Average Christmas spend £748?

I've always envied people who have gatherings of extended family. When I read on FB that 'Mary' is cooking lunch for 8 and then 5 more are arriving for a buffet tea. I think 'If only'
I've never had more than 5 in my house on Christmas day. Seeing the costs mentioned here maybe I'm not quiet so envious.

Christmas isn't just all abut presents - I disagree that people aren't religious now, either. I'm not, but plenty are, and also don't most people see the chance to get together with their families, have a happy few days and hopefully not fall out? It might also be a time to heal a few wounds - that's happened in a few families I know within the last few years. Call me a silly old optimist - and no doubt somebody will - but it's not all commercialism unless you make it that way.

Just about finished gift shopping apart from gifts for family pets.

You silly old optimist Rosina

It really does depend how many you have to buy for. With 6grandchildren and 7 great nephews and neices it does get quite expendive though we only spend beteen £10 and £30 (max) each. That isnt cpunting adults but we dont buy for many. Food is lso expensive if you have a lot comingas i do. I dread to think what i spend!

churches are closing weekly ,religion is dying on its feet ...maybe thats for the best as its caused more problems than almost anything else over centuries

Maggie, luckily my birthday is just before Christmas, so no unwanted stuff for me.

I won't ask whether you regift any of your birthday presents, Wobblybits

No, I make sure people know what I want, MrsP usually get me to order my own presents.

The trouble with any 'average' is that there isn't one really.One houshold will spend five times as much, another half that or less, another may not go past £70.
It's like saying average house prices in the UK.

We're a very small family, DH and I are both only children as is our DS, and so far he and DDiL have one child, although that may change in future.
This is the first Christmas of having our DGS, and we've gone rather OTT with presents for him.
We've spent more on DS and DDiL than normal; they have so much washing to get dry at present that we've bought them a condenser tumble dryer as well as their normal presents. It'll make a big difference to them.
We're not going mad on food this year, I'm getting tired of having huge amounts of food left over. When we have Christmas pudding after lunch on Easter Sunday it's getting ridiculous,
We're not big drinkers, so not much being spent there.
I went to Costco a few weeks ago and bought £150 worth of food which is in short supply at our local foodbank and donated that.
I also buy toys from charity shops over the whole year, DH does them up, paints them etc and we take them over to a church in Liverpool from where they're given to children who otherwise would get very little.
All in all, our outlay is probably about £1000, but hey, it's made round to go round!

When I read this, I thought - no way! Just added it all up and that's probably spot on in our case.

We are fortunate in being comfortably off and allocate £100 per person. That includes gifts we know they want plus cash to treat themselves (adults) with the difference. I spend very little on the small grandchildren but give their parents the balance out of £100 cos it often happens during the year that they grow into a new bike or need football kit, so that money helps them.

But I agree with all those who say Christmas is not about money at all. I could, in fact, afford £500 per person but regard that as way too extravagant for anyone.

The main thing is that however much people spend it is within their particular budget. We spend most of our present budget on our DDs x2, SIL and DGD and mum and stepdad and brother. My OH does not spend on his side of the family at all, a relief as we have 5 great nieces and nephews. We agreed among friends last year to just have a nice meal out and no presents any more. I think we have managed to keep within an overall £750 present budget and then have £250 in extra food and drink for entertaining, meals out etc so £1k overall.

Some good comments. Christmas is about families and not what you spend. Only spend what you wish and can afford.

The people posting on here are obviously not strapped for cash, and that is not a criticism of anyone's comments at all. One year our daughter was tight for money and she made us all felt covers for our mobile phones, and chocolates for my hubby and me, plus paid for us to accompany her little family on a trip to the zoo in the Spring. It meant a lot to us.

I agree. The worrying thing is people who spend large amounts on presents which they cant afford and then sre deep in debt in the Nrw Year. We could afford to spend more really but dont choose to. We di give much larger amounts to family if and when needed . Also to charity of course.

I usually spend about a grand at Chrisrmas as it includes three birthdays, a trip to Devon and the entertaining my overworked husband cannot face the rest of the year. We live quietly and frugally usually and I feel we have the right to spend our highly taxed and saved up money as we wish.

It's a lot but it will end when my husband retires. I have a a DS and. DD to buy for, my DM, my DS and her other half and my three DNs. That's all but I give my two children £100 each and it's more this year as they are spending a fortune on my DH's milestone birthday.

Some of the spending is on food and other offers and sales in the run up to and after Christmas where I get cheaper goods and make them last throughout the year.

I am quite prudent about some things. For example, I only buy a small turkey crown and make it do just one meal. Also my DH and I couldn't afford presents for each other when the children were young so we have kept that up and instead go to the sales to buy things we need for the year.

To me Christmas is really about being with the family, seeing friends, entertaining and socialising, the lights, decorations and tree, the carols and traditions and a (nearly) two week holiday in the middle of winter.

Most people would spend a grand on a family holiday. This is my version of that.

Why are so many people on this thread feeling a need to justify their Christmas spending or alternatively assume an air of virtue because they spend less than average, or cannot afford to spend a lot.

The statistic quoted is morally neutral and anyway 'average', usually means that roughly half the population will spend less anyway, assuming the distribution of Christmas spending is normally distributed.

It is interesting to hear how people distribute their spending, which varies depending on family size, distribution and income, but please, a little less virtue signalling.

I'm spending more this year than normal because I'm retiring in march so I've said after this year it will be children only. As a family this year has been worse than horrible and were making a huge effort to make it memorable and get together. So it'll cost more.

Madmeg, it's presents like that which mean so much, luvly

We are trying to make all our Christmas cards this year, MrsP is making the cards and I am hand painting the fronts. Kind you, with what MrsP spends on card making equipment, it certainly isn't cheaper.

I don't keep a total (too scared to see I expect! !)
I have 1 dd & 1 dgd. I buy small things for mum & step dad & I buy for niece & nephew. My siblings decided we weren't buying for each other which suits me!
I buy something for one of my auntys, her bday is xmas day so a little something for bday & xmas.
I buy token things for a few good friends too but I try & have a dinner party for special friends to make up for lack of big pressies ?

I buy 6 'bigger' Christmas gifts (4 DGC, 2 x adults) and then smaller things for 10 other children in the family/of friends. Add on the food, panto tickets etc and I rather suspect it is more

I don't really keep a total either but reckon it's a lot - possibly about the average mentioned at the beginning. I've just sorted out the things I've got and as usual think someone doesn't have enough and so it goes on. OH bought his own this year (2 tool chests) and I have some slippers - there's nothing we really need or want so only buying for the family over here - we'll send some money over to NZ although I have got a couple of small things for our little grandsons which needs to be packed up and sent over this week. I just think that for as long as we can do it we will - if there comes a time when we can no longer either afford it or physically manage it as happened with my own parents then that will be the time to cut down.

I agree with MOnica that one's spending depends on so many different things. Our earning power is probably above average, so we spend more than £1k at Christmas. That equates to less than a week's salary, so it's all relative. No doubt when we retire that figure will be greatly reduced.