To ask how much you plan on spending on DCs at Christmas?

[Snowflakes1122]

I ask because dc10 seems to have a lot of friends getting the iPhone 6 or 7 for Christmas. I'm talking 9/10 year old kids!

I was planning on spending £150 per child (we have 3 dcs)

What do you think is an acceptable amount to spend on your children at Christmas?

[SalemSaberhagen]

It's relative, isn't it?

[Crispsheets]

All depends what you earn, whether you can afford it and whether they get other gifts from people.
I spend about £400 each on my teens They get no other gifts from anyone else.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

It depends want you can afford. I expect people are getting phones on contracts rather than buying outright.

[StrawberryQuik]

Maybe £30? DS a baby though so I just want to get him a nice wooden toy so I can say 'this is what you got for your first Christmas'

[dontbesillyhenry]

God not this again!!!! Don't you just love this time of year

[m0therofdragons]

I aim for max of £100 per dc but this year will probably be around £85 each as we have a big holiday planned and what dc want comes under that budget. They do get gifts from family though.

[DOTLEYtheONEeyedDINO]

Do they actually need a phone?

I have no problem with the amount as such, but who will they be calling?

[QueenLizIII]

Why the hell are children making christmas lists in october?

[Bambooshoots14]

I've just resigned and money will be tight until I win the lottery so probably not a lot. He's only 2. I'll get lots of small bits so seems like more to him. He's been spoilt up until now so definitely doesn't need anything

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

jeez more MN ridiculousness!!

gets worse every year!

[Sweetdreamsaremadeofthis]

We have 1 ds aged 5 we have spend about 800 just now need a couple more things then that be it. We normally spend about 1000 for his christmas

[19Hannah]

Budget of £500 but wow seeing these posts I might get away with a cheap Christmas

[Meadows76]

Why the hell are children making christmas lists in october maybe because it's easier for their parents than it would be if they made them in December.

[Hellochicken]

At first I thought DC10 was your 10th child!

I plan about £60 each for 8,6 and 3 yr old.
But ends up being about £100, I always see something in the run up that they would love.

The 1.5 yr old will be sticking to £30 budget!

But they get an enormous (IME) amount of gifts from relatives, so every year I say I should get less. Also I get them little things through year.

[Sweetdreamsaremadeofthis]

Can i ask how i am an idiot please iminapickle ????

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Can you put it in the Christmas topic?

[SciFiFan2015]

I've 2 kids. We'll probably spend about £100 on each, maybe £120. That's plenty. IMHO. We also do main pressie from parents, small pressie and stocking only from Santa. Our entire budget, including food and fripperies is not more than £500 and we'll try and spend less. We're normally able to spend lots of time together and that's more important.

[Sallystyle]

£150-170 for the two younger ones

£200 for the three teens

Or around that.

I don't buy for many other people anymore and they don't get a great deal from others.

[corythatwas]

It's a piece of string question, isn't it? Given that MN has a very broad social spectrum, ranging from posters under minimum wage to posters in the top 5-10% of income, of course answers are going to vary widely, and not give much guidance for any individual. Spend what you can afford, spend what you think worthwhile and what your own dc will enjoy and benefit from.

fwiw my ds didn't get an iPhone until his 16th birthday (which was recently). When he was 10, a big present would be something like a DVD box set. The biggest present we bought pre-teen-days was dd's dolls' house (£80). But then we are not particularly wealthy, nor are the people we know.

[IpDipCatnip]

I now have one payday before Christmas. My children write their lists now so I can spread the cost, hardly strange?

About £300 each 2DC. They get birthday presents but no additional presents or gifts throughout the year.

[chitofftheshovel]

2 DCs, I'll spend about £20 -£30 on each of them, depending on what they ask for.

[gillybeanz]

About 1k on dd, she's having a flute amongst other things.
Her birthday is start of Jan though, so she won't get much for this.

There is no way I'd spend so much on something frivolous or not needed.
I think usually £150/ £200 would be my limit per child.

[Onlytimewilltell]

£150 per child is a perfectly acceptable amount and you shouldn't be swayed by what so and so down the road is getting. There will always be someone spending a lot more or a lot less than you and you should do what feels right for you and not be swayed by pester power, although I know easier said than done!

[gottaloveascamhun]

About £50 each. I seem tight but...

1. My MIL spends about £350 on each of them.
   
2. My parents both have lots of siblings and family friends who love buying for them.
   
3. Both my kids have Autumn / winter birthdays and they get showered with presents then by relatives.
   
4. They both have a birthday party this year.
   
5. We have bought tickets for a lovely Santa experience and is like to take them to the theatre so these days out will be part of their Xmas present (we will get them presents too not just says out).
   
6. They have lots of toys already and eldest doesn't really play with toys. She prefers art activities or reading.
   

I'm very grateful for the generosity of my family but I don't feel the need to spend a lot on top of what they buy. It would be a bit obscene if they received any more than they already do. If it makes some mums happy to spend £1000 per child I don't think it does any harm though, unless the child comes to expect it and your circumstances change.