to spend one single measly pound on present for DD to take to birthday party?

[Wispabarsareback]

DD1 is going to a birthday party after school on Friday. It's a joint party for two boys in her class - she's quite good friends with them, and often talks about playing with them in the playground. The party is in a local community hall, and it's one of those where the whole class seems to be invited.

Buying presents for her to take was on my 'to do' list today, and I've just come back from a brisk expedition to the street-market near my office. (Yes, I know it's more ideal for her to come with me and help choose what to give her friends - but we're short on time this week!) I hadn't really thought much about what to get or how much to spend - but when I saw Spiderman books complete with stickers for a pound each, I thought they would be just the thing, and bought one for each boy. This is their 6th birthday, by the way.

Am now fretting mildly about whether I've been really cheap - AIBU? At DD's last birthday party I was amazed at how much stuff she got that obviously cost a fair bit more than a pound. I don't want to be ungenerous, but money's pretty tight, they aren't her best friends, and there will be tons of presents anyway. And kids that age all love stickers, don't they?

Children's parties - a minefield whichever way you look at it...

[TheFalconInThePearTree]

YANBU.

[believer07]

yanbu its the credit crunch and kids in this country get to much already.

I am in a dilema, is it ok to give a gift from a charity shop wrapped up? Does a prezzie have to be new to have wrapping paper?

[OrmIrian]

Sounds OK to me.

[deckthegirlandboywithholly]

YANBU at all.

The books are worth more than a pound, so I would consider it good luck to have found them at a bargain price. Especially as you say that money's a bit tight.

Good for you.

[Alambil]

They won't KNOW it cost a quid, will they!

Who cares; it ain't about spending lots, it's about celebrating with her mates

I only ever spend up to £4 on school mates (inc paper and card)

DS is going to a party and I got the gift in the sale last year for £1 50 - I care not.

[scampadoodle]

I always end up agonising over presents for parties, forgetting that it really doesn't matter. Those Spiderman books sound fine - they won't know how much you paid. Could you add maybe a net of chocolate coins or something? Then it looks as though you're being super-generous!

[loobeylou]

IMO you can get some really good bargains that don't necessarily LOOK like they only cost £1. I got a set of the learn to write /draw shapes type for £1 each on a market once, they retail for £3.99 usually

I got a stack of Thomas books with stickers, free puzzles, badges etc on in a bargain bookshop for £2 each, they look like they would easy cost £5

It is the thought that counts and the birthday parent should be gratfeul you have not bought a massive pile of plastic tat to fill their house up, esp just before Christmas!

Most 6 yo boys love spiderman

[Wispabarsareback]

Good point re wrapping paper and cards - that more than doubled the cost of the books!

Oh scampadoodle, I'll add 'buying choc coins' to my running to-do list...

[Coldtits]

Sticker books are beloved and don't take up too much space, their mothers will be gratefil

[nappyaddict]

LF - £4 is my maximum too but DS is only at preschool at the moment.How old is yours again?

[nappyaddict]

oh hang on I think I remember you saying he's in year 1.

[candyy]

If it's going to make you feel bad, then add some choc coins.

This is the way i think about present buying - i compare what i spend on other kids to what i'm spending on DS. This christmas we're spending a tenner in total on him - he's getting an in the night garden book that cost £3, and a few second hand toys we've picked up at a christmas fayre.

So, I'm buggered if we're spending more than a tenner each on his cousins.

[LiffeyCanSpellGeansaiNollaig]

NYANBU. When it wsa my dd's birthday some of the presents were in my view, too expensive and that made me more uncomfortable because I was thinking, oh fek must remember to get beatrice something a bit better tahn my usual lame effort.

and if a present was a bag of jelly beans I'd just assumet hat the family had bags of money to spend that week and I'd be glad they hadn't spent money they didn't have on a 6 yr old!!

There. Frugal is the new intelligent black!

[sunnygirl1412]

I never looked at people's presents for my ds's in that way, Wispabarsareback. I invited children to their parties so that they could all have a good time together, not so that the ds's could get more stuff.

I'm sure that the boys will enjoy the books - things with stickers are very popular with boys, in my experience. In fact, even though they are 11, 13 and 15 now, my ds's still want to have the sheets of stickers that come occasionally with Mountain Bike UK magazine or with rock magazines.