How much will you spend on your DC's?

[d1156075795531b003508]

Completely nosy question, I know .
I tend to pick up bits in the sales and things which catch my eye throughout the year. I think of this is being 'sensible'. However, have just mentally totted it up and have spent £250 (including a bike) on DD. This seems ridiculous. Am going to probably hold some back until her birthday. However, she doesn't have presents / toys outside of birthdays and xmas. What does everyone else do / spend? How much is too much?

[DaisySteiner]

About £50 per child. They get presents from other relatives and often get some money too which they save and it's up to them what to do with it throughout the year.

[2cats2many]

About £80 per child.

[CherryChapstick]

£200 each. We have nobody else.
They are 14, 12, 9.

[TrinityLovesHerVampireRhino]

about £50 to £100 depending on age

we have 3 girl 8, 3 and 20 months

actually dd1 (8) has probably had more than £100 soent one her but she is getting a...oh no, can't say, its a secret

[amanda12]

We spend about £100 on each dc. Then about £50 between them on stocking fillers. They also get a day out voucher (they choose a day out e.g legoland, castles)

[AbbaFan]

We have a strict budget of £100 each (8 & 4).

Last year we spent about £200 on our eldest, but then he did need a new bike which was £150.

They need nothing big this year, so it's just a few wii games,lego, books etc.

[BCNS]

I aim for £150 each, depending on how much I have put away in savings... this generally does a big pressy, a medium pressy and dvds/ game, stocking fillers.

[Dropdeadfred]

about £250 each...my parents spend about £100 each and DH's mum spends about £30 they have uncles and aunts too who buy for them

[snowleopard]

We have our eye on a playmobil camper van that DS will love - £25 I think. Plus about £20 on stocking presents and DP and I usually get a him a small separate present from each of us, eg a book so that makes £50-60-ish in all. He does get presents from relatives and friends and we do buy toys occasionally through the year as well. We spent more at his birthday because we got him a bike, but that was because it was time for a bike IYSWIM.

I don't know how much is too much in money terms - at 3 DS won't be aware of that anyway - but I don't want him to be so showered with presents that they have little meaning. I wish rellies would not give him so much tbh. My ideal christmas would involve one main present for him and some fun little things. He is so excited by the whole deal, tree, lights, cake etc - I'm trying to keep presents a fairly minor part of it all for now.

[DaisySteiner]

I'm clearly the skin flint of the group then, but frankly I don't know how I would find £100+ worth of things to buy them - they are always happy with what they get. They're 8, 6, 5 and 3 btw.

[AbbaFan]

We have that Playmobil Camper Van - it's fab!

[Nagapie]

Daisy - I only plan to spend £50 each on my daughter (4) and son (18 mnths) - it is more than enough..

[snowleopard]

I have to admit I'm quite excited AbbaFan...

[Dropdeadfred]

well two of my dd's are now 16 and 14...spending £200 is easy peasy spending less whilst making it look they got something is harder...

[PatsyCline]

I'm also a skinflint, DS.

I spend about £30 per child plus stockings. However, I do love ferreting out a bargain (and have the time to do so). The presents I have bought for DD1 so far cost me £18 but RRP was £50.

We buy 30+ presents for family, so there is no way that I could afford to spend more even if I wanted to.

Patsy

[cherryliquormonster]

usually between £100-150 each. there are four cherrykids. having said that last year i spent between £60-90 each on them.

[Clayhead]

About £25 per child, my parents spend £25 ish per child as do in laws.

[frazzled74]

I have saved £500 to spend on my 3dc's. usually spend more on ds1 as he is 15 and will have clothes and cds. will buy dd and ds2 (age 5 and 2)a main present each for about £20 and then fill a sack with cheap crayons books etc.

[bogie]

Ds will be nearly 3 and we have spent £20 on him and will probably spend another £20 on stocking fillers for him, Dd will be 3 months and she can play with his wrapping paper whne he is done

[Fillyjonk]

about £20 each plus normally a homemade present (which will cost materials, but not huge amounts-a knitted hat or similar), stockings (mainly food stuff) and books.

oh and they normally get a joint present. And we normally get a family present, like a board game.

I think we'll spend about £100 all in for presents for the 5 of us, christmas usually costs about £200 at most.

[BCNS]

I have the same as dropdeadfred reall. as I have a teen. tbh he has on his xmas list for this year.. 1 pair of vans, a new hoodie, something smelly, ad a game for the playstation... it's actually not a lot seeing as he only gets x mas and birthday pressies.. nothig else through the year. But with that little amount.. you can easily wave good buy to £150.

[DaisySteiner]

I don't really know what you mean by a 'huge' Christmas. As a child, Christmas was a HUGE deal, a big family celebration and we enjoyed getting presents; but no, I don't think my parents spent vast amounts of money on us. I don't think it affected our enjoyment though.

A few years ago an elderly relative gave us a bit of extra money which we spent on Christmas presents for the children (not a huge amount, I think we spent an extra £30-40 a head) and they just got really blase about opening stuff. It was a big paper-ripping frenzy, they didn't look at what they'd been given, just zoomed on to the next present and I found the whole thing quite nauseating to be honest. I'd far, far rather spend a little bit and have them really appreciate what they have been given.

[LunarSea]

Less this year than last probably. Last year ds1 had a new bike, this year he doesn't need anything that big. And ds2 will be inheriting lots which we've kept from ds1 so isn't really in need of a lot of toys.

ds2 will probably be getting an Islabikes Rothan balance bike, plus a selection of little stocking fillers. So maybe £110 all in.

ds1 (7) probably a bit less than that as I managed to get some wii/ds games for him when they were all £15/£12 each on offer at Morrisons a few weeks ago. I do need to find something bigger but relatively inexpensive so it looks like he's got a decent sized parcel to open though, as the games don't exactly look impressive when wrapped!

[wotulookinat]

Not much because I can't think of anything that he needs!!