Calculators · Holiday planning
Holiday gift budget splitter.
Enter your total, set aside money for wrapping and shipping, and split the rest between close and other recipients.
Short answer: A $600 budget with 10% held back for wrapping and shipping, 4 close recipients weighted double and 8 others leaves $540 for gifts: $67.50 per close person and $33.75 per other person.
Your budget
Result
Enter your numbers and press Split budget.
How the budget is split
This is plain arithmetic, set out so you can check it. First the reserve comes off the top: gift money = total x (1 - reserve%). Each close recipient counts as the weight you choose (2 by default) and each other recipient counts as 1, so shares = close x weight + others. One share is gift money divided by shares. A close recipient gets weight x one share; an other recipient gets one share. The reserve percentage and the default weight of 2 are starting points chosen for this tool, not published statistics, so change them to match your plans. As of 26 October 2026 the page uses no external rates or surveys.
Worked example: $600 budget
Total $600.00 with a 10% reserve leaves $540.00 for gifts ($60.00 held back). With 4 close recipients at weight 2 and 8 other recipients, shares = 4 x 2 + 8 = 16. One share is $540.00 / 16 = $33.75, so each other recipient gets $33.75 and each close recipient gets 2 x $33.75 = $67.50. Check: 4 x $67.50 + 8 x $33.75 = $270.00 + $270.00 = $540.00.
The same group at different totals
| Total | Reserve (10%) | Per close recipient | Per other recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300 | $30.00 | $33.75 | $16.88 |
| $600 | $60.00 | $67.50 | $33.75 |
| $1,000 | $100.00 | $112.50 | $56.25 |
What changes the answer
For the $600 group above, raising the reserve to 15% gives $63.75 per close recipient and $31.88 per other recipient. Raising the close weight to 3 gives $81.00 per close recipient and $27.00 per other. Rounding is to the nearest cent per person, so the totals can differ from your budget by a cent or two.
Not included
Seasonal tips for hairdressers or delivery workers, party hosting costs and travel are not part of this split. Add them to the reserve or subtract them from the total first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide how much to spend on each person?
Start with the total you can afford, hold back money for wrapping and shipping, then divide the rest by shares. Close recipients get more shares than casual ones. The weights are your choice.
What reserve should I use for shipping and wrapping?
This tool defaults to 10% as a planning figure of its own, not a published average. Use the USPS postage calculator to price real parcels and enter the true percentage.
Can I give everyone the same amount?
Yes. Set the close recipient weight to 1 and the split becomes total after reserve divided by the number of people.
Why do the per-person amounts not add up exactly?
Each amount is rounded to the nearest cent, so the sum can be a cent or two off. The unrounded shares always add to the gift money.
Does this include tax?
No. Enter a total that already covers sales tax, or reduce the total by your expected tax before you split.
Where do the numbers come from?
They are your inputs plus the formula shown on this page. No survey or external rate is used.
Planning tool
This is a budgeting aid. The reserve and weights are your assumptions, not recommendations.