Christmas; all welcome.

It's Christmas, not a wedding! It comes around every year, so it isn't worth overspending on. Nobody who deserves a gift from you would want you to get into debt (or be prevented from paying off debts) to get it! Being good company is the best present we can give each other, and that's free.

[cluttered]

I used to be really organised and buy things months in advance whenever there were offers when the DC were smaller but now they are older they are very specific about what they want. For example, DS1 wants a new camera this year but he wants to compare all the specifications of different models himself so I can't actually buy their main presents until they have told me exactly what they want!

In the past we haven't really set a budget, this year things are tighter and I could really do with having a cheaper Christmas but the DC are just at the age when they don't want the handmade or cheaper options. However several family members will be abroad this year so we will only exchange token gifts with them. Also DP and I won't bother buying much for each other as there really isn't anything we massively want that we don't already have, we will just get some chocolates and maybe a couple of books for each other.

I definitely prefer to shop online, I hate crowded shops in the run-up to Christmas, luckily our neighbours are usually home in the day and don't mind receiving deliveries.

[rodgette]

I always budget, the kids get an amount of £100 each, we have three, my husband gets £50 and I spend £200 on family members. I budget £100 for food from Christmas Eve to the new year, We always celebrate the week by having themed meals for that week, cheap, homemade and lots of fun(Italian night, Indian night, Chinese night etc). I save stamps at the supermarket £2.00 a week and then use these to buy the meat for Christmas and New year alcohol and treats alongside the Christmas shopping. I start saving from September because all my kids have birthdays the same week in August, so we start straight away after. I make sure all the bills are up to date and pay the water over 10 months so that we have a bit extra to put in the Christmas fund. I always have mt gift off Ebay, I but as much as I can for the house from Ebay too, I always have a ten pound real tree and re-use last years trimmings.
We enjoy a simple but warm, family friendly Christmas, it's not flash but we pay cash for what we do have and we NEVER use credit or get into debt for what we have. I have learnt this after 20 years of trying to get the balance right, I think Christmas is enjoyable but a highly pressured event.

[MumOfAPickle]

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?

Pretty haphazard really. I should plan better but it all seems to work out ok!

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

Yes. If I know a certain store does a sale at any point on the 3 or 4 months before Christmas then i'll wait for this.

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

No, not officially but I have an idea of what I want to spend on things. Definitely have limits for presents for people - different for each person. No change for the recession except me, my mum & my sister have set a limit of £10 to spend on each other (invariably Ho over though!)

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

Do most (90%) of gift shopping online and yes, feel safe doing so.

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?

Buy stuff when you see it if its a good price but don't lose track of what you've bought already!

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

No idea.

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

I started to buy bits around the start of October.

Hope this helps.

[RollingThunder]

hey'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?

Each year I try and plan for it further in advance as money gets tighter

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
Especially this year I am looking out for deals, buying early if I have a bit of spare money that month
Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
We are just much more concious of what we spend and on who - this year I think we will limit the children's gifts more and buy very little for each other

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online? - I 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?
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 have no idea exactly how much - but less than last year - I am sure

[prettypleasewithsugarontop]

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 to put a little aside each month, but it doesn't always work that way.

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

Yes, I buy all my DD2's birthday presents in January sales and DD1's in summer sales. If i see anything suitable for Christmas i try to get that as well if on offer

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 also don't buy for extended family as this was a large expenditure as there were so many of them. We also mede a deal with closer members to only buy for each others children. The recession has had a massive impact.

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

I shop online and in store. I don't have a preference really, although if i do shop online i try to make sure I can get free delivery by looking for voucher codes or minimum spends etc. I do feel safe shopping online, although I have noticed that there seem to be more stories about people being scammed, so this would maybe put me off in future.

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?

The kids make the Christmas cards (glitter!!!) and we bake cookies. We tend to give school pictures as a little extra as well. For chocs get soon at Thorntons, BOGOF or 4 boxes for £20 are excellent deals.

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?

Probably around £400 all in, as we don't need to buy food this year. Have been buying bits and pieces all year

[HappySunflower]

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 to plan in advance or else I feel very panicked and worried!

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
I buy things when I see them at a good price. Hence I started buying Christmas gifts in February.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
I don't have a set budget, no. But I try to find things at the best possible prices that I can. I have shopped around a lot more since money has been tighter.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
A bit of both, really, and yes I feel safe to shop online but make sure I use reputable sites.

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 do make my own. Chocolate truffles, caramelised onions, jams, cakes, etc

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 been saving up tesco clubcard, boots advantage card and nectar points
I'm expecting to spend about £300 in total. Including food, travel to visit family, and gifts.

Any other thoughts on the cost of Christmas all welcome.
For me, Christmas is about spending happy times with people you love, not about how much you spend!

[TotallyEggFlipped]

It's great to be able to read everyone else's tips.
I don't tend to make a budget, I just try to spend as little as possible.
I buy everything I can when it's discounted and I price compare constantly to try to get the best deals. For presents and long-life food and drink that's fairly easy.
When it comes to family gifts we set up a secret Santa for DH's family as there are so many of them and although we could say no gifts for adults it just doesn't seem like Christmas with nothing to open at all. There's usually a price limit of eg £15-20 per couple and you only buy for one couple.
Food and drink I expect we'll spend about an extra £100 over Christmas & New Year compared to our normal shopping.
Presents - I'll probably spend £200 if I have it by then, but I don't have a credit card or overdraft, so if I don't have it, I can't spend it. I've been ebaying stuff to try to get £200 by Christmas.

[notactuallyme]

I keep a spreadsheet each yea of recipient; gift; cost; wrapping/cards, which I then review and delete/ add people to. So, then I have a rough idea of what we will spend, based on last year, plus additions/deletions.

I buy prefilled stockings for around £30 each. I then add about £10-20 worth of things from lists. This means that I also get surprised by what Santa has brought.

There is a limit of around 100 per child. (4 children) We buy something that they want, and do not even up with tat/anything to make up £25.67 as this is less cost effective than buying a decent, durable, wanted present.

From September, I buy presents from the list. Average spend 10-20 per person, parents slightly more. I do a whole family (eg my two neices) at a time, wrap it and put it away. This means that i don't spend more on top up presents.

I also buy cheap/ on offer extras like crackers and calendars and sweets when I see them, and stock pile. This avoids a really expensive food shop as the actual meal is just a glorified roast.

[Jcee]

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 to plan and usually start thinking about Christmas planning in September to spread the cost.

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

Sometimes. It depends on who I'm buying for and, if there is a specific gift, I'll look out for when its on a special offer or if I'm seeking inspiration for a gift for someone, look at what's on offer for bargain ideas. I try to find bargains so I can make our Christmas budget stretch further and I use my loyalty points I've saved up during year for some presents eg my boots card usually covers a gift or 2

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

I've always done this as we work to a monthly budget anyway so we can't go mad and it's so easy to get carried away at Christmas.

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

I shop online and in store, but it depends what I'm buying, eg clothes i prefer to see them before purchasing. sometimes it seems that there are better deals available online, especially if using promo or delivery codes. I feel safe but I only use reputable sites eg ones I've heard of and always check the payment method (is it secure or one ive heard of like PayPal, world pay etc) and remember if a bargain looks too good to be true, it probably is.

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?

Plan it all otherwise you'll end up spending too much in last minute panics. We agree a budget and stick to it - we have a present budget and a food/drink and entertainment budget. This year as everyone is struggling a bit, We've agreed with friends to only buy presents for kids and rather than going out we are having a few house get togethers over Xmas period where everyone will pitch in with drinks/food. Food wise we make what we can rather than buy ready made stuff and shop from list so as not to get carried away with offers, deals and overbuy on stuff like chocs and biscuits etc

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?

Will be spending about £300 - we've been putting some money away each month from Sept to spread cost and so far I've bought a few food bits which will keep and a couple of things for pressies which were on special offer.

[JollyJackOLantern]

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?
Usually I have a savings account that I add to whenever I have spare cash that gets used for Christmas, holidays, birthdays, car repairs, big purchases etc.
This year I am earning less personally buy DH has had a pay rise so is earning more. Christmas presents are therefore mostly coming from the joint funds this year, or Dh is paying for them from his wages.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts -does this help you?
I've bought most of Ds's gifts second hand. He's getting a big new present ut he's getting lots of second hand stuff too.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
Again, we used to set budgets for gifts, but not so much any more. Unlike most people we are now on a more stable financial footing. We've never set food or drink budgets for Christmas though.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I'm quite comfortable shopping online.

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts?
Buy second hand from facebook classified groups. So many bargains.

Do you buy fewer gifts?
See above

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year?
In total, probably around £800 on presents and £200 that we wouldn't normally spend on food.

Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year?
Ds's presents have all been bought. Not because of wanting to spread the cost, buy because of seeing things cheap.

[stickylittlefingers]

we've never spent loads and loads on Christmas, try to keep it more as nice little surprises and concentrate more on the being together, enjoying the time off and seeing friends etc. Sitting round with a nice drink and a mince pie and having a chat or watching a film is special. Going for a walk and having a hot chocolate afterwards makes great memories for the children - round up the neighbours and make it a party!

Budgeting wise: I collect together all the vouchers we've amassed in the year, and use them to buy presents and the nice extras. I do save a bit extra each month from the summer to buy the presents, but we don't go mad anyway.

I do make homemade food and things, for us and and to give as presents. I think homemade decorations look much nicer. We have loads of holly and ivy in the garden, so pruning that does a lot of decorating!

[alibeenherealongtime]

I don't budget for Chrstmas as we always go away, to get away from all things Chrstmas. So whilst we may spend a lot on going away, we waste less by not buying stuff we don't really need, like crackers, puds and chocolates or a tree!

I stopped adults buying presents for each other when we all had children and we just exchange a paperback book each. We give children the equivalent of what we would have spent in a cheque.
Dh and I spoil each other for birthdays, so no presents, just nice cards to each other.

I collect bargain toys throughout the year from tkaxx for all my minded children, max £10 each, lots of Melissa and Doug wooden puzzles this year costing originally over £20

[swallowedAfly]

this year i've been more sensible in buying things in advance. for example i found a ebayer in china who sells lovely silk nightdresses and pashminas - i was buying for me anyway so for the same postage added a few extra bits for female relatives. i've also done things like trawl through the play.com clearance sale for family films for ds at a few pounds each that bulk out his presents. i have a drawer with some stuff in and a few bits on top of the wardrobe for ds already.

i mostly do internet shopping as i find it is far cheaper if you are savvy and you're less likely to waste money on random crap out of desperation to be out of town.

i can't imagine going into debt for christmas - i would not spend more than i had and always have 'enough' despite being on a very low income in recent years.

i try to buy presents that are 'right' for people and show i know them/care about their tastes/needs etc rather than being showy. i suppose that's my real tip for money saving - it's not the size/price tag that counts it's the feeling of being known that comes with a well chosen gift.

oh actually top tip for teens gifts is a diving experience - find your local dive centre and ask how much a discover scuba day is - they go, have some training and then get to go in the pool in the gear and do some underwater swimming and skills. it's a real wow present without spending a fortune (was £15 per head for my neice and nephews) and better than buying random stuff they don't want or need and is another thing thrown in the pile of opened and discarded gifts. also allows you to delay the cost as you only pay when they choose dates and you book it.

[FrumpyPumpy]

Iit something you manage well, try to avoid thinking about or leave 'til the new year to sort? We have a savings account just for Christmas and Save £60 per month.

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you? Yes, look out for voucher codes, always shop around, most shopping done online. 

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? Yes, have a spreadsheet which goes back 5 years, has a forecasted spend, actual spend in and all gifts and food needed.  Food not as much a budget, but don't go mental!

If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started? 
Always wanted to know how much will cost, always pay credit cards off in full each month inc december's bill.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online? Absolutely safe, do 90% online .

What money saving tips can you pass on to others at this festive time - for example - do you make your own gifts? Yes did sloe gin last year was delicious, no sloes this year! Book man at work throughout the year is great, we are using some hand me down books and games as presents. eBay - got massive brio set on eBay about September 2 years ago, is played with every day and worth the £60. We sell on eBay through the year and try to keep the last few month' profits for Christmas. Also we shop at Tesco and keep all the vouchers for Christmas, and try to do a big shop when double points. We get all cards and wrap in the sales do rarely buy full price.

Do you buy fewer gifts? Yes, have agreed with some people to not buy fir each other just for kids.

How much will you and your family spend on Christmas this year? About £1000 gifts, food, drinks, 

Have you been saving for Christmas or buying things over the last few months or year? Yes savings account and a present box that will sort about 10 presents out. 

[VivaLeBeaver]

I start buying presents in August and budget £75 a month for presents over the next few months which seems to cover most of them.

I save co-op divi points on my card all year, currently have over £70 on my card so that will be used for food. I also shop at morrisons where they do they £30 pff a shop if you've collected 8 tokens, I shop there anyway so the tokens are easy to collect. I get all petrol in morrisons and save the £5 tokens you get after getting enough petrol points. Normally have about £100 worth of tokens.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I don't do a spreadsheet or anything technical. I know that for most family members I budget about £20 a person. Dh a bit more but not always. Try not to go mad with dd.

I don't go into debt over Xmas, never.

[SandWitch]

Do you wait for sales or discounts when buying gifts - does this help you?
Yes, always - I want to feel like I am getting the most I can for my money. At the same time though, I would not not buy something, if it was really wanted just because it was not discounted. (as long as funds in the bank allowed for it)

I have a present hiding place at home and pick up various things as I go along throughout the year that I think would make nice gifts for various people.

Do you set budgets for gifts, food, drink etc - if so, why? If not, why not? Has this changed since the recession started?
I don't set a budget as such, but I do save throughout the year for things like birthdays, Christmas, holiday spending money. I have an idea in my head of how much I wish to spend - usually £10 - £20 ish for adults, perhaps a little more for children. Having said that, I have bought a gift for my MIL which was reduced from £60 to £12 - I don't feel the need to top up her gifts so that I have spent £20 Similar situations for several other presents this year - I have been on the MN Christmas threads.

Do you shop online or do you prefer to buy gifts in person? Do you feel safe shopping online?
I feel very safe buying on-line and just about all of my presents this year will be bought via the net.
This has increased more and more in the last few years - 5 years ago I doubt very much at all would have been purchased on line. I liked to 'feel' what I was buying. Most sites have improved now, with good descriptions, reviews etc, so I feel that I will have a good idea of quality.
I am a little more wary of sites that I have no experience of, but mainstream on-line shops are fine.

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?
Start early! I have just one more present to buy and I am then done - I don't think I have purchased one item that has been full price. I may not have necessarily spent less in most cases, but I have got more for my money.

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 have been saving since last Christmas (and actually bought a few things in the January Sales).
As for total spend:
Grandparents, Uncle's, Aunts, Cousins, dh, Godchildren, God parents, friends etc, less than £200
2xdc - £85 - £100 each

Not hosting this year, so will not have loads of food to buy

[jan2013]

in the past ive spent without thinking but since being married and now being separated with a child i have to really try to manage christmas somehow.

i usually assign a certain amount to each person but in the past have went above that, so this year what i have been doing is trying to buy a couple of gifts each month since the summer to try to spread things out.

i mostly buy gifts online, a lot from amazon. ive heard a lot of these cashback sites, so i plan to use these and also to sell stuff on ebay, to try to help with the cost.

[missorinoco]

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

I don't wait for sales, probably because I am buying for young children or adults, so they would rather have the gift thansale shop. I start buying early and look out for discounts.

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

My husband and I budget our presents to one another as cash is tight, not much worse since the recession, but the budget's pretty economical. I haven't budgeted for the children, but I'm not extravagant at the moment. Food and drink, not really, but again I shop carefully and startbuying early. I don't scrimp on the turkey. If I am going to cook an Xmas dinner for 8 it might as well taste good.

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

Shop on line. Three small children and a job. Bad combination to Xmas shopping.

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 buy less, and am more careful with money. Although I do miss being able to just look at something and buy it as a gift. I stopped buying XMas presents for friends' children a while ago. There were too many, and my children, although they enjoyed the gifts, didn't need them, so to speak. Mainly it was cos I needed to save money though. It's a good way to cut spending.

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 haven't saved, but I have already bought cards, paper and some gifts. How much will I spend, not sure.

Any other thoughts on the cost of Christmas all welcome.