How much do you spend???

As DFs Birthday is the 21st Dec, I spend $100 on his B'day and $50 on Xmas.

Your own Parents? $20-50

Your Partner's Parents? $20-50

Your Children? None of my own yet.

Your Siblings? None on my brother or SIL - I buy for my nieces (his girls) and I usually lay-by at Kmart or Warehouse. 12 weeks yay. Toys for Emily who is 6, and clothes/make up for Paige who is 11.

Other family members? I buy for my Grandmother and my Uncle - Last few christmas's I've made presents.

And I don't buy for friends - we exchange cards.

In total I have around 8 people to buy for, so I try to keep presents under $20-30 ea.

DH and I only have Mum's so usually spend $30-50

My kids .....
(don't tell my DH) probably $200.00 -$300.00 in the past as we were both working, sometimes more if we brought a bike etc. I'm so naughty I like to buy one really big thing and fill a stocking as well so end up going over board every year. This year we have put DH's bonus into savings as our big girls 9 and 11 want "gear bikes" (and lap tops and cell phone's, but thats not happening!!!) I got Alyssa's pressies at the big toy sales earlier so thats all done probably spent about $150.00

Siblings - we don't buy anything anymore for my sister or her DH they have six kids and I buy for them anywhere between 20-50 dollars each.
DH's siblings - he has four brothers and 13 nieces and nephews so as a family we decided no more presents a few years back we each buy one present for our own kids to put under Nana's tree to open on Christmas day.

I also buy for one of my God children because her mum and I are really close and she has always brought for my girls.

Thats it I don't buy for anybody else. I just send cards to friends etc

Not sure how we are going to afford xmas this year I've been buying supermarket Christmas club stamps all year so at least we will have food.

Edited by shaz

Well after all those I'm going to sound like a scrooge! hehe. But bear in mine that we have largely been on single, student income for the last 4 years (since we married). So -

We spend $10 each on my parents, his parents, both our siblings, their spouses, and our niece. We spend double that on each other and our kids. We save a little amount every week for a whole year so it doesn't "hurt" as much, and we allow a bit towards a food contribution (ILs expect we will bring food item of request, so we also take something along to my parents' home - it's not expected but it's fair). And we spend a bit on a tree/decorations etc as well. All up, our total Christmas spending is around $300.

We have a large family and are all pretty much in the same boat.

Other peoples kids: We buy for the kids/neices/nephews if we are going to have a meet-up, usually something $2-$5, (there's 14 grandkids so it all adds up)

Siblings: i usually will get my sisters ( i have 4 of them) a small box of choccys - as sometimes that's the only time in the whole year they've been given choccys.. (tisk tisk hubbys!)

My parents: I only buy for mum, dad lives up north and doesn't acknowledge us, so we don't really do anything for him (has been alot of trying on my part and i'm not worrying about it anymore) My mum we either all put in and get her one big ticket item she needs, or me and mike get her something like that, like a footstool or something she actually will use.

Mike's parents: we get choccy's and possibly something small each, they don't expect anything from us really and neither us from them, (boy we felt stink last year when they turned up with a brand new BBQ for us)

As for our own little family unit, we have a $50 limit on buying for each other so try and be as creative as we can.. although mike tends to end up with Jay-jays t-shirts with smart comments on them, cos that's what he likes and he doesn't Need anything else so usually asks for that.

The girls get mummy and daddy a $2 shop something each, and also get each other something around that price.

And our kids: i don't add it up, i'd probably have a heart attack - but usually one big-ticket item, (this year is trampoline, last year was a swing and slide) and a few bits after that like dollies or hairties etc with some choccy bits for their stockings.

So mostly, other people apart from my mum and mikes parents, are all around $2 - $5, and we tend to buy all the same thing.

And wow, how scary is it that xmas is coming up so quick.. we went to warehouse the other day and they have the advent calendars on sale already!

Edited by mum2paris

My family do secret santa, so we buy for one person each and spend no more than $50.00. So per couple we spend $100 and it "covers" me,dh, sis, BIL, BRO, SIL,
and parents. WE then spend another $50 each on the niece and nephew.

DH's family gets about $100 all up spent on them. So for all the family we're looking at about $300.

On each other we normally spend a couple of hundred, however that was on two incomes, might be different this year!!

Your own Parents?

When Dad was alive, we would buy them an item they wanted/needed, either going in with brothers or on our own. Last year, we knew Dad wouldn't be here, but we got him choccys and liquorice if he was and we bought mum a big clock, which she wanted as we had just moved them up here at a cost of about $1000. This year it will probably be something small again, as we have "loaned" her a fair bit of money this year, although I will probably end up treating her to a good hair cut and colour instead as thats something she can't really afford.

Your Partner's Parents?

about $20 on some nice flowers for their headstone

Your Children?

A limit of $100 on DSS and less for J, although I'll admit I spent that much on him last year. This year I have learnt that I don't need to spend so much, he will be happy with anything. Will buy him one decent toy, a new outfit and some little stuff. Char will get a 2007 Santa bear (jake got a 2005 one when he was born) and a gold bangle and a wee toy, probably a doll of some type? For first Xmas, J was so little so we got keepsakes and a toy, doing the same for C. Remembering I work for MHJ so bangle not so much $

Your Siblings?

Nothing. I used to buy for them when I was single and had no Kids, but now we just buy for the kids. (I got sick of getting HIDEOUS dog statues etc, not much thought put into what I would like, I HATE ornaments of any kind and always have!!) We usually have them up here for xmas anyhow.

Other family members?

Limit of about $25 each on 6 nieces and nephews. Am considering getting them all bonus bonds this year.

I know its not about the pressies, but I really love buying and giving pressies, can't help it. I try to buy during the year and get things cheap at sales etc, am always thinking about it.

Each other? About $100 thereabouts, unless it is something we really want and its a bit more? No real price bracket, but thats the sort of *range*. Last year Ro bought me a sun lounger and I got him some new sports shoes.

Your own Parents?
About $20
Your Partner's Parents?
Same
Your Children?
About $100 on each child
Your Siblings?
Nothing usually, we only buy for the kids. We spend about $10-$20 on each child but sometimes have a $5 limit.
Other family members?
DP and I aim to spend about $100 on each other.

We might reduce the budget this Xmas as we'll be on one income.