How much do you spend on your children at Christmas?

[HuckleberryBlackcurrant]

Just wondering what is normal these days. I would say we spend about £60 per child. We have 3 children.

Thanks for sharing, lucky kids! I didn’t know PlayStation’s could cost that much, quite terrifying for when mine get to that age!!

Main presents this year are £150/200 each ( 2 kids)

Stockings between £50/100

Really cutting down this year.

I'm budgeting about £30-£40 each. I don't have enough money to spend more and they don't really need things. They will get Pokémon cards, PJs, craft sets etc and a stocking with sweets, stickers, other small bits.

I aim for around £100 but will probably spend slightly more. We don't have much spare and they have plenty from grandparents etc. Slightly more last year as they wanted a games console. They're 8 and 6 and all they seem to want this year is soft toys and sweets, so I'm taking full advantage of that!

Mine are young/pre teens now and we spend £500 each. It was much, much less when they were younger. The money is easily spent, we don't tend to buy anything that isn't a necessity throughout the year for the sake of it (except birthdays and presents for things like good reports) so it's the main time they get all their leisurely/fun stuff, but wrapped up into a magical day which I LOVE.

Your wrong to describe it as just a day of celebration. The vast majority of the time it's things parents would probably end up buying their kids anyway. And things children will have for a few years.

Doesn't matter if its tech stuff like consoles, phones, tablets, or sports things like karate suits, bikes and scooters, or musical instruments like trumpets, keyboard or guitars or just toys children will have and use for at least a year or two. It's not like stuff will be binned on Boxing Day.

And actually sometimes when you dig deep on these threads there are kids with very little, and their are kids who get little at Christmas but lots for birthdays or just because!

We have spent in that band for one of my dc, but when you are looking at gaming laptops or consoles etc, £300 really does not actually go far at all. We are not having some mad consumerist binge. He is actually only getting a couple of presents. It is just that some items are ridiculously expensive. Some years it is a lot less.

It'd be interesting to know though how many of the people who spend so much money on Xmas, are the same who also post threads about never being able to go on holiday or afford heating in winter.

Wow I'm really surprised by these answers, I'm spending about £100-150 and thought that was generous but apparently not! I guess I can see how you need to spend more for older teens though. I can get away with buying some things on Vinted so get more for the money 😀

About £200 but I sold £100 worth of old toys and clothes on vinted so it feels like less

Are you suggesting that some people spend
££££ at Christmas but spend the winter shivering? Sure nobody does that?

Between 100 and 150 in total including stockings normally. We have 3 kids.

I'm reading it with my mouth hanging open, I had no idea so many of us spent so much.

It'd be interesting to know though how many of the people who spend so much money on Xmas, are the same who also post threads about never being able to go on holiday or afford heating in winter.

Eh? No, we are a high income household, just not the reverse snob kind seen frequently on here that condemns spending money at Christmas, we save all year round and is one of our priorities.

Why so you can sneer at them?

You'd be surprised... Just for show.

I definitely know people who do this.

Just reading now about a local RSPCA centre 'overflowing' with the rise of animals being sent there because of this 'col crisis' ...

So it does make you wonder...

Funny how we can sneer and act aghast at those able to afford an expensive Christmas, holidays, days out and heat their house and feed their children but, sneer at those less fortunate and you're an heartless bastard.

About £200.00
Depends what she wants though.

Nobody is sneering at the wealthy or the poor. But if throwing big money at Christmas impacts on basic life necessities and comforts - then I'm surprised that anyone would make that trade. That's not sneering.

Nah surely nobody would prioritise a kids stuff, phone, xbox or bike over heating in winter.

But if throwing big money at Christmas impacts on basic life necessities and comforts - then I'm surprised that anyone would make that trade. That's not sneering.

It's sneering when it's being assumed, not one person has said they are doing this, one person made the sneering assumption and others said "oh yeah I totally know someone who does that" but there is no evidence anyone here is in that position (and if they were I doubt judgement is what they need, I suspect their actions do not solely come from being 'shallow' as is being insinuated) so it seems a pretty moot and not well intentioned discussion to me.

I know people IRL who do this.
I haven't assumed anyone on this thread does this, because 99.9% of people don't.

@Terfosaurus so what if you do? As I say it's moot. My parents put Christmas on a credit card, we couldn't afford it. My parents weren't stupid, or shallow, they loved us deeply and just wanted to give us what they thought we deserved. Their actions were misguided but intentions pure and I refuse to judge anyone for it. I very, very much doubt you or anyone else here knows in great numbers people who are neglecting children's needs in order to have a flashy Christmas for social media. I'm not saying it doesn't happen anywhere, ever, but it is not happening to a level that is in anyway worth mentioning as if it is some kind of prolific problem. It is reverse snobbery pure and simple.