Projects
Christmas budget: 50 a month instead of 600 in December
It is not an unexpected expense: it has landed in the same month every year for as long as you've been alive.
What December really costs
Presents are only part of it. A full December is also the meals, the travel, the decorations, the last-minute presents for the people you'd forgotten.
| Presents, close family | 320.— |
| Presents, friends and colleagues | 110.— |
| Meals and hosting | 180.— |
| Travel | 90.— |
| Decorations, wrapping | 50.— |
| Total | 750.— |
| Spread over 12 months | 62.50 / month |
Nothing costs less. Spreading it doesn't reduce the spending, it only stops it landing in one go — and therefore ending up on a credit card you're still paying off in March.
Setting an amount per person
A Christmas budget almost always goes wrong through the list, not the prices. Write the names first, put an amount next to each, add it up. If the total is more than you can manage, it's the list to revisit, not the amounts — twelve presents at 25 satisfies less than six at 50.
Three ways to spend less without it showing
- Suggest a Secret Santa among the adults. One present per person instead of six. Almost every family gets there eventually, and somebody has to suggest it first.
- Buy in September. December prices are not the same prices, and urgency always costs more.
- Decide before you walk into the shop. That is where the gap between the planned budget and the real one opens up.
The separate account, again
62 a month in your current account will be spent in July. In a separate account, it will still be there in December. Same mechanism as for a trip: the separation does all the work.
Common questions
How much does Christmas cost on average?
Between 600 and 900 per adult, counting presents, meals, travel and decorations.
How do I spread the cost?
By dividing the total by twelve and moving that amount to a separate account each month. 750 becomes 62 a month.
How do I spend less without looking stingy?
Shorten the list rather than the amounts: six presents at 50 make a better impression than twelve at 25. A Secret Santa among adults is the simplest fix.
When should I buy?
September or October. December prices are higher and urgency always makes you spend more.
You might also like
Projects
Travel budget: work it out before, hold it during
The flight is never the problem. It's the three weeks on the ground, and what people forget to count.
A goal that fills itself
Set the amount and the date, and let the months do the work.
Download MonniFree to start · No account · No bank connection