Is my budget for the children too stingy?

[BretonStripe]

We have two dc, approaching 3 and 6. We're ok for money, plenty of savings. Have always thought £100 for Christmas is plenty, but am going to struggle this year as dc1 would love an £85 Micro scooter, to replace his battered cheap scooter (which he uses almost daily).

By the time I've bought nice pj's/onesie, pants, books, a bit of Lego and a board game etc my budget is nearly gone, so wouldn't be able to get the scooter.

I grew up fairly poor; council house, Mum struggled to pay rent/didn't have fancy things etc so think I struggle with being spendy sometimes.

What is an average Xmas budget for people who are not poor, but don't want to spend loads? (Can't understand people who have to spend £300+ on each child each year).

[IneedAqueenMortificadoNickname]

My budget is roughly 60 per child. Age 10 and 12.
If they want something expensive they can have cash and a couple of cheap gifts then they ask family for money too and save.

A lot of my friends have told me I'm stingy. My dc are happy and love Christmas so I can't be doing too badly

[Potentialpoochowner]

Just wondering if it's a particular make of scooter that he wants? My dd's was about £30 a year (razor) - might free up some of your budget?

[SallyGinnamon]

No. you're not stingy. Until a few years ago I spent about £50-60 each on the DC. Now they're teens and I spend more but then it was lots of little things and they loved it.

[bimbobaggins]

i don't think a child will see pyjamas and underpants as part of the gift. Surely that's something they would need anyway. You can afford it you just don't want to spend it.
I'm on my own and will spend about 200 on my ds. I save up all year.

[Lucked]

I think if you if you can afford more then probably but only because the main gift is £85. I don't necessary spend the same on mine yet but I imagine it will be necessary when they are teenagers.

My ds main gift is £60. Pyjamas, dressing down and slippers from Disney store £40 after discount. £100 gone.

His main gift needs bits and pieces to make it playable on the day so another £30. I can afford it so will be getting him a couple more presents and I have noticed the stocking fillers add up too.

DDs main present is £45 but her extras are cheap, mostly less than 10 so have not spent 100 on her yet.

[Misty9]

Do you mean 100 each or between them? Ours are 2 and 5 and budget is 100 each. 50 on a joint present then 75 each including stocking. For context we could afford to spend a lot more but don't want Christmas to be all about presents - and they have more than enough already! Ds has a micro and I'd highly recommend :)

[wobblywonderwoman]

I have kept the budget small. To be honest I would get the scooter and forget the bits and pieces or get them from primark. If he uses the scooter everyday - I would get it.

[Chickpearocker]

Why so tight ?

[holidaysaregreat]

It's about what we are planning to spend - when they were younger we used to spend about £30 on a main gift and then prob another £20 or so on bits and pieces. Primark do nice PJs - bought some last winter and they are still in great condition & were about £7. You can get DVDs v cheap too in places like Home Bargains.
You could get them to buy bigger item themselves using money given by family. We tend to do this.
However we don't have any spare cash & have to buy for lots of other people. If we had the money to do so then I wouldn't worry about going slightly over. Could they have some of the games/DVDs etc as joint gifts?

[BretonStripe]

Thanks potential will look into the Razor ones. I just know the Micro ones are built to last, and dc2 gets all the hand-me-downs so I like to get decent quality.

bimbo that's the thing - I always had knickers, socks, pj's and toothbrush for Christmas because Mum was broke so we had to wait till then (well, I think she just thought it funny to put a toothbrush in my stocking!). We're doing OK, and I do see those as essentials so feel a bit mean eating into the £100 budget with clothes.

INeed sounds like you're doing a grand job. Totally know what you mean when you don't want Christmas to be all about the presents.

[RueDeWakening]

£50 per child (age 9, 6 and 3), plus stockings.

They'll also get £50 each off my parents which I will use to buy and wrap something - we have on occasion bought a joint gift from us and grandparents, eg DD's kindle a couple of years ago.

Stockings are:
Something they want (a toy/game)
Something they need (PJs, glittery bubble bath, glittery toothpaste etc)
Something to do (Lego usually)
Something to read (magazine, book, annual...)
and usually a shedload of other stuff too :o

[BretonStripe]

Sorry, £100 each. Not thought about joint presents tbh. And have already bought nice M&S pj's for him (outlet, £15 for two pairs). His clothes normally come from supermarkets.

[nilbyname]

I don't have a budget-
Dd 5 has around £170/200 on her
Ds has around £200 on him just totting it all up. We try and keep it fair, but they have different interests and tastes, so we are not super strict about being fair on the cash, but fair on the things around the tree and in the ALL IMPORTANT STOCKING

[BretonStripe]

Chickpea a) because I wasn't brought up to be extravagant, and b) because I don't want Christmas to be all about the gifts.

[thisgirlrides]

We aim for £100 each sometimes it creeps a bit over but not massively. Ds1 is desperate for a PS4 but there's no way we can afford to spend £200+ on one gift plus stocking. He might end up with one for his birthday if he can contribute with money gifts.
I do sometimes feel a bit mean & it doesn't help that he has some wealthy mates who all have the latest tech & kit

[Potentialpoochowner]

Bored are you chickpearocker?

Sorry OP, just realized thevtype of scooter you mean - very different to a razor one and even second hand ones on eBay are expensive.

I think if you can afford it I would spend a bit more - i tend to give 'wiggle room' to things like scooters and bikes because I think they're a bit of a necessity.

I disagree that 6 and 3 year olds won't find pants etc exciting, depending on the pants. Ones with Father Christmas or a favorite character on would cause some smiles I think. I get my kids boxes of sugar cereal that they're not usually allowed!

[woodhill]

Why do people have to spend loads on their dc if they don't choose to. We spend more now on our teenage/ young adult dc but when they were younger under £100.

[HeadDreamer]

5yo gets a pair of shoes for £55, stocking gift is £8, plus advent gifts and other stocking fillers about £10-15. So under £80.
2yo gets a vtech toy for £25, a £6 peppa soft toy and another £10-15 for stocking and calendar stuff. So under £50.

I agree £100 is plenty for a young child.

But I don't give scooters or bikes for xmas. They get them whenever they grow out of the old one.

[Chickpearocker]

It doesn't matter how you were brought up, you are currently in a good financial position so why worry so much about small amounts of money. You know what it's like to have and have not maybe enjoy it now. £100 is very little and it sounds like the children do need things. Of course everyone on here is going to tell you to spend 50 max per child. In real life ppl spend hundreds.

[Potentialpoochowner]

Does he have his heart set on a microlite or do you think you can steer him in the direction of a 'big boy' scooter (i.e. Razor and much cheaper!)

[Soubriquet]

I would buy the scooter if it's something he really wants and then bulk out up to £100 with the other bits

He may have less presents but it's still the same value

[AndNowItsSeven]

Books, pants and pjs are all essentials though even though they are nice to have. If you can afford it buy the scooter board game ( still part essential) and Lego.

[SheepyFun]

Our financial position is similar to yours, and we don't have a budget as such, we see what DD wants/needs, and consider it. After family generosity (in our case, my parents would get the scooter!), we'll spend very little on DD who's 4 this year (about £20), but I anticipate that increasing in the future. Having said that, the £20 doesn't include any clothes - she gets those as she needs them - so our budgets may be more similar than it looks.

[nilbyname]

We spend within our means and younger years it was hand me down things and things they needed.
As they get older they are more invested in what they want.

[BretonStripe]

I'm liking the term wiggle room Potential! Like I say, eldest scoots to school every day and his is falling to bits. We could wait to see if he gets any money to go towards getting one in January, but I've not got any other ideas as a main present and I'd love to see his face on Christmas day if we do get it.

So I'm thinking £100 + stocking (like poster above, also get something they want/need/play/read and tend to stick to B&M type places so won't be more than £20) + pj's on Christmas Eve.

The 2yo will be chuffed with a £9.99 Playmobil Set....! And needs nothing, so will stick some money in his savings.