Christmas budget calculator No surprises in January.
Set one total, add who’s on your list, and see how much to spend on each person.
My Christmas budget
Then tap who’s on your list.
Who’s on your list?
Tap to add. Tap again for two.
Partner & kids
Family
Wider family & friends
Thank-yous
- $600 left of your $600 budget
Other costs Wrapping, stockings…
Wrapping paper, tape and cards
Worked out from your list
Stocking stuffers
All the stockings together
Secret Santa at work
The group’s limit
Christmas dinner and treats
The extra groceries
Tree and decorations
Tree, lights, the new ornament
Travel to family
Gas, trains or flights
By the Gift DeskUpdated
A Christmas gift calculator for your whole list: it shows what each person usually gets and what your list adds up to, with a gift idea for every amount, and one tap splits your total for you, the people closest to you first.
The short answer
Decide one total you can pay off by January, then divide it by how close each person is: the biggest share to your partner and kids, about $50–$150 for each parent (both sets alike), $25–$50 for siblings and a best friend, $30–$100 for grandparents, $20–$50 for nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, and $10–$25 for coworkers, teachers and neighbors.
How much people usually spend, by person
The ranges the calculator starts from, from our guide how much to spend on Christmas gifts. They’re what most people give, not what you should: your total always wins. Each name opens its Christmas gift ideas.
Closest
Your partner and your kids
- Partner$100–$300
- Daughter$75–$250
- Son$75–$250
- Grandchild$40–$150
A newer girlfriend or boyfriend: $25–$100. For your own children, settle how many presents first.
Family & best friends
Parents and in-laws, siblings, grandparents, your best friend
- Mom$50–$150
- Dad$50–$150
- Mother-in-law$50–$150
- Father-in-law$50–$150
- Sister$25–$50
- Brother$25–$50
- Grandma$30–$100
- Grandpa$30–$100
- Son-in-law$30–$100
- Daughter-in-law$30–$100
Extended family & friends
Nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends
Three budgets, split by the calculator
The same split “Split my budget for me” makes in the tool above.
$300 for five people
A partner, both parents, a sister and one coworker: everyone still lands in their usual range.
| Partner | $135 |
|---|---|
| Mom | $65 |
| Dad | $65 |
| Sister | $25 |
| Coworker | $10 |
$600 for a family of seven
The list the calculator starts with: a partner, two kids, both parents, a sister and a brother.
| Partner | $150 |
|---|---|
| First kid | $125 |
| Second kid | $125 |
| Mom | $70 |
| Dad | $70 |
| Sister | $30 |
| Brother | $30 |
$1,200 with the in-laws
Both sets of parents kept level, a grandparent, the wider family and two thank-yous.
| Partner | $215 |
|---|---|
| First kid | $180 |
| Second kid | $180 |
| Mom | $105 |
| Dad | $105 |
| Mother-in-law | $105 |
| Father-in-law | $105 |
| Grandma | $60 |
| Sister | $45 |
| Niece | $35 |
| Nephew | $35 |
| Teacher | $20 |
| Neighbor | $10 |
How much to save each week before Christmas
Divide what’s still to buy by the weeks left. From mid-October there are about ten weeks to go, so a $600 Christmas is $60 a week; start in mid-November and it’s $100 a week for the same list. The calculator does this for you from today’s date, with the gifts you’ve already bought taken off.
How the split works
The split follows how close each person is, the way most families already think about it: a partner and your own children first, then parents and in-laws, siblings, grandparents and your best friend, then nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, and last the thank-yous for coworkers, teachers, neighbors and hosts.
Everyone starts at the usual amount for who they are. Tap “Split my budget for me” and the calculator gets everyone to the low end of their range first, then scales the whole list together until your total is used, keeping equals equal and never pushing anyone far past their usual range: on a generous budget the rest stays spare instead of turning into a $300 coworker gift. Wrapping, the office Secret Santa and the stockings count in your list’s total if you add them, because they’re the costs that turn up in January.
As you tap who’s on your list, the calculator shares your total out at once, the closest people first, and Undo takes that split back. Lock someone’s amount with the padlock and it stays exactly where it is while the others move to fit; move one person’s amount and the unlocked people make room, so your list’s total always shows what’s left of your budget or what’s over. Mark a gift bought and what it cost counts, while what you planned for that person stays beside it, so a $100 present where you planned $150 puts $50 back in your budget. If the total is tight, a name draw for the adults is often the kindest fix. Know the amount but not the gift? Each person’s row has ideas that fit it, or ask the Christmas gift finder.
Questions people ask
How much should I spend on Christmas gifts per person?
It depends on how close they are. The biggest share usually goes to a partner and your own children, then about $50 to $150 for each parent (the same for both sets), $25 to $50 for siblings and a best friend, $30 to $100 for grandparents, $20 to $50 for nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, and $10 to $25 for coworkers, teachers and neighbors. Set one total first, then divide it, rather than adding up gifts one by one.
How much should I spend on Christmas per child?
For your own children, most people spend $75 to $250 each, and the calculator keeps brothers and sisters level. Many parents settle how many presents first (something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read) and the money after. Grandchildren usually get $40 to $150, nieces and nephews $20 to $50.
What is a good total Christmas budget?
One you can pay off by January without borrowing. To see what your list usually costs, add up the low end of each person’s range: for a partner, two kids, both parents, a sister and a brother that’s about $400, and about $740 gives everyone a typical amount. The calculator adds this up as you go and says when your total is tight.
How does the calculator split my budget?
When you tap “Split my budget for me”, everyone starts from the usual amount for who they are, and the whole list scales together until your total is used: closest people first, equals kept equal, so Mom and Dad always get the same. Nobody goes far past the top of their usual range unless you ask it to give more to the people closest to you; anything beyond that stays free. Amounts you locked and gifts already bought stay exactly as they are.
Can I set an exact amount for someone?
Yes. Type it, or slide it on their row (arrow keys move it by 5). Every amount stays where you put it: nothing else moves, and your list’s total shows what’s left of your budget or what’s over. Tap the padlock to lock an amount: splitting your budget, or fitting your list into it, never changes a locked one.
What if my budget is too small for everyone?
Its split keeps a sensible minimum for each person (never a $5 present) and shows how much you’re over. Before raising the total, try a name draw for the adults, so each person buys one better gift instead of several small ones, or trim the list.
Is my plan saved? Can I share it?
It’s saved on your device as you go, with no account. “Share” makes a link with the whole budget in it, so a partner can open the same list on their phone.