Christmas spending

[LittleMy]

I’ve almost finished with my Christmas shopping. My husband and I’ve spent about £400 each on our two children (that’s a main present, some books, an outfit, board/card games, pyjamas and sweets for their stockings).

We spend about £100 each on ourselves, £100-£150 on food, £30 each on our two nieces and £50 each on my parents and his mum. I make up little hampers for our grandparents. We have an agreement with our siblings that we only buy for the children and we’re all happy with that.

We set money aside throughout the year to be able to afford the things we and the children want for Christmas.

 

[under the ivy]

I’m doing hampers for my immediate family - I did them last year and I put a lot of thought into them. I do bath / skincare treats with fluffy socks and chocolate / bottle of wine. Doesn’t cost a lot, maybe £70 max?

My teenage brother I’ll probably buy him an Xbox game he wants with pyjamas, sweets etc.

No idea what I’m getting my boyfriend as we’re going to Cuba 2 weeks after Christmas and it’s cost us a lot I think we’ll do a £50 max limit.

 

[Ktb]

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.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

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.

No completely. We buy a gift for the kids in the family (under 18s) and then all of us adults do a secret Santa and buy 1 gift each with a cap of £30 value. That’s it. It stops the pointless unnecessary spending and buying gifts for the sake of it and it takes the pressure off having to find the money for it.

 

[Boredofthegram]

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 made the decision to only buy for son, partner, brother, mum and grandma this year. When I approached the rest of friends and family I’d usually buy for they were relieved I said it as it took pressure off of them to buy too.

 

[Notworthy]

I made the decision to only buy for son, partner, brother, mum and grandma this year. When I approached the rest of friends and family I’d usually buy for they were relieved I said it as it took pressure off of them to buy too.

I think this is by far the most likely outcome for the vast majority. Quite frankly it's not just the expense but the ballache of finding something they want/need. The fact is that the vast majority of us actually do have all that we need. I know people talk about how hard it is right now and it is compared to the last couple of decades but historically, we have never had it so good.

 

[JSquared]

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.

We have and we just had an honest conversation with those we were not buying for. A lot of relief all round so you may be pleasantly surprised with peoples reactions.
At the end of the day, Christmas should be about spending time with people you love. I would happily take no presents over that!

 

[Ktb]

Yes I won’t be spending Christmas with them either we’re a nice dysfunctional family like that but that’s a whole different thread
I think I’ll just send a text and let them know.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

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.

If you have social media just put a post up saying this year we won’t be doing presents. And if people are arsy about it then they are the problem not you
I do feel the Uk’s obsessions of buying a gift for everybody you once met excessive.
Just get all the kids a tube of Xmas smarties and a lump of coal for the ones that annoy you

 

[Foxy86]

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 don't buy for anyone other than my children an sometimes husband, stopped that a long time ago, I felt like it's just unnecessary.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[JSquared]

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

Speak to him and agree a budget

 

[Happy Lady]

I never know how much I'll end up spending. If I see things throughout the year, then I buy them. Come Black Friday I enjoy shopping for a bargain - not that though. For instance I once bought my daughter a beautiful Michael Kors bag for 50% from one of their outlets. She loved it and still uses it. Another time I was in The Perfume Shop and bought six perfume/aftershave gift sets that were on offer - beautiful scents, gratefully received.

 

[hannah123]

I do feel the Uk’s obsessions of buying a gift for everybody you once met excessive.

The first year I spent Xmas at my boyfriends I got a present off his little brothers friends mum. She didn’t want me to be left out which is obviously generous, but I was about 21 and don’t think I’d ever even met her so I actually just found it more uncomfortable.

 

[Foxy86]

The first year I spent Xmas at my boyfriends I got a present off his little brothers friends mum. She didn’t want me to be left out which is obviously generous, but I was about 21 and don’t think I’d ever even met her so I actually just found it more uncomfortable.

I don't know why but the "little brothers friends mum" made me laugh lol

 

[August]

I did have a budget but my boy understands more this year now that he’s about to turn 4. He wants paw patrol tower, a giant hot wheels garage, air max 90s, Nike blazers, Tommy Hilfiger coat, and a scooter. I’ve stuck a load of it on credit lol fk it.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I did have a budget but my boy understands more this year now that he’s about to turn 4. He wants paw patrol tower, a giant hot wheels garage, air max 90s, Nike blazers, Tommy Hilfiger coat, and a scooter. I’ve stuck a load of it on credit lol fk it.

You’ve bought your 3 year old child Nike trainers and a bleeping designer coat…..?! Are you for real? Why??????!!! I’m sorry that’s not for the benefit of your child.

 

[watermelon sugar]

I did have a budget but my boy understands more this year now that he’s about to turn 4. He wants paw patrol tower, a giant hot wheels garage, air max 90s, Nike blazers, Tommy Hilfiger coat, and a scooter. I’ve stuck a load of it on credit lol fk it.

did he really say ‘Mum i want a tommy hilfiger coat’