Christmas Spending

[JandJ]

We spend less than $700. We don't have kids (not by choice ) so I know that saves a lot at Christmas. I shop for our family's presents the day after Christmas the year before when you can get great deals. I get our Christmas cards at 90% off, too. We also cut our list way back a few years ago - no more friend's kids, cousins, co-workers, and that helped a lot. Turns out they really couldn't afford to buy for us either, but felt obligated, so now everyone's happy just to exchange cards.

DH and I go on vacation over Christmas and although we consider it our gift to each other it's budgeted every year as "vacation" so I don't consider that Christmas spending. We exchange stocking stuffers but don't spend more than $50 on those.

 

[Donnainnj]

I know =( I was just giving examples of our budget this year and it hurt my feelings a little to be misunderstood. This years budget is big for us because of electronics =) My stepsons budget is $100 less because we are not buying him a LeapPad he already owns one. That was the easiest explaination

Previous Year Budget
DD9 $150
DD7 $125
DS5 $100
DD4 Under $100


WOOO HOOO I am excited for Christmas
DS4 Stepson Under $100

Sorry I misunderstood, took it as your regular budget, and guessed the step son was older. I was just approaching with my own baggage of being a child in a situation that was like this every year and feeling like I wasn't worth it to my non-custodial parent.
Donna

 

[Becc1]

I wish that we could go in around or under $700 but there is just no way. Here's my "budget" but I know I usually go over.

DH $200
Me $200
DS16 $400
DS9 $300
DS7 $300
DD5 $300
MIL $200
BIL $50
SIL $50
DN $75
My family draws the kids names and gets $20 gifts so thats 4x $20 =80
Daunt $25
Stockings $100

Teacher's and aides gifts 4x$15 = $60
Annual Christmas party $300-$400
DH's employess gift cards $200
Christmas "extras" - lights, decor $100
And then I spend at least $100 on our holiday baking

I think that's about it, I didn't add in our travel costs or the other extra things we do around the holidays like our weekend in NYC to see the tree and Christmas decorations, shows, light festivals or breakfasts with Santa. So total is around $3000. Adding it up really opens yours eyes to how much you spend but we don't use cc's for anything and it helps that my DH gets his quarterly bonus from work at the beginning of November!

 

[mom2t]

I buy a few luxury - my DS is getting a TV - I scored 1 the week before I went back to school for 250 - 100 off - great qualty too. He wants a PS 3 but we told him he would have to buy it if he saves the money. Family are going to give him money for Christmas - suits me we don't have to find a place to store all those presents - and he is saving the rest from allowance and extra chores. The rest of his presents are clothes, book set - he gets toothbrushes, underwear, socks, etc. and I did buy him 1 PS 3 game to play on it.

 

[KarenAylwood]

We don't even have kids and definitely go over $700. We love giving eachother gifts, and are usually pretty generous with family. We have cut down on friend gifts over the years, and we really don't give our friends gifts anymore, unless they have new babies or they are a close friend with a small child. That will stop though because we have 3 friends who just had babies and 4 who are currently pregnant...

Once we have kids we'll have to budget per kid. I do put a certain amount each month into a Christmas account in ING so by the time the season rolls around, I have about $800 saved.

 

[MomtoGKC]

Whoa - I never wrote it all out like this. I knew we were over $700, but hadn't really considered the total. DH and I don't usually do big presents for each other, but we do usually get something for the house. I'm guessing it will be about this...

3 kids - $1200 (400 each)
DH/me - $300 ($150 each?)
Grandmothers - $150
Brothers - $100 ($50 each donated to their favorite charities)
Niece/Nephew - $100
Teachers - $60 ($20 each)
Friends - $100 (we don't usually exchange, but it seems like every year someone gets things for our kids and we feel like we have to give back!)
Boss - $75 (also a great friend)


A little over $2,000. I knew this year would be high because we are staying home in FL instead of going to my home - MA. When we go there my mom plays Santa for us so we save a ton of money on presents even though we probably come out even after flights and a rental car.

 

[mrseace711]

Sorry I misunderstood, took it as your regular budget, and guessed the step son was older. I was just approaching with my own baggage of being a child in a situation that was like this every year and feeling like I wasn't worth it to my non-custodial parent.
Donna

I WAS the 'OTHER' child when my mom remarried it was horrible. I understand

 

[tasha99]

I'll spend a lot less.

Three kids at $150 per child ($450)
About $50 for my mom and stepdad (fruit basket or something)
Probably $50 for my landlord (I rent 2 rooms, so we're friends too)

So that's $550. We don't do gifts for extended family. There is a gift exchange, but I don't usually participate.

 

[Graciesmom77]

This year we are going to Disney for 7 nights and arriving back home on Dec. 22. Thats the big gift. Hopefully Santa will be able to control Myself..... I mean himself, and get just a few gifts for Christmas morning. I love Christmas so I can't help get excited about geting the girls gifts!

Usually though I would say

DH and me, 100
DD10 400
DD8 400
DD2 200
DD 8 months 100 (of course this is her 1st Christmas, but thats about what I spent on the other girls at that age)
Mom and Stepdad 75
Sister and hubby 100
Sis and boyfriend 100
Step sisters and stepbrother and their kids 200
2 nephews 150
Teachers 50
Odds and ends like tree and cards and baking maybe 150
Charities like Toys for Tots and Operation Christmas Child 75
A little over 2000! Good thing I love Christmas or that would be bad!

 

[mjantz]

We are over $700 but we have a ton of people to shop for. I actually think I'm going to be under budget as I got a few deals at Borders & I'm hoping to work our local Scholastic Warehouse when they have their big sale (Volunteers get paid $10/hr in credit for books). I also cashed in some of our Discover Rewards towards gift cards for a few nieces.
I've changed my thinking a bit as we are trying to save. Usually I would set a budget & if I found something worth the budget amount but on sale I'd buy it & then find something else to meet the budget. Now, if I find something on sale, that's it. Even if this only saves me $50 it will be worth it!!

AFA what to do when 1 kid is going to have a ton of gifts & the other is going to have 1, I think if the kid is old enough to ask for an expensive gift they're old enough to understand budgets & finite resources. DS has asked for an expensive gift (Nintendo 3DS) & before we even considered buying it I made sure he understood that his sister may have 10-15 items under the tree & he may have 1-2. He is fine with that (& I truly believe it) so he is going to get that & I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[DisGirl819]

We're spending $400 on christmas this year. Its already budgeted out for everyone who gets gifts and cards.

However, we're going to WDW in December so that is a major part of our Christmas this year. We're not exchanging gifts between DH and I. The kids are getting gifts and we're doing gifts to my siblings and DH's family. Plus Christmas cards and that is it.

 

[Colleen27]

Per person or per family? DH & I will spend more than $700 but less than $1400, so how average we are just depends on how we're counted.

Adult siblings/spouses don't exchange gifts in our extended families so we just buy for our 3 kids (each getting one big gift and then little traditions like PJs, a book, and special bath products), 4 nieces & nephews (at <$50 each), our parents (usually something homemade or sentimental, not usually expensive), and each other.

 

[Andrea from PA]

Our family does spend more than $700. I have 3 kids - 2 of which have December birthdays, 4 nephews, 2 neices, Godparents for the kids and small teacher gifts.

My husband & I do not exchange gifts.

mjantz -- My issue when buying an expense gift for 1 kid and not another is not with the kid getting the expense gift. Our issue has been with the youngest wondering why Santa did not think her bro was good enough to deserve the same number she gets.

 

[mommyof3grlz]

Our Christmas club check should be $880. That is our budget.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

since we live very far away from all of our families, and it's been years since we've seen some, I'm going to make picture frames, with a current photo for them (something my DMIL and DM asks for all the time anyway, haha).

This is a GREAT idea! Go for it!

We ALWAYS do this ... Portrait Innovations (not sure if you have those near you) has a huuuge package of portraits for $9.95.

We always get a family photo taken there and then I get cute photo ornament frames from Michaels ... for about $3-4. They usually have about 20 styles to choose from.

I mail them to MIL, my dad, my mom ... then make one for us and I also make 2 extras for my boys. They already have a box of ornaments for when they move away ... and none of us will have bare trees.

My favorite things on the tree are our ornament frames! Amazing to see how everyone has changed over the years.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I am hoping to come in at $500 or under. We are dealing with long term unemployment, but I am hoping to turn our basement full of unused old toys and baby items into two iPod Touches I love selling stuff, and turning that money into things we want or need.

I also use Christmas to buy new toothbrushes, shampoo, hair brushes and pretties, etc - things I would buy anyway, but turn them into gifts.

 

[shortbun]

See, stats like this are confusing. If you consider myself and my husband as separate people, then yes, we will probably spend about $700/person. If you consider it $700/family, then no, we will spend more. And while my kids are people, they don't have money, so will not spend anything.

our budget is about $1500, so per adult, close to $700 per. We have one child, three neices and nephews and various other kids we buy for as well as our charitable purchases. We usually support one family and pull from a couple of school kids trees for one gift. I'm going to try hard to keep it under budget though. I'll be working that shopping gene this year. help me out DISers!!!

 

[mindyd]

I go way over I normally do more than 700 on each of my two daughters. I always but family gifts for everyone last year was a Kinect with games. I also have
5- Grandparents to buy for because of step families
2- Grab bag gifts at 25.00 each for sisters and brothers at mom
7- nieces and nephews
8- aunts and uncles
2- Sisters they are 13 and 7 so spend more on them at dads
1- Brother at dads
4- dance teachers
3- people at husbands work
1- daughter friend

This is the first year I wont do teachers they each have multiple ones one daughter has 6 so just not doing it anymore

 

[eliza61]

Whew, 700 is so far off the mark for me.

My husband wants one of those sweaters he saw in the Norway Pavillon at Epcot, those suckers are $500 bucks a piece. LOL.

Also my oldest son's birthday is 12/26 and I'm a Jan 1st. so between Christmas and birthdays we're hopping to keep the budget at about 2K.

 

[JamesMom]

We are way over $700. Here is the spreadsheet on last year. This year probably won't be much different since DS8 wants an Ipod touch, I got an iPhone 4S (early and DH wants to get the Kinect thingie for our Xbox and we are hosting brunch. No need to get sweaters for the kiddos since I'll be using the HP photos for our Christmas cards this year. No photobooks either (published from my late mom's album). Figure we'll spend right about $1.6K this year...

Christmas 2010

Clothes & Pics:
$40 Sweaters for boys
$20 PJs for boys
$25 Photo CD w/ Santa
$67 Christmas Cards & stamps, postage to mail photo books
$150 Photo books for 4 siblings & Aunt

Family Present:
$300 Laptop to be shared for DS5 & DS7
$40 Cataclysm (world of warcraft) for DH & I
$120 Books (DH=Guitar Exercises, DS7=Gerinomo Christmas & Grinch, DS5=Ph/ferb Christmas & Spiderman Christmas)
(Me = Grisham, Roberts, Hawkings, King)

DS7
$20 Wii Toy Story Mania
$20 Wii Guilty Party
$25 Skates
$55 MP3 player
$30 DS Mario/Donkey Kong

DS5
$30 Lego Prince of Persia (3)
$12 House to color
$30 Just Dance 2 for Wii
$10 Webkinz CD (copy for James, too)
$20 Pillow Pet

DH
$13 Simpsons Season 20
$25 Rock Band 1 & Lego Rock Band for PS3
$64 Fallout 3 & Red Rev for Xbox

Me
$40 Harry Potter 1-6 Blu Ray
$35 Epic Mickey Wii

Niece & Nephew
$20 Talking Dog book
$5 bib for niece

Brother
$50 Groceries

In laws
$200 Allen Brothers

Sister & Bro In law
$50 Amazon Gift Card

Bro in law
$40 Game

Stockings:
$8 Pez & refills
$3 Coloring Books
$3 Tron book (Kai Lan already had)
$5 Cartoon DVDs
$10 Canes & Candy
$20 Popcorn
$6 Stocking Stuffers

Others
$50 Teacher Gift Cards ($25 2 teachers gave Baked/Candy treats to Speech, Resource, Mailman, Piano teacher)
$60 Baking supplies
$40 Crafts (4 kits & 2 gingerbread houses)
$0 Brunch expense (in-laws hosting this year)
$100 Church donation
$30 Tape, wrap, ribbon & bows
$50 Wreath, replacement bulbs, timer
50 Christmas Dinner
$1,991