Holiday Budget Calculator
Plan what you’ll spend this holiday season, gift by gift, plus the costs people forget, and see how much to set aside each week until December 25. Free, no sign-up.
Counted from today to December 25. Shopping earlier, on Black Friday say? Use fewer weeks.
Your holiday budget$1,025$325 on gifts · $700 on everything else
- Still to save
- $825
- Set aside each week
- $75
- Or each paycheck
- $165
- If you’re paid every two weeks
Keep to it once the shopping starts
Add a holiday savings goal in AI Budgie, then log each gift as you buy it in one sentence, like “Lego set for Sam, 45”. You see what’s left before January does.
Plan my holidays with AI BudgieFree for 30 days. No bank connection needed.
How to make a holiday budget
Start with the people, not the total. Write down everyone you’re buying for and a number for each. A list makes the total honest: it’s easy to say “about $500” and spend twice that.
Add the costs around the gifts. Food and hosting, travel to see family, decorations, wrapping and shipping, parties, and tips for the people who help you all year often add up to as much as the gifts themselves.
Spread it over the weeks you have. Take what’s left after what you’ve already set aside and divide it by the weeks until you shop. Saving a little each week, or each paycheck, is far easier than finding it all in December.
Pay for it before January. The aim is a season you can pay for in full. If the weekly amount is more than you can manage, trim the list now, while it’s still a number and not a bill.
Questions people ask
How much should I spend on the holidays?
As much as you can pay for in full without new debt. Work backwards: what you’ve already set aside, plus what you can save each week until you shop. If your list adds up to more than that, trim it before you start buying.
How much should I save each week for Christmas?
Take your holiday total, subtract what you’ve already set aside, and divide by the weeks left. A $1,000 plan with $200 saved and 10 weeks to go means setting aside $80 a week, or $160 a paycheck if you’re paid every two weeks.
How do I budget for holiday gifts?
List everyone you’re buying for and give each person a number before you shop. Group people if it helps, such as coworkers or kids’ teachers, and keep the receipts so you can see what you’ve spent against each name.
What holiday costs do people forget to budget for?
Hosting and holiday meals, travel to see family, wrapping paper, cards and shipping, party outfits, gift exchanges at work, decorations, and tips for people like a building staff, mail carrier or babysitter.
Is it OK to put holiday shopping on a credit card?
Only if you can pay the statement in full. Interest on a balance carried into the new year can make gifts cost far more than their price tags. Saving ahead each week means the card is just a way to pay, not a loan.