Gift budget planner
Spread a holiday budget across a list.
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How it's calculated
Take the wrapping, cards and shipping off the top, since they are spent whatever you buy. Then give each group a weight: immediate family 3, extended family 1.5, friends 1, co-workers and others 0.5. The gift money divided by the weighted headcount is one share, and each person gets their group’s weight in shares, so a parent gets six times what a co-worker gets and the total lands exactly on the budget. Treat the amounts as ceilings; coming in under on one person frees money for another.
How much should I spend on holiday gifts in total?
US households average around $900–1,000 on gifts, but the right number is what you can pay in full without carrying a balance into the new year. One rule of thumb is about 1% of annual income; another is to set the total first and let it decide the list, not the other way around.
What if a group should get more or less?
Change the headcount to shift money: entering 5 immediate family members for 4 people gives them a quarter more each, or move someone between groups. The weights are a starting point that keeps the arithmetic honest, not a rule.
Should kids and adults get the same?
Most families spend more per child than per adult in the immediate group, and the same or less in the extended group. Count a child as 1.5 immediate family members if you want to tilt it, or simply shift money from the adults to the kids within the group total.
Results are estimates for informational purposes only and are not financial, medical or legal advice.