Sham Williams

We were working out how much we spent last year in the UK and how much we think it will cost us here in Oz this year!!

We have a HUGE party organised for Christmas Day so that will cost a bit but we have decided with everyone we are getting together with that we will split the cost with all the people attending so thats great!!

I suppose the main cost is the presents!! I think alot of things are alot more expensive here!! When I look on Ebay and see what price it is selling for in the UK compared to here in Oz, it works out alot cheaper to buy from the Uk and get it shipped sometimes!!

Pollyana

Glad I'm not the only one on the ebay trail - the same is often true with Amazon. Cheaper for books and sometimes CDs!

Ransi

We spent considerably less here than the UK

Wendy

We spent just under $500 last year on Christmas, compare that to the £600 we spent the year before I'd say it's a hell of a lot cheaper here.

Of course I guess it would depend on how much you send to the UK too, we only send token gifts across (except to my son, who gets something a decent) so it doesn't cost us a fortune in postage. Last year, I just sent everyone a bottle of Aussie wine from a UK company

BadgeIsBack

If you had to say it, I'd say it was cheaper here only because there is a less panicy shopping experience. You can can concentrate on the pool, people rather than purchasing.

There are people buying 2000 buck hampers.

MartinLuther

Definitely cheaper in Aus.

Wendy

$2000 That's a years shopping for me

MartinLuther

That's a lot of cold turkey sandwiches. Wouldn't like to go to their houses.

moneypenny20

Cheaper for us because we no longer buy fancy pressies for all the family back in the UK. They get CDWow vouchers or similar or nothing

Nu-Shooz

Probably cheaper as i don't buy for the same people as i did when i lived in UK.
Although it does cost alot of money to send parcels to UK from OZ. But this time i was able to buy presents for my rellies in UK, because i was in UK, so made the most of it and bought them something while i was there.
I don't think Xmas is celebrated as big as it is in UK, so that makes a difference too on the purse strings.

Hutch

Definitely cheaper. We just shop for friends/family in the UK online at UK shops and it gets delivered straight to their door. Here it's much more laid-back - no mad rush to buy useless shite that gets discarded by the new year. If I have one complaint it's that books are excessively expensive here and I'd ordinarily mainly give books as presents - now I have to order them via Amazon if I give them.

BadgeIsBack

Now is the time to order with the FX rate the way it is! I wait until I have a wishlist and do it all at once.

Swooty

Sorry to gate crash this thread but we are moving over in Jan08 ans was just wondering what the Xmas experience is like in Oz compared with the UK. Obviously the weather is a little different

But what about the Xmas decorations? the shopping experience? the presents? the whole Xmas feeling?

Would love to know what you all think ?

biggy

Defo cheaper here in Oz and what I find even better is....because the kids are off school over christmas by the time they go back...all the hype is over, so there is none of the ...oh I got a tv...oh is that all well I got a tv/dvd combo. not that I could give a shite who gets what but ye know what i mean

Amazulu

Cost is the same. Experience is the same. Christmas is about family and friends, and that's the same wherever you are.
All the hype/commercialism is the same.