Paydays before Christmas
Your next payday counts, and so does every payday after it up to and including Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December 2026. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, so if you are paid on Fridays, pay that lands on the 25th is too late to spend and is left out.
Weekly pay steps 7 days at a time and 4-weekly pay 28 days. Monthly pay falls on the same date each month; if your payday is the 31st, shorter months use their last day (30 November, for example). If your employer pays early when payday falls on a weekend, type that earlier date.
How much to put aside
Take what you still need (your budget less what you have saved) and share it equally across your paydays. Each amount is rounded up to the next whole pound so you never fall short, and the last payday only tops up what is still needed, so the plan adds up to your budget exactly.
If there are no paydays left before Christmas, the whole amount is shown as needed now.
Setting a realistic budget
Add up presents first, person by person, then the costs that are easy to forget: the food shop, drinks, the tree and decorations, cards and stamps, travel to see family, nights out and outfits. PwC's 2025 festive survey put typical spending at about £461 per adult on presents and celebrations.
If the amount per payday is more than you can manage, trim the list now rather than borrowing in December. Buy now pay later and credit cards spread the cost into the new year, often with interest.
What it leaves out
It assumes a regular pay pattern. If your pay dates move around, count your remaining paydays yourself; the full planner lets you type your own number of paydays and works out the rest.
