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How do you budget for Christmas money? How much do you spend?


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Posted

How do you budget for christmas money?

 

I save up change. I do the surveys and it Target's clearance. I try to get everything with just one pay check. I get paid bi-weekly.

 

I would like to say that I only spend 1000.00, but I know I always end up spending more.

Posted

Sad to say, we dont really budget for it. we end up taking a couple

of DH's Part-time paychecks and use them. That way, we're not cutting

into our reg. pay and hurting ourselves financially.

I'd say I spend over $500. It keeps increasing every year. :)

Posted
I buy all year..so I don't really budget it. I am very lucky and blessed the last few years to not have to. When I went back to work, I used the $$ just for Christmas...kept me very happy. I do save change for $$ just to blow.
Posted

I buy all year too so we don't budget either. I just hit sales when I see them and keep an ongoing list of what I've bought and what ideas I have so I know what to look for.

As far as black friday goes I always use gift cards we get from our credit card points and then my hubby always gives me a pretty decent amount to take with me. I'm usually just down to finishing up stockings by that point, but I always buy extra stuff since the sales are so good :)

Posted

Haven't bugeted in the past and it has bitten me in January :) I am sure I spend about $1500 but then I of course overbuy for my kids, I buy for my mom and dad, dh's mom and dad, 2 nephew's, 2 niece's, my grandma, and 7 cousins who are younger than me, and of course dh and I buy for each other - some years it is more than others although last year I spent about $200 on dh.

 

I spend about $20 per niece and nephew and $10 per cousin.

 

This year will be so nice because my last car payment is in a couple of days!! Yay!! That free's up $500 a month which I will be putting into savings for BF and Christmas.

Posted
I get a bonus check in Dec. 2 weeks pay, but doesnt help me for BF. I never really budget but this years I want to spend less than my bonus check. I wants to spend 750 or less.
Posted

i used to keep all my bills paid up so when dec came i could hold off paying them till jan, money was really tight so that was the only way, yeah it would double up my bills, but i would pay them off in 2 months. now i managed to save. when i would get a tax check i would just put money on the side for birthday, holidays or when something comes up that's needed. so thats what i do now, just keep it on the side. but lately it seems i'm spending more then i'm saving.

 

i guess i spend about $300 on each one and they get about 35 gifts each. this yr their getting way less then that, since they're getting mostly video games and electronic toy.

Posted
I save up out of each check about three months before BF all the way up til Xmas...and that gives me just enough....and I can buy gradually up to that point...if I have to put anything on credit in that time, I pay it off as soon as the next check comes in so I'm not putting any xmas gifts on credit....
Posted
I have a Christmas club that my husband deposits money into every two weeks. It automatically comes out of his check and we cannot touch it until the bank sends a check in mid November. That is always what i use and of course, extra that has been saved.
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
No I don't set a budget.....I try and find the HOT items selling on Ebay and grab them if I can. Last year it was the PS3 and Wii's and elmos that helped with my shopping expences. With 6 kids saving all year is hard to do....But DH will work all the overtime he can!!! Gotta love him
Posted

I start shopping in September and try to stay in a budget less than $1000.00 (excluding my mom and dad's gifts). I have a huge huge family of 13 aunts and uncles, not including their children and grandchildren. Which sends my list of people well into the 50's and that's only my mom's side :D

 

Needless to say, I don't buy everyone a present and not everyone shows up to the parties. So I buy a bunch of discounted gifts every black friday and keep them wrapped in my trunk just in case. If need be, I take a breather from the party fill out a name tag, rip off the post-it description of what the gift is, and slip a present under the tree for the loved but forgotten partier :D

Posted
I also shop all year. By Sept I usually have several gifts, stocking stuffers, etc. We also do a christmas club and get that check every October. Each week we put money into the christmas club. The amunt we spend varies year to year, depends on the sales and deals.
Posted
We have an account at the credit union that we set aside money in. This is just an all purpose savings. I usually get about a $500 Christmas bonus, so I use that and then get the rest out of the credit union. I don't even know how much we usually spend. We have lots of people to buy for. I would guess it's around $1500.
Posted

I opened a second checking last month to use for specific things and have been putting lottery winnings into it. The way it's been going i'm going to have a fun BF (especially if I keep getting $50 and up winners like I have been for the last two weeks... yesterday I won $250!) My husband is happy to provide me the money to play because I keep winning :D We play responsibly, though, and never spend more than we can afford.

 

As to how much I'll spend, I have no idea since I have to send to family and friends overseas as well as buy for people over here. Ask me after the holidays :)

Posted
I have a spreadsheet that shows what bill is due on what paycheck. I will bulk up on paying bills the 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after BF paycheck so I only have a few, if any, bills that I need to pay with my BF paycheck. Then when I run out of money from that paycheck that's it!
Posted
I don't have a budget either and I couldn't tell you what I spend to be honest. I just keep my eyes open for a good bargin and pick stuff up when I do. I have a basic list of things I always get the kids: 3 outfits, 3 pj's, socks, underwear, shoes/boots. The rest is either picked up because I know they will like it (such as I got DSD Hannah Montana perfum) or it is on their lists. All 3 kids get the same amount of presents right now since they are close in age but as they get older I will start spending a certain dollar amount since teenagers want more expensive stuff.
Posted

I do a budget, but it is a per person budget. It is usually set during the previous Christmas Season, and I tend to start buying on December 26.

 

Sometimes I go over, but that is usually because I see an item I know someone would just love, and I have to get it for them.

 

The total this year is $500.00.

Posted
I don't really budget. I buy things on clearance (usually at Target) throughout the year. Usually I take everything out and make a list of what I have for who and figure up who is lacking. I then purchase a few more things to even everything out. I come up with a budget for BF after seeing the ads and going over bills.
  • 1 month later...
Posted

Dh puts in a week straight of work, and all the overtime takes care of Christmas. We also have 3 December birthdays in our family, so that gets taken care of w/ overtime too. Also, I sell stuff on ebay and use the money from that towards Chrstmas too. We usually budget about $100. per person in our family, but I admit, we spend more than that when I factor in the stuff I buy with my money too. More like $150. per person.

 

Elena

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