Add your planned Christmas costs, subtract money already saved, then divide the gap by your remaining paydays. Count only paydays before you need to buy things, which may be earlier than 25 December.
Track it in the app →Calculated on your device. Shared links include the amounts you enter.
Example: a £600 Christmas with £150 already saved
The remaining gap is £450. With three paydays before shopping starts, put aside £150 each payday. With nine weekly paydays, the same gap needs £50 per payday. Enter your own count, whether you are paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Include the costs that are easy to miss
Set a total gift allowance, including small gifts and work exchanges.
Include extra food and drink rather than the groceries already in your normal budget.
Add train fares, fuel, postage, wrapping and decorations if you expect to buy them.
Count money already saved only once; do not count money reserved for rent or other bills.
Choose a shopping deadline, not just Christmas Day
If you need to book travel or buy gifts in November, December pay will arrive too late for those purchases. Count the actual paydays before your first large purchase. If the result is too high, reduce the planned costs and compare again.
Keep the plan separate from your monthly essentials
This is a savings plan, not a credit or loan recommendation. It uses your chosen costs and payment count, without predicting interest. You can create a goal in the tracker and log the money you put aside.
The Income TrackerTrack it free. No account, no bank login.
Subtract existing Christmas savings from your planned costs and divide by the monthly paydays before you need the money. A £600 plan with £150 saved and three paydays left needs £150 per payday.
Can I use this if I am paid weekly?
Yes. Enter the number of weekly paydays before your shopping deadline. The result is the amount to save each week.
Does the calculator use a fixed Christmas year?
No. It uses the paydays you enter, so the same page works each year without assuming a pay date.
Sources and checking
Facts on this page were last checked on 2026-09-14 against: