Christmas spending

[novemberlove]

We have spent about 800 euro on the kids. Could keep going but will need practical things in Jan.
We buy for nieces and nephews - it's ridiculous as lots of things bought that isnt needed. I've bluntly told my family there's no need to buy mine a thing, an icecream/ Trip to the playground is really appreciated. I play along with the in laws, I dont want to offend anyone or seem unappreciative.

We will see how the bills are after all that is looked after - Santa visit, pjs, all those things are adding up. I don't want to be stoney broke in January so will try to be more mindful this year

 

[Lisdiz]

*sorry wrong "here"!

This came up in my recommendations:

How did they get their money? Who are they?

 

[August]

So you buy expensive designer clothes for a 3 year old and yet you shop in ALDI and put toys from there on credit….

Oh the irony…..

I usually shop in Asda but yeah, I haven’t got 2 pennies to rub together. Everything is credit

 

[Tangent Tiger]

Might not be the appropriate thread if it’s not direct me elsewhere please.
Has anyone made the decision not to buy for others this year? How do you stop feeling guilty about it.
My gas meter needs the couple of hundred I would spend.

I guess you could just get a small chocolate gift if you wished to.

I'm not spending much, fairly broke! I can't skimp on my mother but found a couple of nice gifts for relatively cheap.

 

[whitefox1]

Oh bless, not been around here long clearly.

Back to Christmas, we save £50 a month, was £75 but covid and bills! It gives us enough to pay for everything, we only have a small family and this year I refuse to buy his family gifts as they are beyond ungrateful.

Oh but to the contrary I have been around these parts for quite some time. Had to open a new account though as wanted to change my username (previous one contained my surname) but couldn’t work out how to do it!

 

[August]

Stuck some more on credit today at Aldi. The wooden dollhouses and train sets are back.

 

[Queen of the Thames]

I don’t really know what to do. My paternal family lives in the UK and I was born and brought up somewhere else, my dad lives in the country where I was born. I/we only see my paternal family once a year during Christmas. The last time was Christmas 2019 because of COVID. We always do presents in our family, but I’ve never bought Christmas presents for my paternal family, my auntie buys the presents with my dads money for our family from my dad and me. She doesn’t buy expensive gifts or anything and I think it’s been like this for 25 year. I’m 28 now and feel bad that I don’t buy any presents, but I don’t really know my family and really don’t know what to buy them and don’t know who I should buy for. So it feels easier to just let it be, but it also feels wrong.

edit: I was in university till 2018, Christmas 2018 was my first year graduated, but I went back to university in 2019. Most christmases I was still a student, so it didn’t feel wrong that my father paid for the presents.

 

[coconochanel]

I hope this doesn't sound judgy because it's not meant that way at all. But I still remember being a young child and by far the best presents weren't expensive ones but normally noisy or fun ones.
So taking that into account I've been buying nephews and nieces, they are all from 2 - 8, the things I remember enjoying. And can you believe it they also preferred playing with the cheap toys I got them than the expensive stuff everybody else got.
In fact this actually caused an issue last Xmas because my gifts range from £1 - 10 and other adults got the right hump because the children wanted to play with my cheap toys and not the expensive stuff they got.
SO what I'm saying is to cut costs try and think back to what you liked at that age and I bet you'll be surprised it wasn't the super expensive stuff

What kind of toys did you buy them?

 

[wretchedhag]

Well now you know.

Duly noted.

 

[knivesnflowers]

only child, now living alone so a few more outgoings but want to get my parents a few thoughtful gifts bc i really do appreciate them. all extended family is older so don't really buy for them, in the past five years or so we have started gifting to my second cousins as they're only little and the only younger family members we see regularly. we also stopped going elsewhere for xmas day when i was two or three so all i know is our little family of three and i wouldn't have it any other way - one of the reasons i love christmas so much.

might use about 10% of my overdraft (no interest or anything) for the five days between black friday and payday (have a separate account for bills so no stress as they are already accounted for) but tbh I'm not planning to buy much more. on a different schedule re. buying gifts this year bc i've had to time them getting here before i travel home but now i'm used to that i can save earlier next year. i used to put aside £10 a week which was really helpful so will probs start that again in the new year.

 

[Foxy86]

I had to play that youtube clip 3 times, I thought I miss heard he has a partner and a husband (who had a partner)

Iv also realised iv asked the question an not answered it my self.

I don't have a budget as such, I spend about £500 on my 3 children.

£500 each (it wouldn't let me edit)

 

[Pinhead Larry]

I've put £200 aside for my mum, dad, brother and nanny. Roughly £50 each on mum, dad and brother and a token gift for my nanny but I like over budgeting so future me feels rich.

I have no idea how much to spend on my boyfriend, he earns 4 times more than I do but I hate the idea of my present being disappointing compared to what he gets me I was thinking £150 for him

 

[Ktb]

Apologies, this may be the wrong thread to post on!!
However, any advise on how much a 4 year old should really get at Christmas?
At the moment I have got my little one around ten smaller gifts and plan on a little stocking for her to open when she wakes up but I can’t help feeling like it’s not enough?!
In the same boat as everybody else with money being really tight this year but feel like I should be doing more.

You don’t and should no way feel you have to get anymore or that it’s not enough.
I know it’s easier said than done and I used to be like it but I’m sure she’ll be more than happy with whatever you’ve got her.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

Probably £60 on each family member (MIL, FIL etc)
And then probably about £150 on my husband.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Just saw this on amazon. I had one as a toddler and still remember it because I loved it so much. Bought one a couple of years ago for niece and she loved it as well. Honestly imo great little present and cheap.

https://amzn.eu/d/iqI8ZYE

 

[Foxy86]

I'm going all mumsnet now

Do you have a budget for Christmas?

A friend of a friend spends £200 for 4 children and 2 x grandparents an I can't get my head round it, I need to know what she's buying!!

This isn't to shame anyone on, im just interested.

 

[Helena Sell]

Apologies, this may be the wrong thread to post on!!
However, any advise on how much a 4 year old should really get at Christmas?
At the moment I have got my little one around ten smaller gifts and plan on a little stocking for her to open when she wakes up but I can’t help feeling like it’s not enough?!
In the same boat as everybody else with money being really tight this year but feel like I should be doing more.

 

[strawb]

I only buy for my husband and his parents … oh and the animals of course

I’ve bought my husband a fancy metal wallet with RFID protection. I always buy him a book to read on our annual Xmas holiday too. This year we are going to Jordan.

£70 for the wallet and a book. £1400 for my share of the holiday

His parents don’t really want for much, but his Mum is currently going through cancer treatment and their house has got a bit much for her, understandably, so I’ve organised a cleaning service to do a big deep clean when she goes into hospital next month, and then a cleaner to come weekly for the next year.

£2,000 for the years cleaning service and one off deep clean.

My cats will get the usual array of treats, and I’ve seen a motion activated laser pointer toy that the youngest two will love while we are at work. rabbits have got new beds, and the alpacas have a new football because one of them (most likely Lemmy) has burst the old one.

Cats toy is £20 and then about £6 on treats.

Rabbit beds were £30 each x 2

Football for alpacas £15

can i have lemmy for christmas?

 

[Former_Antelopee]

I did all my Christmas shopping in the January sales. Spend about £20-30 per family member and as long as the full price was around that then whatever money I saved I keep