After having a conversation with my g/f recently about christmas presents for my family im beginning to think that we spend quite alot of money on each other (too much possibly)

SO

how much money do you spend on your family at christmas? Not kids obviously as they get the lions share- but parents/sisters and brothers and stuff??

All my pressies to family are well thought out. Individual and not always expensive. I buy quirky gifts now because as they are all grown adults they have everything they really want.

When it was my sisters birthday I didnt go mad, I just went to her desk at work and covered it in confetti and balloons and left a big bunch of flowers and some wine. She was so touched :D

We spend around £30 on each member.
Depends how big your family is.

Depends on your income too, I should imagine. Perhaps the better question should be: as a proportion of your weekly income how much do you spend on family members?

We will spend roughly 5% of our joint weekly income on each of the family members for whom we buy presents.

Me and my sister agreed to just buy for eachothers children, so the only adult I buy for is my Mum as I have no other relatives so I spend about £20 on her - the same applies for my partners parents.

When you have 4 kids it's expensive enough!

I heard on the radio that the average person (whatever that is) spent about £550 on Christmas last year.

It's such a huge expense, especially when you're buying presents just because you think you should, or "they will be buying us one".

Have you also noticed that the specific Christmas gifts that places like Boots, M&S and other shops have (on 3 for 2 etc.) are actually pretty crap and mostly packaging, definately not worth what they cost ?

I've tried realy hard this year to pick good presents and not spend a fortune.

hhmm- its only for my mum and dad and my sister - i usually spend about 60-70 on each of them.

might do more thinking this year instead of hitting meadowhall and sheffield in one day and getting it out of the way!!!

Originally posted by nick2
I heard on the radio that the average person (whatever that is) spent about £550 on Christmas last year. :o :o :o :o :wow:

I must be really tight then. :hihi:

I tend to spend most on my kids. BUT ... I don't go overboard, they just don't know what to play with first. Hence my shout out on here for a PS2. I try to get them what they want but refuse to be in debt for the next 12 months paying for it.

Originally posted by max
Depends on your income too, I should imagine. Perhaps the better question should be: as a proportion of your weekly income how much do you spend on family members?

It does depend on Income Max.

HERE (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/viking99/forums/fifty_pound_note1.jpg) I have a photo of my weekly income found randomly off the web. :D

Originally posted by fox20thc
:o :o :o :o :wow:

I must be really tight then. :hihi:

I tend to spend most on my kids. BUT ... I don't go overboard, they just don't know what to play with first. Hence my shout out on here for a PS2. I try to get them what they want but refuse to be in debt for the next 12 months paying for it.

Thanks to my fabulous friends on the forum I have managed to aquire a PS2 in record time for small person. :clap: My budgets going really well. :thumbsup:

I will buy my family (there are 6 of us not including partners !) one present each that I will try and make meaningful and something useful and spend between £10-20.

Thats really all I can afford. I tell my family this is all I'm spending and then its up to them what they spend on me :D

Originally posted by Lea1979
I will buy my family (there are 6 of us not including partners !) one present each that I will try and make meaningful and something useful and spend between £10-20.

Thats really all I can afford. I tell my family this is all I'm spending and then its up to them what they spend on me :D


Well at least its between 2 of us this year :D :D

well this year i am spending...

£100 on my bloke
£40 each on mum dad and brother
and around £20-30 on everyone else, aunts, nan etc...

Originally posted by MissGobby
well this year i am spending...

£100 on my bloke
£40 each on mum dad and brother
and around £20-30 on everyone else, aunts, nan etc...

I'd say mine will be the same (but without the bloke bit!).

Originally posted by fox20thc
:o :o :o :o :wow:

I must be really tight then. :hihi:

I tend to spend most on my kids. BUT ... I don't go overboard, they just don't know what to play with first. Hence my shout out on here for a PS2. I try to get them what they want but refuse to be in debt for the next 12 months paying for it.

saw ps2 @ gamezone for £80 - dont know if thats cheap.

Originally posted by transporter
saw ps2 @ gamezone for £80 - dont know if thats cheap.

remind to read all the posts b4 i try to be helpful.

£100's on daughter.
£20 on every body else.
plus little extra's like tree pressies & selction boxes, bottle of wine for adults.
so £25 average would do i think.
start on daughters in october- she costs so much.

My family uses the 5 pound rule nowadays. We got sick of buying increasingly larger and larger presents for eachother which in the end just become about who has the most disposable income.

Now we aren't allowed to spend more than 5 pound on eachother. We buy little thoughtful gifts and often we'll have gotten them much earlier than december because we've spotted something they'll love in a shop months before.

I find it easy to buy for my dad and mum but grandparents are a nightmare, if it isn't mustard, it's socks.

Wilf