Anyone want to post their Christmas budget?

[rocketpj]

This is an expensive year for us as we are going to the in-laws (first time in 4 years), and my work means I'm going to be catching up with the rest of them.

So, about $780

$350 travel costs.  $430 gifts (on this side we all give gifts to the kids ($40) and draw names for one of the other adults, with a $30 cap), plus whatever we give our own kids.  So 5 kids @ $40 = $200, plus another $150 for our own kids ($75 each) totals $350.  We will give each other a microwave for $50, and leave a $30 buffer in case we've missed something.

Most other years aren't big get-togethers and don't have travel so are more like $230.

[EllieStan]

Christmas Eve : $40 (homemade meal for the 2 of us)
Wine : 50$ (3 bottles)
In-laws' dinner: $40 contribution
Parents dinner: $40 contribution
Gas: $45
SO's gift : $100
Other gifts: $0 I plan on offering to do chores and to spend TIME with my loved ones. I'll create specific gift certificates using the Canva app.

Total: $100 gift + $105 other expenses (divided equally between my SO and I).

[reader2580]

$5 or so holiday cards from Goodwill - you would be surprised. I guess no one wants to use their leftovers in the packs

I bet folks give them to Goodwill rather than store them for a year.

[Jeremy E.]

I seem quite the glutton,
$20 for white elephant present for adults,
for the kids(4 of them) I'm taking them to Silverwood(place with roller coasters, rides, etc.) $18/ticket for the 7- year olds, $34/ticket for the older ones, me and my girlfriend, + 2 hour drive in a rented van + food = $300. Originally I'm giving them a pircture of Silverwood... Hopefully that will hold them off till May!
trying to think of something to make for my girlfriend

[lifejoy]

I seem quite the glutton,
$20 for white elephant present for adults,
for the kids(4 of them) I'm taking them to Silverwood(place with roller coasters, rides, etc.) $18/ticket for the 7- year olds, $34/ticket for the older ones, me and my girlfriend, + 2 hour drive in a rented van + food = $300. Originally I'm giving them a pircture of Silverwood... Hopefully that will hold them off till May!
trying to think of something to make for my girlfriend

For the gf... Coupon book? I would love my DH to give me a coupe for a massage, or cleaning, or homemade dinner... :D


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[YK-Phil]

I am away six weeks at the time for work in Yellowknife, and Christmas/New Year fall during my two-week off in Calgary so we will use this opportunity to have a get-together with my four children who, by coincidence this year, will all be in the Vancouver/Nanaimo area. We don't celebrate Christmas but because we haven't been together as a whole family since 2008, this year will be an exception. But the kids are not earning much (a scuba divemaster, an aspiring musician, a waitress/student, a jack-of-all-trade wanderer) and I am the one who wants them to come, so I will fork $500 for their bus ticket. They are used to roughing it up so they can all stay in the spare bedroom for the week. Gifts will be practical and useful: outdoor gear, clothing, tools, for a maximum of $400. My wife and I do not exchange gifts. Our food budget won't be extravagant, perhaps a little higher than usual because of the number of additional people at the house for a week. Probably $100 over our normal food budget. Total: $1000. Much more than I like to spend, but seeing my kids all at once in seven years is priceless.

[mm1970]

I don't really have a budget.  We've managed to scale back a lot.

For our 2 kids:
1. something they want (electronics set, maybe legos?)
2. something they need (jeans, pajamas, shoes for toddler)
3. something to wear (see something to wear, double duty!)
4. something to read (one book each)

Husband: probably a gift card to the smoothie place

More distant relations:
Pistachios.  I go to the farmer's market, buy them there ($8? May be more this year).  Generally buy about 7 bags for the various members (brother, stepdad, nephew, etc.)
Calendars: usually I make a calendar with photos of the boys and family and get 8 of those and give those out too ($10 to $20 each, depending on how I stack the discounts). We don't live near the family, so I think most of them enjoy the calendars.
Books for sister in law and sister

We keep the gifts small and useful and somewhat consumable.  It's tough because often other family members buy a LOT.  So my SIL will have a wish list, but her husband's family buys everything on it.  So that's why she usually gets a book and a calendar.

Let me estimate:
$60 pistachios
$120 calendars
$35 books
$100 kids (total)
$30 misc
$25 gift card for husband
$100 "other" - usually we get my brother-in-law a gift every other year, 6 months of the beer of the month club. It's on the expensive side, which is why it's every other year.  And he doesn't drink the beer that fast.
$470 total.  So let's round that up to $500

It will probably be more like $600.

[use2betrix]

$50 gift for mom, dad, brother, sister, brother in law, sister in law, niece. So around $350 total.

My fiancé and I aren't really doing gifts as we will be getting married a week after Christmas. That is pretty much her birthday and Christmas present. May stretch it into Valentine's Day as well lol. Not that valentines is a "real" holiday, but she virtually never buys stuff for herself so I like to get her stuff here and there.

[Torran]

I am away six weeks at the time for work in Yellowknife, and Christmas/New Year fall during my two-week off in Calgary so we will use this opportunity to have a get-together with my four children who, by coincidence this year, will all be in the Vancouver/Nanaimo area. We don't celebrate Christmas but because we haven't been together as a whole family since 2008, this year will be an exception. But the kids are not earning much (a scuba divemaster, an aspiring musician, a waitress/student, a jack-of-all-trade wanderer) and I am the one who wants them to come, so I will fork $500 for their bus ticket. They are used to roughing it up so they can all stay in the spare bedroom for the week. Gifts will be practical and useful: outdoor gear, clothing, tools, for a maximum of $400. My wife and I do not exchange gifts. Our food budget won't be extravagant, perhaps a little higher than usual because of the number of additional people at the house for a week. Probably $100 over our normal food budget. Total: $1000. Much more than I like to spend, but seeing my kids all at once in seven years is priceless.

This is lovely!

[travelbug]

An expensive year for us this year as the children need new bikes, so we have bought good quality ones to last them for the next 4-5 years as their main present.

So the gifts will be around AUD $1500 all up this year. This includes all family and kids.
Extra food maybe $100 as we host Christmas at our house.


We will also donate to the Christmas charities on top of our normal donations and go to a few concerts with family and friends.

Maybe all up:AUD  $1700, normally it's around $1000...

[JZinCO]

For the new neice and nephew: gf is making knitted gifts. In the same theme, I drew and then used Photoshop to make blow up framed posters of the knitted characters. So cost of materials and printing.
For the rest of the family, I am microloaning through Kiva and sharing the borrowers stories as a present.
Then for the gf, I am woodburning a pattern onto a jewelry box.
So, my Christmas presents will be inexpensive. Travel will cost more.

[BlueMR2]

Not $0, but close.

A few dollar store cards for people that we don't communicate with much otherwise.  Drive across town to my parents one extra time.  I don't think we're doing any gifts at all this year.  Although, my wife does want a new pocket multi-tool.  Maybe $20 there?  I don't know what the going rate is, haven't bought one in probably a decade.

[Frs1661]

Photo  cards for family and friends:$50
Travel:$0
1 batch home made hot pepper jelly with shipping to closer relatives: $75


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[Nickyd£g]

Gifts:
Aunt and Uncle 1 £50
Aunt and Uncle 2 £10
Brother £10
Secret Santa £10
Me! £20

Food and alcohol:
after work pre-Christmas drinks £10
Christmas lunch in a restaurant with friends £25
Just me on Christmas Day, I usually buy enough food for Christmas Eve and Boxing Day £40
Nibbles and sparkly drinks with friends at my home £15 (they bring the booze) after New Year
I don't do anything for Hogmanay.

I already have cards, wrapping paper, ribbon etc.

So, total of £190.  I save £20 a month for Christmas, so well within my budget.

[Squirrel away]

I got a good deal on a Christmas tree, I only spent about £30 for a tree and a few decorations. I already have the LED lights. :)

[motomoto]

We are using Elfster.com to as an online tool for assigning 'secret Santa' in 2 large families so we only end up buying for one person in each of our two families. You can anonymously contact your person to check on gifts and people can post there own 'wish list'. It's a nice way for everyone to get something they want without breaking the bank. We like it.

[Lady Fordragon]

We are using Elfster.com to as an online tool for assigning 'secret Santa' in 2 large families so we only end up buying for one person in each of our two families. You can anonymously contact your person to check on gifts and people can post there own 'wish list'. It's a nice way for everyone to get something they want without breaking the bank. We like it.

My family has used Elfster in the past for "Secret Santa".  It's definitely a nice way of doing the gift exchange.

[sea]

$250 - gifts for family and lover
  $15 - gift exchange at work
  $35 - gifts for coworkers & friends (homemade caramels/truffles)
  $25 - gift card donation for adopt-a-family
------
$325

[bb11]

About $20. Already discussed with my girlfriend what gift I'm going to get her for Christmas. That will be the only thing I spend money on.

[ETBen]

travel: one tank of gas
Keeping kids home with me the week off school, while I work from home or family's home: saving $500 in childcare
Presents for 2 kids: 200.  (100 each)
Present for mom: 50
present for assistant: 100
Presents for staff: 46  (2 each for 26 people)
Meal: 50
Cost of all new decorations and tree trimmings when you leave your jackass husband: priceless... or 200

[Kitsune]

Cost of all new decorations and tree trimmings when you leave your jackass husband: priceless... or 200

Best money spent, no doubt. ;)

[ETBen]

Cost of all new decorations and tree trimmings when you leave your jackass husband: priceless... or 200

Best money spent, no doubt. ;)

I cherish every dollar I've spent since March lol.

[zephyr911]

After years of consideration, I'm buying DW a Roomba. She's been constantly stressed in recent months about the level of cleanliness in the house - between longer work hours and trying to up her game in the gym, she can't find time to do half what she wants. After long consideration, I decided a day's pay was an acceptable splurge. Got the pet model since our main issue is fur from two dogs and a cat. I looked at $299 refurbs for weeks, until the new price came down to $319. I said F it and ordered the new one yesterday. Ridiculous, but oh well.

Everything else put together, for her and my family, plus some tools for the house, was just over $600, so I threw it on a 12-mo Amazon store card promo (0%).

She's saving up all her time off for a major family event in April, so we're gonna stay home, cook some good food, and watch holiday movies on Netflix. I feel OK about all of this.

[Torran]

Gifts:
Aunt and Uncle 1 £50
Aunt and Uncle 2 £10
Brother £10
Secret Santa £10
Me! £20

Food and alcohol:
after work pre-Christmas drinks £10
Christmas lunch in a restaurant with friends £25
Just me on Christmas Day, I usually buy enough food for Christmas Eve and Boxing Day £40
Nibbles and sparkly drinks with friends at my home £15 (they bring the booze) after New Year
I don't do anything for Hogmanay.

I already have cards, wrapping paper, ribbon etc.

So, total of £190.  I save £20 a month for Christmas, so well within my budget.

Hello fellow Scotland-based mustachian :)

Does this mean you buy yourself a wee christmas gift? Because I kinda love that idea.

[Cassie]

This thread really got me thinking about the past. In 1980 when I was raising my kids we had 30 people on our list to buy for. Fast forward & most are dead.  During 2008 we agreed to not exchange with most of our friends but merely to get together & share a meal during the season. My hubby & i quit years ago & instead go out for nice meal.  I only buy a few people gifts anymore.  Kids change everything of course. If I had grandchildren I would be shopping:))

[sstants]

After years of consideration, I'm buying DW a Roomba. She's been constantly stressed in recent months about the level of cleanliness in the house - between longer work hours and trying to up her game in the gym, she can't find time to do half what she wants. After long consideration, I decided a day's pay was an acceptable splurge. Got the pet model since our main issue is fur from two dogs and a cat. I looked at $299 refurbs for weeks, until the new price came down to $319. I said F it and ordered the new one yesterday. Ridiculous, but oh well.

Everything else put together, for her and my family, plus some tools for the house, was just over $600, so I threw it on a 12-mo Amazon store card promo (0%).

She's saving up all her time off for a major family event in April, so we're gonna stay home, cook some good food, and watch holiday movies on Netflix. I feel OK about all of this.

I. Love. My. Roomba.

I've got a big dog and she sheds like crazy. The Roomba keeps me sane. I love that I can just put chairs on tables and press go on the Roomba. While I do all the other cleaning for the week it does my carpets/floors! It does need to be emptied every once in a while while cleaning, but the best thing about it is that it doesn't require any vacuum bags or disposable filters so it isn't wasteful.

Cuts cleaning time every week from 2 to under 1 hour (benefits of living in a tiny apartment).

[JJNL]

- presents: €0 (my family doesn't do those)
- travel: €20 to go visit my dad and his wife
- food: €60. I've invited my mother and sister over for a nice X-mas dinner at my house. I'm going to try and keep this lower, but I do like to make an effort over X-mas dinner.

[Bracken_Joy]

Let's see:

Driving 2,600 miles: $400 gas
Starbucks stops for driving 2,600 miles: $19
Presents for both families: $125
Present to ourselves: $79
Total: $623

We're undecided if we'll decorate anymore at home with things requiring purchase. Probably will just stick to nature/DIY crafts with things we have. If we do, it'd be no more than $25, so let's say $650 tops.

[o2bfree]

My sweetie and I will get a tree because we like how the colorful lights and shiny ornaments brighten up the long dark nights. So $30 to $40 for a tree. My family doesn't exchange gifts anymore, so under the tree I'll pile up Christmas gift boxes and tins, all empty, to create an appearance of Christmas bounty.

Then probably $60 or so for a family Christmas dinner. So around $100 total.

[jim555]

$0

[Helvegen]

No Christmas travel planned. We just came back from vacation over Thanksgiving and already have to spend money on the next in the spring!

I spent about $100 on our daughter's presents.

I spent $125 on husband's present.

I spent $117 on a family present (indoor skydiving).

I spent $15 on niece's present.

I will spend $50 on extended family gift exchange presents.

I spent $15.99 on a Christmas wreath at Costco.

I spent $8 bucks in baking marzipan for stollen. Husband wanted some chocolate lebkuchen for $2.99 and then bought another box for the neighbor for the same price. I estimate another $30 in Christmas baking items.

May spend $8-9 bucks on one of those gingerbread man kits at Costco and have our daughter's friends over for another sleepover. They were a real hit last year.

Spent $15 on Nikolaus.

Christmas tree will be around $45, plus I picked up some cute ornaments at IKEA for $16.

Not sure what we are having for Christmas (Eve) dinner yet. $30-$40?

Total: $$$

[Nickyd£g]

Gifts:
Aunt and Uncle 1 £50
Aunt and Uncle 2 £10
Brother £10
Secret Santa £10
Me! £20

Food and alcohol:
after work pre-Christmas drinks £10
Christmas lunch in a restaurant with friends £25
Just me on Christmas Day, I usually buy enough food for Christmas Eve and Boxing Day £40
Nibbles and sparkly drinks with friends at my home £15 (they bring the booze) after New Year
I don't do anything for Hogmanay.

I already have cards, wrapping paper, ribbon etc.

So, total of £190.  I save £20 a month for Christmas, so well within my budget.

Hello fellow Scotland-based mustachian :)

Does this mean you buy yourself a wee christmas gift? Because I kinda love that idea.

Hi Torran! Good to see a fellow Scot on here!  Yes, I always buy myself a wee gift early in December, wrap it and open it on Christmas morning :)  I live alone, and while I get some gifts - Secret Santa, from my aunt and uncles or a couple of friends on occasion (this year my girl friends agreed no gifts!),  I always receive them before or after the day, so I like to buy myself something I like and open it on the day lol!  Usually it's perfume, or a scarf.  This year it's a thermal vest from M&S hahaha!

[Meggslynn]

$600 - its lower than usual this year as I got laid off a couple months back but we save and buy for Christmas throughout the year so this money is already

$150 - for our son (lots of essentials in here too)
$100 - 50 each for our stockings (we don't do presents to one another)
$100 - extra food (we host xmas eve) and booze for gifts
$150 - 50 each for our parents (3)
$100 - nephews and nieces (4)


We normally do a large charitable donation this time of year as well but we donated $500 to the local childrens hospital earlier this year so we will be skipping it.

[Inkedup]

Planning to spend around $100. Most of this will go towards the ingredients for holiday baking (which will double as gifts)and the fixings for a nice Christmas dinner.

[Torran]

Gifts:
Aunt and Uncle 1 £50
Aunt and Uncle 2 £10
Brother £10
Secret Santa £10
Me! £20

Food and alcohol:
after work pre-Christmas drinks £10
Christmas lunch in a restaurant with friends £25
Just me on Christmas Day, I usually buy enough food for Christmas Eve and Boxing Day £40
Nibbles and sparkly drinks with friends at my home £15 (they bring the booze) after New Year
I don't do anything for Hogmanay.

I already have cards, wrapping paper, ribbon etc.

So, total of £190.  I save £20 a month for Christmas, so well within my budget.

Hello fellow Scotland-based mustachian :)

Does this mean you buy yourself a wee christmas gift? Because I kinda love that idea.

Hi Torran! Good to see a fellow Scot on here!  Yes, I always buy myself a wee gift early in December, wrap it and open it on Christmas morning :)  I live alone, and while I get some gifts - Secret Santa, from my aunt and uncles or a couple of friends on occasion (this year my girl friends agreed no gifts!),  I always receive them before or after the day, so I like to buy myself something I like and open it on the day lol!  Usually it's perfume, or a scarf.  This year it's a thermal vest from M&S hahaha!

Fabulous! Then you can be all like 'past-me is the best' when you open it :)

I try and get in and out of the shops with a plan, otherwise I end up shaving off little slivers of cash from the Christmas budget to buy myself presents. (I probably shouldn't admit that on this forum ;) )

[SMP]

On Christmas Eve the whole family is with us:
FIL, MIL, mum, dad, brother fiancee, daughter (8 months), DW & me.
We will have raclette; so 150€ for drinks and food.

Gifts will be as easy as last year:
Secret Santa, so only 1 gift for every one (20 - 30€ each)
Except of daughter, she will get some cheap wooden toys from her grandparents.

[jms493]

$1000 we have 15 kids, 3 adults, we adopt a needy family, and buy toys for sicks kids in the hospital.

[Landlord2015]

100 euro really not one euro more.

I have to high unreachable goals of having a n sum money on my investment
account.

That is not all between adults we have decided to skip expensive presents
and my 2 nephews are so young so no sense buying them anything.

I myself christmas present... hmm well impulsive what I need is money but for fun since I have not read in ages any book I would like to have a fantasy book.

Magic The Gathering is the worlds most popular card game. It would be nice a book that read a book based in that fantasy world. Another option is Dungeons Dragons world book. R.A Salavatore is world famous author and I respect him but if I read a fantasy book this time something else for a change then R.A Salvatore.

[redbird]

0. I might make some homemade bread or cookies for the inlaws since they've been so helpful the past several months. But we don't do gift buying in my house anymore. It feels like a needless obligation society tries to put on people.

[cavewoman]

Ugh, I accidentally deleted a big bit about how I'm usually last minute and how my boyfriend's family is non communicative about gift expectations. No ctrl z on a kindle!

His nieces and nephews: (5 of them)
Instead of buying plastic junk for these kids that are super destructive and don't seem to stay interested in a toy longer than a day, we are doing cash and candy! Feels kind of lame, but it's so much less stressful and we know they will love it, lol. Plus with 5 of them, we have struggled in the past with equity vs equality and taste, because no matter how much thought we put into it, someone was always mad they didn't get what someone else did.
We're doing their age X2. Matching candy (I used to always get those lifesaver books, something like that). And I'm thinking of throwing in some headphones for each, since they love to lose them or accuse each other of taking theirs. 86 in cash rounded to 100 for candy

For my nephew, I already shipped a game called study birdy. I usually get him weird things, like markets, scissors, and construction paper when he turned 4, or a spirograph and packs of post its for his 5th bday,   or a roll of those little dime sized magnets because he liked to play with the polarity or throw them at the fridge. But I wasn't feeling super creative and it's been a year since I've seen him so I'm not up to date in his tastes. 25

My dad gets an Amazon gift card probably for 50.

My mom and step dad - ? 30-40 on a trinket. Hard people to buy for.

His parents - last year we got them a knife block and set. I'm thinking something for the house along those lines - 50

We don't buy for each other, but he recently bought me an instant pot as a surprise so I might get him something :) 30

And we are doing toys for tots at work so probably 30 on that.


So 295 split between me and my boyfriend plus 30 from me to him. Maybe more.

[Jeremy E.]

100 euro really not one euro more.

I have to high unreachable goals of having a n sum money on my investment
account.

That is not all between adults we have decided to skip expensive presents
and my 2 nephews are so young so no sense buying them anything.

I myself christmas present... hmm well impulsive what I need is money but for fun since I have not read in ages any book I would like to have a fantasy book.

Magic The Gathering is the worlds most popular card game. It would be nice a book that read a book based in that fantasy world. Another option is Dungeons Dragons world book. R.A Salavatore is world famous author and I respect him but if I read a fantasy book this time something else for a change then R.A Salvatore.

I like dragonlance books, I found 30 of them used on ebay for $20, they also have some of them at most libraries.

[powskier]

Zero.
Ate at least 2 meals at the Xmas party, so maybe my budget is minus $15?

[ETBen]

I can proudly say that I stayed on budget. I got the kids gifts today and it was quite a lot for 100 each. I took them to the store last week to write out a Santa list. They of course pick stuff that's like $90 Lego sets. But I got some of their smaller items and subbed in lower cost items in some of the other categories/brands.

This is a big deal bc my ex comes from a family that spends way too much, more than they can afford. I always found that amour t of spending on Xmas to be almost vulgar. I wanted to prove (figuratively) that I could get them all kinds of things they would love for a reasonable cost. And in one single trip to Toys R Us, no super shopping.

On a related note, I wanted to do angel tree this year. My plan was to spend an equal amount on two children and give a gift card for groceries.  But all the lists on the angel tree had more expensive things than I gave my own kids!