With Christmas coming up, I'm trying to set a gift budget this year and honestly everything feels more expensive than last year. I'm curious what everyone else is spending per person — are you cutting back, buying fewer gifts, or going homemade for some people? I usually aim for around $30-50 per person, but even that feels tight this year with prices going up. Would love to hear how you're handling it!
$30–50 per person is a pretty common range. One approach that keeps it manageable: set one total holiday number first, then split it, instead of picking a per-person amount and hoping it adds up. Secret Santa or a family gift swap also cuts costs a lot for bigger groups, and homemade food gifts like cookies or jam usually go over well.
Часто помогает сначала зафиксировать общую сумму на подарки, а потом делить её — так меньше шансов выйти за бюджет. Для больших семей обмен по схеме «один подарок одному человеку» обычно дешевле, чем дарить всем подряд. Самодельные вещи или общий семейный подарок тоже снижают нагрузку без ощущения, что кого-то обделили.
I'm in about the same range, around $30-50 per person, but I'm definitely leaning more homemade this year — baked goods and a few small handmade things for the people I'm closest to. The total-budget-first idea makes a lot of sense too; otherwise it's way too easy to overspend without realizing it until January.
I'm landing in that same $30-50 per person range, so it's reassuring to see that's pretty normal here. The total-budget-first idea really resonates — when I just go person by person, I always end up overspending without noticing until January. We do a Secret Santa for the bigger family group too, and that helps a lot. And like Violet, I'm leaning more homemade this year — baked goods and a few small handmade things for the people I'm closest to feel more personal anyway.
I'm also around $30-50 per person, but I've started setting a hard total first and working backwards — otherwise I blow it by mid-December. I also try to grab a few things during Black Friday sales and stash them, which helps a lot. For the adults in my family we've mostly switched to experiences or a nice dinner out together instead of more stuff, and honestly everyone seems happier with that.
Buying early and stashing gifts works well, as long as you keep a running list of what you already bought. Otherwise it's easy to forget something in the closet and buy a second gift in December. A simple note on your phone with the name, item and price keeps the total budget honest too.