Free holiday budget calculator
How much can you spend on each person this year?
Enter what you can afford in total and how many people you buy for. You get a gift budget per person and a plan for food, travel, decorations and wrapping. It takes about ten seconds.
- Free, no sign-up
- Nothing leaves your browser
- 6 categories
Your numbers
Your plan
How to split $1,500
These shares are starting points, not rules. If you host a big dinner, move 5–10% from gifts to food. If you travel far, take it from gifts and decorations first. Always set the budget before you shop, then log each purchase as you go.
Stay on budget
Four habits that keep holiday spending in check
Fix the total first
Decide the number before you open a single shop. Money left over from last year's overspend does not count as budget.
Write the list, with a number next to each name
The per-person figure above is an average. Give close family more and acquaintances less, but make sure the amounts still add up to the gift total.
Log every purchase the day you buy it
Small buys (wrapping paper, postage, one more stocking filler) are what push totals over. Keep a running list and compare it to the plan weekly.
Keep the buffer
Something always comes up: a gift for someone you forgot, a shipping fee, a flight change. The buffer is there so these do not land on a credit card.
Questions
Holiday budget questions
How do I work out a gift budget per person?
Take the part of your budget set aside for gifts and divide it by the number of people you buy for. With $1,500 total, the calculator puts 55% ($825) toward gifts. Across 12 people that is about $69 each.
How much of my holiday budget should go to gifts?
There is no official figure. This calculator starts at 55% for gifts and 20% for food and drink, then splits the rest between travel, decorations, wrapping and a buffer. Adjust it to your own holiday: hosting raises the food share, travelling raises the travel share.
Where do the percentages come from?
They are our own rule-of-thumb starting points, not survey data. Treat them as a first draft and change them to fit your plans.
Does this store my numbers?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent or saved.