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Original poster

How much do you spend on friends children at Christmas?

67 replies

harrychees · 15/12/2023 11:40

I only buy for my close friends kids.
She has 2 boys (12-5)
It's the eldest birthday today and I got him a £20 PlayStation gift card (mum said he would love this )
For Christmas I have got them both a nice pair of pjs from M&S and the youngest a toy and plan on getting the eldest another PlayStation gift card
Is £10 gift card enough for Christmas with the pjs or shall I get a £20 ?
I don't want to appear stingy but it all adds up
I've also got them both a small selection box and a chocolate Santa each
Is this okay ?
Would you do the £10 or £20 gift card

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 15/12/2023 14:14

Nothing.
We have only ever bought for nieces and nephews.
We've never spent anywhere near £50 on any of them either. We don't usually get to £20

Rickenbackergoodgrief · 15/12/2023 14:42

Nothing, I've never bought for friends children.

Kwasi · 15/12/2023 16:21

A couple of years ago, my friend messaged me a few days before Christmas to drop off/exchange gifts for our sons. I nearly shit my pants, as we'd never done this before. I rushed out and bought something for about £15. Her gift to DS was £40. It made me feel so uncomfortable. That year, I spent more on other people's kids than my own.

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MissBuffyAnneSummers · 15/12/2023 16:22

Zero

Pinky2023 · 16/12/2023 22:03

Tbh I spend £20 on my young relatives and give the older ones £10 .I don’t usually buy for friends kids though at all.

I did buy my friends kids gifts this year but I don’t usually . I spent about £10 on them and more on my friend cos I have been through a shitty time and she’s just so sweet and gone out of her way to make me feel special

Tryingtobedifferent · 16/12/2023 22:23

We buy for nieces, nephews and 2 friends' children. I limit it to £10 per child. If anybody asks me what they should get mine I suggest a magazine, sweets or a book but say not to go over £10. I wouldn't expect people to spend more than that, it's a token gift after all

bettynutkins · 16/12/2023 22:24

We did 1 or 2 years and then decided to leave it. They all get so much it seemed like doing it for the sake of it. Instead we now do some sort of trip out a few days before Christmas.

Kitkat1523 · 16/12/2023 22:25

Zero ….wouldn’t dream of buying for friends children unless mine had gone to their birthday party….never ever ever for Christmas

IGotItFromAgnes · 16/12/2023 22:29

£25-£30 for the one child I buy for. Would be less if I bought for more!

BowlOfNoodles · 16/12/2023 22:31

£20 each limit

Moomootake2 · 16/12/2023 22:34

I used to buy for two friend's children. First was two step daughters and I’d met them a few times/ done things with them a few times through the year they both got a primark oodie and a selection box (so like £13 each). Lost touch over course of this year so will not be doing it.

The next was my best friend who I see as family, her husband and her son. Always used to buy him something decent £40-60 range but as of last year been cutting back. Last year he got a primark oodie, selection box and a small toy (£30 max total). This year he go a £10 PlayStation voucher, some novelty sweets and some PlayStation branded swim shorts I bought in sale in summer. So he’s had like £16.

trying to reign it in as much as possible. All my obligatory gifts (aka extended family I feel obliged to give something to) got a gin gift set (reduced to clear in summer to £3 odd a box) and a festive £1 chocolate bar. In return I’ll probs get a toiletry gift set that’ll go straight to chazza 🤷 but that’s tradition.

I don’t have kids so there’s no matching/ equal giving at play

GuitarGeorgina · 16/12/2023 22:36
GuitarGeorgina · 16/12/2023 22:36

Zero

Changeofnameforthis23 · 16/12/2023 22:41

Sadly, I don't have kids of my own so this means I have more money to treat my friends' children.

I spend about £25 each on most friends' children.

Then my two best friends' children and my godchild get somewhere between £50 and £100 each.

suki1964 · 16/12/2023 22:47

harrychees · 15/12/2023 11:46

Not a high earner at all -I wish 🤣
So that's why I kind of only want to do the £10 gift card because it's all adding up
My friend spends £50 plus on me so I feel like I have to match it.
The amount of times I've said let's stick to £20 limit
She never listens

So you are letting your "friend" disrespect you by "never listening"?

I do not buy friends kids anything, Never have, never will, they are not my friends and just to really put over my stance on this, I rarely buy friends pressies either.

I have 3 really close friends, they get birthday gifts

I dint get this gifting friends at Christmas at all. We meet for meals, drinks and experiences

whatausername · 16/12/2023 22:55

£0. And who cares if she is spending £50. You don't give to get. Do what works for you. But buying for a friend's children when Christmas is already so busy and expensive is foolishness, imo.

WenttheDayWell · 17/12/2023 01:02

I have spent £7 on a wooden decorate yourself jewellery box for my friend DD who is 6.

Also spent £5 on a Christmas book for friends little 3 year old lad.

thaegumathteth · 17/12/2023 01:32

Only buy for 2

Girl 13 about £20
Boy 17 about £10/15

TheSkyWasMadeOfAmethyst · 17/12/2023 01:43

We buy for 2 Godchildren plus one Secret Santa within our local friendship group. Budget for each is £10-15.

Cabbagey · 17/12/2023 01:54

I don't buy anything for friends' children. In fact, gift giving to anyone for anything seems to have petered out entirely for my friend group and I think we're all relieved.

Sugarfree23 · 17/12/2023 02:11

£25 is my budget for friends kids.

Your friend is buying one gift your buying 2 or potentially 3 if your buying friend too.

I'd say £10 voucher, with logic the pjs would have been £15 ish.

Thenewmags · 17/12/2023 02:12

Op I wasn’t sure if you have kids or not. I don’t have kids but a lot of my friends and family have multiple kids, I’ll usually not buy for any or maybe I’ll get presents for one family if I’m going to be with them on Christmas Day. This year I’m spending about £30 each on two kids. That’s it. It’s the same for birthdays , if I go along to a kids birthday party (rarely nowadays) I’ll bring a present but apart from that ( with exception of my godchildren) I don’t give friends kids presents for their birthdays.

I used to but realised some people were being a bit entitled and the same parents who expected me to get gifts for their multiple children couldn’t even remember to send me a text on my birthday on milestone birthdays.

Mumski45 · 17/12/2023 05:10

I agreed from the start with my best friend that we only buy each other birthday presents. Xmas is expensive enough as it is. I only have a £15 budget per head agreed with my siblings for nephews and nieces and we stick to it.

PermanentTemporary · 17/12/2023 05:17

I send presents to one particular friend's 2 children abd I spend max £10 each. This year I've bought a game between them which I sometimes do - its called 6 Nimmt or Take 6, it's a brilliant card game which I like myself, and that was £10.

For friends children I have to say I'd never buy pyjamas because they're expensive and dull. Just buy them a fun novelty, a cute pen from WH Smiths or something, or make them some Christmas shaped biscuits. If your friend genuinely tots up the amount of money you spend on her kids at Christmas then frankly you should probably spend less time with her.

IggyAce · 17/12/2023 05:22

I only buy for my best friends 2 dcs and she buys my 2, when she went through her divorce we agreed a £5 budget for Christmas and birthdays and not to bother with Easter.