Average amount of money spent on Christmas

[terry1156]

I just read that The National Retail Federation estimates the average consumer will spend about $700 for the holidays this year. So were you above or below average?

I came in above

[miclason]

...my budget for gifts is $78 this year...all in all, perhaps $150!! (including food for Xmas, movies on Xmas day...)

[DivaJen]

If that is for gifts alone, we are under. If it is for everything - food, decor, cards, stamps, etc etc etc - then we are probably above. We bought gifts for roughly 25 people, I think.

The good part is that we have been buying gifts since about March, so it hasn't felt like a financial crunch in any one month.

One of these years it would be interesting exercise to record every holiday expense, down to the last ribbon and bow.

[PrincessPerky]

well above, if you include down to the last ribbon. Well below if you include only presents.

[davis]

Our expenses break down as follows.

$12 tree
$100 gift to brother in law, who is still in college
$40 gift to child's teacher
$16 stamps (sent out about 40 cards- cards were free from my mom)
$20 (most guests bringing potluck)

So personal expenses were quite low by comparison to the average, about $188.

But for my husband's work, gifts to secretaries/assistants are expected and run about $360. So our total with work costs would be around $550.

Thanks for the questions; I actually would have thought we spend less than this and the exercise was an eye opener.

[amomof4]

I am probably at that amount. I sent $200 to my sister and $200 to one daughter because they are both having financial hardships big time. I guess you could call me my sister's keeper. In addition to the following:

$100 for 2 children still at home
50 for husband
100 for 3 grandchildren ($50 cash to grandson whose mom is in hardship)
50 for gift cards to family my Bible study group adopted for Christmas
5 to Christmas carroling (sp) recipent
90 for artificial Christmas tree
0 for regifting to my nephew
0 for decorations (used prior years)
0 for wrapping (used Christmas fabricate I had on hand from prior spending habbits)
0 for Christmas dinner (I have plenty of food in the freezer)
0 for neighbors (I'm giving homemade jams from pantry)

$795 total spent