How is Everyone Budgeting for Christmas?
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With the increasing cost of everything I'm wondering how people are budgeting for Christmas this year? Are you scaling everything back, only doing presents for the kids or did you start saving early in the year? I start saving in the summer time and also use vouchers from surveys. Just thought someone might have a brilliant idea for saving money at Christmas that others hadn't thought about.
Yeah I too use vouchers from surveys and receipt 
apps
Do you know about them? And I buy items whenever I see them on offer both online and in store
kitty88uk I've been using survey sites for about 8 years. I don't use receipt apps that often though. I also buy things when on offer. Our sons birthday is November and so are 2 of his friends so I start saving early so it isn't as big an outgoing. I used my nectar points to get one of his friends birthday and Christmas presents this year.
We'll be ok this year with the main expense being presents for our 2 nieces who are 16 and 18. I can see us having to buy some quite expensive make-up. Besides that, we have 7 other immediate family members to get presents for. Hopefully our total spend on gifts will be around £4-500.and no more.which we can cover
MrsCraig Very sensible.
It will be presents for our nieces that'll be the main cost this year. They'll give an Amazon list and we'll buy it for them. Saves us from getting something that they don't want. Thankfully, they're not greedy, but stuff for teenagers can be a bit expensive
I am going on a Caribbean cruise and arriving back on the 24th December so we are not celebrating Christmas. I stopped buying presents about three years ago, saves so much stress.
eyeballkerry sounds lovely! Hope you have a fabulous time. My parents used to go on holiday over Christmas once I had grown up. Soon as our son was born the holidays at Christmas stopped and they started coming to ours.
MrsCraig We always go away during this time as it is my birthday. We do not any grandchild ( our grandson never made it into this world ) but I’m sure things will be different when we have young children in the house at Christmas in the future. Christmas is so different when you have young children believing in the Christmas spirit. Now all the adult children want to do is drink the Christmas spirit!
eyeballkerry my condolences for your grandson. We never bothered with Christmas, husband and I didn't even put a tree up or buy each other gifts. We had a nice dinner but it wasn't a full Christmas dinner. When our son was born, I bought a tree, got decorations, went all out. As you say, very different with children in the house.
I'm a bit like you and start picking up bits and bobs throughout the year for Birthday and Christmas presents, lucky enough we don't have many to buy for. I do some receipt aps too and also the rewards from this site on Amazon are a great help too.
Been buying through the year, started in January, waited for various sales and discount codes, saved quite a of money doing this
martinlufc5637 I do that too. I make a list of what I need to buy and keep an eye out for price reductions. If its kids clothing I always buy the next size up, just in case they have a growth spurt.
I've nearly finished shopping as I started in January, so hoping to be finished before December, which means we will only need to budget for food. We could never afford to pay for it all in December even before the cost of living crisis and I find, as you have time to buy you often get more thoughtful gifts than trying to find something last minute.
Midnightflower we couldn't afford to pay for it all in December either so have always started early. I don't go overboard either.
I stopped doing Christmas presents years ago as it was something I did for my children when they were little.I know people enjoy the giving and receiving of presents but in my case I don't need to be part of this.For me, a special holiday like eyeballkerry is doing would be just what I would enjoy most of all.
I have a few less presents to buy this year as my brother and sister are both away, not together. It’s been suggested not to exchange presents now so just my immediate family to buy for.
3 for 2 at Boots is good. I used £5 Hobbycraft voucher. I’ve saved co-op member points and Asda points. Then I shop around once I know what I’m going to buy.
Im just trying to do an extra shift or two a week, saving any vouchers i earn through here and other sites and then just watching what i spend in the run up
My idea for saving money at Christmas was to talk to family/friends and agree not to buy presents 
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