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jazzy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 10 July 2011 at 2:32pm
Have you set one? Have you started shopping?

My budget is about $120 a fortnight at the moment. Broken down it is $50 lay-by, $50 savings, $20 PnS.

I have done a lay-by at toy world for $700. It covers 2 lego sets & a board game for each of my 3 kids. Also includes 3 other kids presents & $70 for DS2 b'day which is 2 weeks before xmas. So I am paying $50 a fortnight & it is till xmas.

I found a discount shop that has fragrances for you & your home & will do the MIL & teachers presents there.

I am also getting grocery gift cards at PnS & will use them for the xmas shop, only adding about $20 a fortnight, so not a huge amount but we don't spend that much extra, really just to cover the ham & extras. So about $200-250. This will also help with DS's b'day & xmas family get together.

I have set a limit of $20 for other family members. Ones we don't see will be getting calenders with the kids art work on them, they are $10 & its fund-raising at school & a box of chocolates, only 3 to do for.

I have not set one for our kids as it never works, at the moment I have spent around $130-$230 per child. So it will probably average about $300 per child.

I am also doing the Book Depository for books & will do a couple of orders over the months.

I also want to get them scooters/helmets so they can ride them when we go to the park, art supplies & I want to make up a box were they can keep all their own art stuff & a folder to keep their pitchers in as the paper left on shelves drives me nuts. So art stuff can be added to the fortnightly shop & buy a bit at a time.

The other things I will put on the MIL's list for her to get them.

I am going through all the old toys that have been out grown & no longer played with, kids clothes etc & will sell them & put the money towards the xmas budget. We also get a power divided which was $320 last few yrs, don't know what it will be this yr, but that gets put away for xmas & this yr we will use it to renew the family zoo & motat passes at xmas time....so that will be the family xmas present.
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kebakat View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kebakat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 July 2011 at 3:10pm
at toyworld. Wow!

Our budget is about $100 per child. But we usually get something for outside that is like a family present as well.

$100 for each of us. $50ish for our parents and in laws.

I don't see the need to budget so much for food to be honest. We don't spend much extra on food at all for xmas. Maybe an extra $50 because for xmas day everyone brings food.

I put away $20 a fortnight right throughout the year so come december I don't even have to think about the money. It should be all there pretty much.

I don't see the point in spending sh*tloads at xmas time, by the time the kids get presents from us, grandparents and BIL they get more than enough and they don't need lots and lots of toys or whatever anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote myfullhouse Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 July 2011 at 7:46pm
My immediate family (parents, bros, SILs, no kids) do a draw and you buy 1x$50 gift for whoever you get. With Mum's extended family we do 1x$30 gift. Have done it for a few years and it works well. Mum still does stockings for us all and we do one for My parents.
DH's family can't get organised to do this so I just spend about the same for them as I do my family i.e. $160 total.
Have budgeted about $100 for each of the boys which will likely incl new togs and stocking fillers. Baby will only be about 6wks, so will only get a few bits and pieces.
DH and I will spend about $50 on eachother for stocking filler, he is so hard to buy for anyway.
I try not to buy the boys too much as they get lots from everyone else as well when you add it all up, I often buy practical gifs like togs which I would buy them anyway
I tallied it all up and have been putting away a bit each month.
Only thing I haven't factored in is gifts for friends or kindy teachers but not sure if I will do much anyway with baby due in Nov. Last year I did some baking for the friends.

I don't spend much extra on food for xmas either but we do go to the bach and I usually spend more on that. Whatever I have left over from my monthly food budget I buy PnS xmas club which will just make it a bit easier in Dec/Jan
Lindsey


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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 July 2011 at 9:19am
we don't spend much more on food at xmas either, but with DS2 b'day 2 weeks before it helps having a few extra $ put away without noticing.

I love xmas & buying toys & as the kids get older the cost of what they are into goes up. I do get them books, games & art stuff that will help entertain them over the school holidays. My kids are into lego & that is not cheap.

I am getting the teachers presents soon. I don't always buy for them but it is DS1 last yr at primary this yr. Not spending much & the discount shop is really cheap & they are in gorgeous gift boxes for about $10 each, so $30.

DH & I are not spending much on us, we buy what we want during the yr so more a token gift.

I can't wait to do a book order, I love the Book Depository, great prices & free delivery.
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james View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote james Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 July 2011 at 9:48am
I save around $20 aweek so $40 a fortnight and usuully will layby at the july sales for the boys we dont tend to buy for each outher but if we do its only small (i am the oldest of 4) xmas is foucssed on the kids prety much and aslong as they are happy then so am i
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kiwigal View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kiwigal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 July 2011 at 10:49pm

Jazzy I hear ya on the lego it is a expensive hobby but well worth it. I am getting my 8 year old into it.

My nieces we usually spend about $20 sometimes a little bit more/less depending on what it is and my nearly 18 year old niece will probably get $10-$15 cash . The kids we never had a set budget but we don't spend hundreds on them as DS hardly ever plays with his toys as he is more into playstation and DD who will be 3 in Sept is getting into her dolls.

Between Dh and I we don't have a exact amount but he tends to spend a little bit more than I do.

We really never had christmas at home we are normally away or at IL's for lunch or something.



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amalyse View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amalyse Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 July 2011 at 10:55pm
I just expect for there to be no savings in the month of December - which sucks.

Not sure how much we will spend on our little one. Probably $200 or $300 - she's only little, so she will not care.

Then all the parents will total $200, then $100 per siblings family.

We go BIG for christmas.

One thing I do, is use our credit card points for vouchers for this time of year - generally we have a few hundred dollars there. And flybuys, get gifts through flybuys too.
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CrazyCass View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CrazyCass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 December 2012 at 9:46am
I did a laybuy for DS1 & all our nieces & nephews (including 1 nephews b'day on xmas eve) for $300 at the red shed.... mainly because we have no storage for presents at home (bubs is in the spare room!)
I dont believe in going all out for xmas, kids dont know who gave them what, and barely play with most of their presents.. DS1's birthday was in Nov so all his Xmas presents will be packed away to be brought out again in a few months, otherwise he'd be waiting 10months for anything new again!

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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 December 2012 at 8:26am
laybys are a great way of hiding things lol I just picked up one of mine for DS2 b'day next week from the red shed & I have 2 at kmart. 1 is for 3 scooters & the other is for a bbq that if I had of just bought DH would of used it straight away & not had it for xmas.

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