TOOLS · MONEY · CHRISTMAS

Christmas budget planner

Put down what you can afford, then everyone you're buying for and everything else Christmas costs. I'll keep the sums: what's left, what's still to find, and what to put aside each week until the day you choose.

Saved on this device only
Prints as a checklist
A gift for each person

Christmas budget

£600 to spend in all. Have it by Sunday 20 December.

	People	Who	Budget	Spent
☐	Mum	Mum	£50
☐	Dad	Dad	£50
☐	The kids	Kids	£150	£40
☐	Sam	A friend	£20

	Everything else	Budget
☐	Food and drink	£120
☐	Tree and decorations	£30
☐	Cards and postage	£20
☐	Wrapping	£15
☐	Going out	£60
☐	Travel	£40

Planned £555, £45 left. Spent £40; still to find £465: £66.43 a week, 7 put-asides from Sunday 8 November.

vouchernaut.com/tools/christmas-budget

How this works

What's left is what you can afford less every budget, for people and everything else. Spending is ticked off separately, so a budget stays put while you buy; if you spend more than a budget, I count what you spent.

What's still to find is everything planned, less what's spent and what you've already put aside. I spread it over one put-aside today and one every seven days up to your day (20 December unless you change it), rounded up to the penny so it's covered.

Each person's Find a gift opens the gift finder with who they are, Christmas and their budget in whole pounds. Their name never leaves this page.

Under a partner, a sibling, a grandchild or a Secret Santa (going by the name you give them, or who they are when the name doesn't say), I show what published surveys found or what our readers said about how much is fair, from our page on fair amounts. It's there to compare, and never changes your amounts.

If money's tight

MoneyHelper, the free government-backed service, suggests the same start: list everyone you're buying for with an amount for each, and put a little aside regularly rather than hoping some is left over (saving for Christmas, talking about Christmas).

Spreading Christmas on credit costs more if you can't clear it, and missed payments can harm your credit file. If you're already behind, its debt advice locator finds free, confidential advice.

Questions

How much should I budget for Christmas?

There's no right figure: start from what you can afford without borrowing, then share it out between the people you're buying for and everything else Christmas costs. The planner shows whether it fits and how much is left.

How much do I need to save each week for Christmas?

What's still to find, divided by the put-asides left: one today and one every seven days up to your day. In the example, £465 to find by 20 December is 7 put-asides of £66.43.

Is my plan saved, and who can see it?

Only this browser keeps it, in its own storage. Nothing is sent to me and nothing goes in the address, so names and amounts stay with you. It won't follow you to another device, and clearing your browser's data clears it: print it to keep a copy.

Can I print a Christmas budget checklist?

Yes: Print a checklist gives one A4 page with each person, their budget, what's spent and a box to tick, then everything else and the totals, without the rest of the page.

What if I can't afford Christmas this year?

Borrowing for it costs more if you can't clear it in full, and missed payments can harm your credit file. You could agree a lower limit, or a Secret Santa, with family. If money's already tight, MoneyHelper's debt advice locator finds free, confidential help near you.