Budgeting for Christmas: Do you plan ahead or spend as you go? - £200 to be won.

[EllieSmumsnet]

On average Mumsnetters are expecting to spend £786.30 this Christmas. Although Christmas is a magical time of year, it can also be an expensive one – especially when it comes to making it special for your kids. From gifts to festive treats, the costs can sneak up quickly!

Do you plan ahead with a set budget, spread the cost across the year, or have clever ways to keep spending under control? Perhaps you’ve tried Secret Santa swaps, homemade gifts, or setting spending limits for family and friends. We’d love to hear your tips and strategies for managing the financial side of Christmas. How do you balance your festive spending?

• Post your thoughts in the thread below to be entered into a Mumsnet prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from this list of VEX retailers).
• The closing date for entries will be 20th December 2024.

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I don't think too hard about it these days which is a privileged position to be in. I have an account that I put a monthly amount in to that is for stuff like clothes and other anticipated expenses like school shoes and uniform, Christmas and birthdays. Given the time of year I can basically spend whatever is there because it will top up again by the summer when I'll next need it for holidays and uniform.

That said I always have an amount in mind that is reasonable for gifts. When DC were small and we had much less disposable income then the budget for their main gift could be as little as £20. Currently in a better position so it is around £100.

Buy £100 per month premium bonds and if you get lucky and win a bit great, but worst case you get every penny back when you are ready to spend it

I usually try and save £75 a month but always have to dip into it for general living expenses. I really have to try and not do this this year as Christmas for me was very worrying.

I have set up a standing order for every Monday for £7.00. 1 pound a day into my christmas account to add to the £75 i hope not to spend. I figure that you don't miss a pound a day, yet it will be an extra £364 a year which hopefully gives me some breathing space and make me worry less.

I save £50 a month which covers food, drinks etc. I buy a couple of gifts a month from August onwards.

For me - Christmas is all year around - buying wrapping paper and crackers and cards in the Jan sales saving for present buying and saving my supermarket points for December. It seems to work out ok - save what I can sometimes £200 sometimes nothing.

I start in the January sales for wrapping paper, santa sacks, decorations and stocking fillers and save for the big day monthly with a hamper company - I am too tempted to draw out of my bank account if I save there.

I put £100 away a month and look for bargains throughout the year. This way I always have the money there if I see a really good price for something.

I also find that it's not just the present cost at Christmas its the extra food, drinks and unexpected expenditure that needs to be budgeted for as it all adds up!

I also make a not of present ideas if someone mentions something throughout the year.

I don't have a specific amount - but try to have a general pot of money for birthdays/Christmas, and will buy all year around for this.

My bank has a 'round up' option which transfers all the odd pence into savings. I leave this pot to build up all year. Every Monday morning, I transfer the odd pounds from my current account balance (say if I had £372 in there, I'd move £2 over) to the same pot.

Then there's the Nectar points app which can be very generous if you use a Sainsbury's Local frequently. Ended up with £43 to spend there at Xmas. I do the 'big shop's at Tesco and let the Clubcard points build up, which gave me £55 to spend last month.

I also make online purchases through TopCashback and let the rewards build up. Natwest also do a rewards scheme but I don't do very well from it personally. Still, there's generally around a tenner each year and it's free.

Don't forget to claim loyalty points for fuel too.

I save in a 'rainy day' fund for emergencies, birthdays and Christmas - and my clubcard vouchers usually pays for the Christmas food shop - it's a case of being disciplined with my spending, and if I don't need it- then I don't buy it.

Every year I start with good intentions to be more organised and start Christmas early. However, for the last few years I have always managed to leave it until the end of November to start buying presents.

I think now my children are older it will be easier to buy through the year as it isn't toys they will want. I have adequate a promise to myself and bought 4 different types of organisers to make sure my life is more organised this year after after realising poor DH has a big birthday soon and I feel incredibly guilty at not being organised for it and now not having the funds to do something special. It has given me the kick up the arse I needed.

I have bought my wrapping paper and lots of stocking fillers in the sales, I will, as last year, save for December, but also buy as I see things and put them away for gifts. (always in the loft - out of sight of little fingers)

I had a budget - but went over it - some is on my credit card, and I'll be able to pay of off in 3 instalments. this year I intend to buy earlier and buy less.

I think £786.30 seems realistic if it is for all food shopping and gifts. I save all year around - but it's for everything, birthdays, Christmas, holidays - over and above what our monthly mortgage, utilities and shopping bills. I think I spent around £1200 on Christmas this year - which is more than I had wanted - but I fulfilled the Santa list.

Congratulations @Gorondola you are the winner of this discussion!