Average Christmas spend £748?

I was surprised by your posting Lillie until I looked at my spending spreadsheet and realised that my present spending (including £100 cash to each of our 4 adult children, his and mine) will come to £750. Extra food spending, wine, maybe new decorations & some new daft games to keep different ages happy is probably another £200. But we are in the nice position at the moment of the total being less than a week's income. That certainly hasn't been the case until very recently so I'm going to make the most of it and enjoy it. When we finally retire I shall have to reduce the spending to match the income. We will probably be eating the Xmas food for a week anyway.

HOW MUCH!!!! - £748 pa I dont spend that on my food bill -- for the year!!
Uncle Ebenezer was right Bahhhhhhhhhh humbug

How about your drinks bill John?

Sorry I'm a complete bore don't touch drop

Very indicative of our cultural attitude to drink, John. Me, I reckon if I'm happy I don't need it and if I'm depressed it makes it much worse......so I don't drink.
And I find drunks are boring.

And my spending this year will be much, much less than (for heavens' sake) £748! as a pensioner that's about three times my weekly income.
There have been ructions in my family this year....one of the lighter spots is, I won't have to spend on so many people...........
Can't say I'm looking forward to it. Roll on New Year.

Why is not drinking being a bore? Or are you one of those people that go on and on and on about not drinking and bore people stiff that way.

I think a lot of rubbish is spoken about drinking and not drinking. Most people enjoy a glass of wine with a meal or a beer on a hot day and never get anywhere near being drunk, drunk driving or intoxicated in any way.

There are those who do not drink drink because they do not like the taste, which is entirely reasonable. Unfortunately too many non-drinkers seem to consider that not drinking somehow raises them to some higher moral plane which enables them to look down on all those who put sherry in their trifle and brandy in their Christmas cake.

There is no more morality in choosing to drink or not to drink than in choosing to finish a meal with a dessert or with cheese.

I have 3 kids and 7 grandkids they each get £100 so £1000 on presents and then I give my daughter who I ll spend Christmas with a hundred towards food and drink (neither of us drink much ) a couple of bottles of wine and a few light lagers for grandson but I ll stay over at least two days I do live on my pension which is around £10 000 a year but my needs are very small My mortgage is finished I don't have a car or central heating so no big overheads free bus pass, or my cycle, don't drink hardly, so seeing my kids / grandkids right at Christmas and birthdays and anything else is good enough for me

I do the same for birthdays £100 each and that s my lot for the year makes it simpler to just have one figure to go by