Christmas family budget, Blogmas

Family Gift Preparations | Should I Have a Budget?

Christmas Gift Preparations

It’s the middle of November (almost), and I’ve not even thought about Christmas! I’m finding hard to make a start buying presents for my girls usually it’s an easy task. Last year I spent a lot more than I would like to admit and to be honest nothing got touched! I paid £74.99 on one of those hatchimal eggs that hatch into two interactive creatures, and my youngest had asked and gone on and on, how she wanted one… What a waste of money that was, she only picked it up to hatch it and has never picked it up again. We have board games still in the wrappers and stacks of board games that don’t get touched; it’s very disheartening.

This Christmas I am stumped what to get for my children, I know this, I will not be making the mistake of last year that being just spending and buying things for the sake of it I will buy them things which they need, and gifts which I know they will love and use time and time again.  

I want to stick to a budget for each child the price I had in mind was £100 – £150 I thought this was a fair amount. But since I have been looking online, I don’t think my budget with stretch far at all! I don’t know and find it all a bit daunting to start!

I’m going to try and do all my Christmas shopping online this year, try and restrain myself from going to the shop seeing things and overspending!

My youngest daughter Kayleigh she is growing so much, she has gone from the smallest in her class to suddenly she has had a growth spurt and caught up to everyone. 

For Kayleigh, I’m going to stock up on cosy PJs slippers, a couple of games for the Nintendo Switch or the Xbox which I know she will enjoy. Games are always expensive, but I don’t mind buying these second hand from eBay or our local GAME. 

My eldest Daughters are 14 and 15 With a small age gap you would think that they would be into similar things, but they’re not at all they’re like chalk and cheese. 

I have been looking online today for a decent and not to overpriced beauty advent calendar for each of them. Something a little different from the usual chocolate ones. I think they both would love them given their age.

I can’t believe how expensive they are, for what the contents are! If anyone can recommend a good beauty advent calendar or where to buy a reasonably priced one, please leave me a comment below.

I can’t go into much detail what I want to buy for them; I know my eldest daughter Lyndsay reads my blog posts. So, if you’re reading Lyndsay, no secrets will be given here. Hehe!  

Then comes buying for relatives

Dan comes from a large family; he is 1 of 9 children! Eight siblings some with partners and children that’s a lot of presents to buy!  Last year one of Dan’s sisters come up with the idea of secret Santa and a budget of £25, and it worked well, and we’re doing that again this year.

Every year Dan’s sister hosts a Christmas party all the children get spoiled rotten, and we come back with our boot overflowing with lots gifts for each of the girls and us included, it’s crazy! 

I don’t have as many siblings on my side, so it’s a much smaller gathering, but still, it’s more gifts, that they don’t need. 

Buying for Family

I always struggle when it comes to buying for other people I worry I will get them something that they will not need or use.  A couple of years ago now I started gifting gift hampers, I love nothing more than putting together Christmas gift hampers, making each one personal to the person receiving it.  I made one last year in a pretty basket, and lots of shredded create paper some of the things we included.

  • WHSmiths gift voucher
  • Twining tea
  • Coffee
  • Posh biscuits
  • Cheese and biscuits
  • One glass bottles of wine
  • Box of chocolates

This year I plan on doing the same kind of thing and doing Christmas gift bags for each of our nieces and nephews. 

Extra Special Christmas

Not only will we be celebrating Christmas this year, but we will also mark my Dad’s retirement. He retires on Christmas Eve after 25 years service fire the fire brigade!

I’m looking forward to our family get together.

 

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