I have one DD aged 11. Was a single parent till she was 6, met DP when she was 7.
I. At Xmas my daughters total gift budget is $400(around 200 quid). I earn good money and she doesn’t often get bought much here and there, so I think this is fair.
this year I got her tickets to see Pink in the new year, they were about $600 in total, but paid for about six months ago. We live in regional Australia so flights+hotel will be another $1000 on top for the three of us, but it’s DPS birthday while we are there and it’s in the city that his family live in, which we would visit that time of year anyway so I have not considered that $1000 as part of the cost of DD ‘Xmas gift’ as we would usually spend nearly that visiting his fam anyway….
anywho, I told him tonight I was planning on getting her a few extra bits to actually open on Xmas day, like pyjamas a book, maybe some earrings, so she has some stuff to open on the day.
DP has got really wound up, that I’m spending a fortune and spoiling her- setting us up for the next year because we have to match it (I disagree I think she will understand it’s a one off time in a life type thing). He thinks she shouldnt have anything extra on top of the tickets and trip and I’ve already gone way overboard.
we had a bit of a Barney, I think that our usual gift budget is fairly frugal when I compare (thief of joy I know) what other people drop on their kids at Christmas… anyway am I being unreasonable with getting extra gifts to open when I’ve already nearly doubled the usual budget on tickets.
is he being unreasonable to view the hotel and flights as part of the gift expense on her behalf?
is $400 reasonable budget for a kid at Christmas anyway?