Gift Budget by Person

Who this is for

An allowance for everyone on the list. Give each person a budget line, record what their gift actually cost, and the sheet shows who came in under, who went over and how much of the overall budget is still unspent.

Anyone buying presents for a household, family or circle of friends at Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah or another occasion, and the one person who usually ends up buying for everyone.

What this helps you track

• The overall gift budget and how it is shared out person by person
• The gift idea for each recipient and what it actually cost
• Which gifts are bought and which are wrapped
• Who has gone over their allowance and by how much
• How much of the budget is left and how many gifts are still to buy

How to use it

1. Write the occasion, the year, your overall gift budget and who is preparing the list at the top.
2. List every recipient with their relationship to you and a gift idea, then give each one a budget of your own choosing.
3. Enter what you spent as each gift is bought, and tick bought and wrapped as you go.
4. The left (over) column and the summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, take spent from budget on each line and add down.
5. Check the remaining figure before each shopping trip, and move allowance between people if one line has gone over.
6. Keep the finished sheet: next year's list starts from this year's names and figures.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How much should I budget per person?

That is your decision, and the sheet does not suggest a figure. Many people start from the overall amount they can afford, share it across the list, then adjust individual lines for closer family or shared gifts.

What does the left (over) column show?

Budget minus spent for that person. A positive figure is allowance still unspent; a minus figure means that gift cost more than you planned. The totals row shows the overall drift in one number.

How is this different from the Christmas planner and budget?

The Christmas planner covers the whole season, including food, decorations and events. This sheet only covers presents and follows each one from idea to wrapped, so it also works for birthdays and other occasions.

Can I use it for a joint budget with a partner?

Yes. Write both names in prepared by and use the notes area to agree who is buying which gifts. The browser version saves in your own browser, so keep the printed or Excel copy if you both need to see it.