Christmas budget calculator
A Christmas budget is what you plan to spend on gifts, food, travel and decor. Enter yours below to see if you are over budget and what to save weekly.
Your results
An estimate to help you plan, not financial advice.
Set a budget or build one from your gift list, then add food, decorations, travel and the rest. We show where the money goes and what to save each week until Christmas.
What does a Christmas budget look like with real numbers?
The example plan has $335.00 of gifts for four people and $180.00 for food and drink, plus decorations, travel, cards and wrapping, and a small "other" box. That comes to $785.00 planned against a $900.00 budget, which is $115.00 under.
| Category | Planned | Share of plan |
|---|---|---|
| Gifts | $335.00 | 43% |
| Food and drink | $180.00 | 23% |
| Decorations | $60.00 | 8% |
| Travel | $150.00 | 19% |
| Cards and wrapping | $35.00 | 4% |
| Other | $25.00 | 3% |
| Total | $785.00 | 100% |
Gifts are the biggest slice, but food and travel together are close behind, which is why they have their own boxes.
How does a Christmas budget calculator work?
A Christmas budget calculator adds up everything you plan to spend and compares it with your budget. Add what you plan to spend on each person, then food and drink, decorations, travel, cards and wrapping, and anything else.
If you chose 'I have a budget in mind', we compare the total with your budget and show how far over or under you are. If you chose 'Build it up', your plan is the budget and we skip the comparison.
The bars show each category as a share of the planned total, gifts included. For more on planning the whole season, see how to plan Christmas.
The weekly figure is your planned total divided by the whole weeks left until December 25 (next year's once this year's has passed). It assumes the same amount aside every week, starting now.
Nothing here knows your income or bills, so treat the numbers as a plan to adjust, not advice. If money is tight in general, our post on a budget that survives the month may help.
Common questions
How much should I budget for Christmas?
There is no right number; it depends on your income and what else you owe. A useful way to find yours is to start from what you can comfortably afford without borrowing, then split it between gifts and everything else. Use the 'build it up' option to see what your wish list adds up to.
What costs do people forget in a Christmas budget?
The ones outside the gift list: food and drink for hosting, decorations, cards, stamps and wrapping, travel, and the small extras like teacher or neighbour gifts. This calculator keeps them in their own boxes so they are counted from the start.
How does the weekly saving number work?
We count the days from today to December 25 (next year's, if this year's has passed), turn that into whole weeks, and divide your planned total by that number. If it is already close to Christmas, the answer is simply the whole amount, because only one week is left.
Is anything I type saved?
No. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent to us or stored. Reload the page and the example numbers come back, so copy your totals if you want to keep them.
When should I start saving for Christmas?
As early as you can. The sooner you start, the more weeks the total is spread over, so the weekly amount is smaller. The calculator counts the weeks left to December 25 from today's date.
Can I use this calculator in a currency other than dollars?
The results show a dollar sign, but the arithmetic is the same in any currency. Enter your amounts in your own currency and read the figures as that currency.
What else can help?
- Christmas Planner: gifts, budget, cards and meals in one place.
- How to plan Christmas: a calm approach to the whole season.
- A budget that survives the month: keeping Christmas from squeezing the rest.
- Debt payoff calculator: snowball and avalanche side by side.
- Handmade pricing calculator: cost, wholesale, retail and profit.