Christmas Spending

[Rlaw1978]

I budget £300 each on the kids (I have 3)
£200 husband
£50-£70 on parents etc
That’s the budget but it doesnt mean I will spend that. I’m happy to spend that or go over but if I can get things for less I will or if the items on their lists amounts to less that’s fine too.

I was curious how people get past the playstations etc my boys aren’t at that stage yet but they will be soon I’m sure

You don’t get past the PlayStations lol But what I tell mine is, I will never by on release date. We always wait a year and a half from release so that the price has dropped, errors are ironed out and games are more affordable.

 

[SunshineDreamer]

We spend a lot on Christmas (and birthdays) I’d say when we are done it’s probably around £1000 on each child, in you include pyjamas, Santa gifts etc. We’re lucky to be in the position that we can without it impacting us financially.

 

[Abcd123]

What budget do you set for your child/children always interested to know and especially this year when lots of us will probably reevaluate what we spend

Probably £100 (he is 2). I mainly buy second hand toys and clothes. So that £100 goes a long way and I buy bits and bobs throughout the year and out them away.

I buy for all of our other family and spend about £80. That's for both sets of parents,4 siblings & partners & 4 kids. I spend on average £6-7 per person... I always buy bits in the sales too and shops like b&m & home bargains are great! It always looks like I've spent probably double what I have on each person.

We earn about £65k as a household so could easily spend more but I've always been frugal and for me Xmas is about presence not presents!

 

[Emsie]

For those that have older kids, do they still do a Christmas list? My little ones do a letter to santa but my eldest has informed me she doesn't believe in santa now! What do you do when they get older? Just ask them?

 

[abitfairytale]

Our budget is roughish as I tend to buy across the year when I see stuff, and it adds up doing it as you forget what you've bought!

Daughter - around £200-£250
Husband - £0 - we don't buy for each other at Christmas, preferring to use the budget on our daughter/family/nice Christmas food
Mum - around £40 ish
In-laws/Husband's siblings - £70 - part of the "other side of the family" Secret Santa - Husband has 3 siblings (all married) plus his parents, so instead of us all buying for each other, we do a secret santa and each couple just gets a 'good' present (ie, something they've asked for/wanted, but wouldn't necessarily spend the cash on themselves).
Nieces/Nephews - budget of £10 per child (there's 7, so £70 in total)

Daughter wants a phone for Christmas this year though (she's 10 ). Trying to hold her off till her birthday in June (ie, literally just before secondary school).

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

For those that have older kids, do they still do a Christmas list? My little ones do a letter to santa but my eldest has informed me she doesn't believe in santa now! What do you do when they get older? Just ask them?

I'm dreading this! My two are still quite young so hoping I have a while longer but my youngest broke her heart when she realised that sparkles rabbit on holiday was someone dressed up?

 

[Emsie]

I'm dreading this! My two are still quite young so hoping I have a while longer but my youngest broke her heart when she realised that sparkles rabbit on holiday was someone dressed up?

Oh I know it's awful. I feel like l there isn't any magic now she knows that we just buy her presents. And my december threats of "santa is watching" will fall on deaf ears we have agreed that she will pretend for the little ones though.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

Oh I know it's awful. I feel like l there isn't any magic now she knows that we just buy her presents. And my december threats of "santa is watching" will fall on deaf ears we have agreed that she will pretend for the little ones though.

I fear it's going to get more expensive too, I always say they can only ask father Christmas for one present as he has to look after all the boys and girls etc, they are gonna know mumma's a soft touch and it's going be easy to get more I may need to work extra hours! Out of interest how old is your daughter? My son's 7 and still firmly believes

 

[Emsie]

I fear it's going to get more expensive too, I always say they can only ask father Christmas for one present as he has to look after all the boys and girls etc, they are gonna know mumma's a soft touch and it's going be easy to get more I may need to work extra hours! Out of interest how old is your daughter? My son's 7 and still firmly believes

Haha, yes that is my fear too! She's just turned 10, so you've got a few years yet

 

[F the dust.]

My husbands work run a saving club..so they deduction money from his wage each week and we get it back in November. It's a godsend having 4 boys. Covers presents, food and any new decs.

 

[Emsie]

My husbands work run a saving club..so they deduction money from his wage each week and we get it back in November. It's a godsend having 4 boys. Covers presents, food and any new decs.

Love this! One year we did that put 1p in a jar on 1 Jan, put 2p in a jar on 2 Jan etc. My husband I both did it until about September when it starts getting expensive and we had about £500 which really helped us out! We should do it every year really, but we don't

 

[HoGi]

My husbands work run a saving club..so they deduction money from his wage each week and we get it back in November. It's a godsend having 4 boys. Covers presents, food and any new decs.

My work do the same. Really helps out especially as my husbands birthday is end of November!

 

[Daisymai]

For those that have older kids, do they still do a Christmas list? My little ones do a letter to santa but my eldest has informed me she doesn't believe in santa now! What do you do when they get older? Just ask them?

Me and my brother would still write a letter to ‘Santa’ when we were older because my sister still believed in him. We were told to go along with it to keep it special for our sister. It must have also helped out our mum in knowing what to buy!

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I'm dreading this! My two are still quite young so hoping I have a while longer but my youngest broke her heart when she realised that sparkles rabbit on holiday was someone dressed up?

Two of mine no longer believe and its still magic. The excitement is still there, we still put out stockings etc. I was still getting santa gifts when I was 19

I fear it's going to get more expensive too, I always say they can only ask father Christmas for one present as he has to look after all the boys and girls etc, they are gonna know mumma's a soft touch and it's going be easy to get more I may need to work extra hours! Out of interest how old is your daughter? My son's 7 and still firmly believes

No it hasn't got more expensive but my kids prefer small quirky gifts. Big gifts are birthdays only. It's always been that way so they don't expect more.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

Two of mine no longer believe and its still magic. The excitement is still there, we still put out stockings etc. I was still getting santa gifts when I was 19


No it hasn't got more expensive but my kids prefer small quirky gifts. Big gifts are birthdays only. It's always been that way so they don't expect more.

We do birthday's as the big present too as it's their day.
My mum still does me a stocking, I'm 32, married with kids and she always texts me on Xmas morning saying he's been with a pic of my stocking

 

[Daisymai]

Has anyone’s budget taken a hit this year?

 

[Suebigfatsue87]

I set budgets purely because I think I should because I grew up in such a restricted budget and think it’s what I should do. I also think I shouldn’t spoil the kids though evidently it happens. I won’t lie I think I’m going over already

I buy for two kids, age 7 and 13, husband, 3 brothers, Nan, step mum, four close friends, secret Santa at work, one niece and i think I’m at 1800 already. Unfortunately for me, I have adhd and I can be impulsive so this spending seems to hit hard in the night when my meds have worn off!

 

[Daisymai]

I was following this thread last year and I was wondering due to covid/ job loss/ increasing gas, grocery prices etc if people were struggling this year.

My budget is usually around £50 for my family but this year I’m at the end of my maternity leave and have a lot less coming in. I’m just hoping my family don’t think I’m being stingy when they receive less that what they usually get from me this year

 

[Web30]

We only have 1 so dont have budget, i used to start shopping in the summer after her birthday but as shes getting older i leave it later. We tend to just buy bits as we see them so its not coming out of one months wages and is more spread out over a few months.

My big thing this year is not buying for family, my parents and grandparents have birthdays between oct and dec so ive said ill do birthday presents but not christmas as well this year as it just gets to much.

 

[Chan]

I’m a single mom so don’t go too crazy, I spend approx £400 including stocking fillers on my daughter (16) I only have her though.
Friends £30-£40
Family £40-£50 but we do it as a secret Santa so only one pressie to buy.
Niece and nephews £20-£30
Partner about £100-£150
I don’t save and just splurge my Nov/Dec pay packets.

Has anyone’s budget taken a hit this year?

I’ve luckily not been affected with my job this year and have worked all the way through. As we’ve not taken holidays, only trips away I’ll spend around the same I always have done