How to use the budget planner
Start with the single number that matters most: the total you can afford to spend on gifts this season, not what you feel you ought to spend. Enter it at the top. Then add each person you are buying for and give them a budget. Leave a budget blank if you have not decided; the planner shows an even split so you can see roughly what each person would get if you shared the total equally. As you buy, enter the amount in the “Spent so far” column. The panel underneath shows what you have planned, what you have spent, what is left of your overall limit, the share of the budget used, and any person you have spent more on than planned.
Everything is calculated on your device. Nothing is uploaded. If you tick Remember on this device, the list is saved in your browser’s local storage so it is still there when you come back; untick it or press Clear everything and the saved copy is deleted. We do not use a cookie for this and it is off by default, so a shared computer stays clean unless you choose otherwise.
A simple method that works
- Pick the total first. Look at what is left after essentials and holiday food, and decide a figure you will not exceed. Surveys keep showing that people overspend on gifts and cut back elsewhere, so a hard number helps.
- List people in three tiers. Closest family and partner; wider family and close friends; colleagues, teachers and neighbours. Give each tier a typical amount rather than agonising over every person.
- Hold back a small reserve. Put aside ten percent for forgotten people, postage, wrapping and the gift you will find in the January sale that is perfect for somebody.
- Include group gifts and Secret Santa. A Secret Santa exchange replaces many gifts with one, which is how many households keep totals manageable. Add it as a single row.
- Record as you go. Enter every purchase the day you make it. The tool does the sums; your job is to be honest about the numbers.
What the numbers mean
The even split is the overall budget divided by the number of people on your list. The unassigned line shows how much of your total you have not yet given to anyone. If your individual budgets add up to more than the overall limit, the planner warns you before you buy, which is the cheapest moment to cut. If you have spent more than a person’s budget, their name is flagged so you can decide whether to trim someone else’s amount or stop.
For guidance on realistic amounts, see our guide to building a holiday gift budget for 2026, which uses published survey figures, and gift ideas by budget if you need inspiration for a particular price point. If several people are chipping in on a gift, use the group gift split calculator.