What is your Christmas Budget?

[heygrey]

Usually we try to keep it around $700, but this year is an anomaly. We were planning to travel to the tune of $3000, but have decided to stay home instead, so we're spending some of that money on a more extravagant holiday. probably in the $1500-2000 range.

[crashgizmo]

I put $1000-1500. Last year we spent over $3K and agreed to reign it in this year.

gifts will be ~$600 or so (not doing gifts for each other or siblings, just parents and the nieces and nephews)
travel will be less than $200- got a hotel with points and are driving
the rest will be random- some decorations, some food and drinks

[hurricanedrunk]

We try to keep it under $500 but usually end up in the 700-800 range. We don't have a ton of family to buy for but a couple people like SIL who we spender higher amounts on. It would be much more if we hosted anything.

[galaxy8227]

I will have about $1,800 in my Christmas Club--this usually covers all gifts, Christmas eve dinner and a little leftover for anything outstanding we have (this year using the excess for the kids passports).

[Marmee]

Honestly $4-5K with no travel. We spend $2-3K on gifts alone...,I host everything, buy all food, pre-party housecleaning is over $600 alone, Christmas clothes, decor, etc. A real tree runs us $80-100. I have a lot of kids also so that factors a lot too. We get a lot at Christmas (gifts, stock & performance bonuses, etc) so it's not painful.

[rose1203]

We have around 30 family members we buy gifts for, with an average of $50 per person. $1500+ in gifts. We have to fly to be with our families so normally airfare is another $1500+. Thankfully I upgraded my Southwest card and with reward points I got 3 out of the 4 round-trip tickets for free!

[gibbinator]

Pretty low this year. Under $400 including a big dinner we're hosting.

[tacom]

Too much. Ugh.
-$800+ flights
-Few hundred to doormen
Plus we bought gifts for thirty people last year which seems absurdly excessive. I've asked to cut down gifts in previous years and have been called the grinch. This year I just dgaf and RSVPd no to one holiday party specifically because it's basically a gift exchange where everyone takes turn opening one present at a time then they go home. That saves us six gifts.

I've also explicitly told some family members that I look forward to seeing them over the holiday season but we are no longer exchanging gifts. I suggested dinner out instead.