How much do you spend on the kids for Xmas

[missrachael]

Sorry I’m sure this thread has been done a million times. Just curious, whenever I read about what some peoples kids are getting I feel like I’m not doing good enough, at all. I plan to spend £300 each this year on 4 kids, so that’s £1200 which is a big amount of money but it also looks like hardly anything compared to some !

Ridiculous to care what other people do.
I buy a small present or 2, like a shirt and a dvd then lots of nice stocking fillers. Every once in a while he'll get a single big present like a new bike but really we don't do big spending on presents ever

This year I think I'll be spending about £350 for my DD and just under £300 for her 2 younger brothers.

They're all quite young so I do feel they're still at a stage of genuinely needing new stuff each year. Each has very different tastes too so apart from Lego the younger 2 haven't even really had suitable hand me downs from their siblings.

We also have a very small family circle and only have 1 other relative buying, so I do honestly feel the pressure a bit. It's no shade at all, but sometimes people say they only spend £50 per child at Christmas, but then that child has e.g. 2 sets of grandparents and multiple aunts and uncles buying gifts too.

I will say, I don't set a max budget and try to reach it. I spend ages carefully making a list of things I would like to get them, considering things they have asked for, hobbies and interests etc, and then cost it all out and see what's feasible. I'll assign things to the one family member who kindly buys for my children within their budget, then I'll figure out what I can cut down or replace if needed, and look for deals. If I came significantly under budget I would be really happy, and definitely wouldn't buy more for the sake of it.

The only time I would buy more is if there was a huge disparity between the number of gifts, and then I would focus on consumable stuff like play dough, bath stuff and the like.

I get that. But it is literally having the case of not having the money. (And their friends being similar!)

I also have a parent with hoarding and shopaholic tendencies and DDs have seen that so it has had the effect of making them anti-stuff. (Well, a lot if stuff... they definitely aren't minimalist).

I'm spending £200 per child this year, it's enough for a decent outfit and some nice treats. Last year was £600 because they wanted ipads with the pens and keyboards. I'd only spend more if their pads or phones needed updating. Aside from that, £200 is a good amount I'd say.

£100 each but there's 5 of them.

They want something physical at this age. I buy everything second-hand and always have done, so my kids don't have an aversion to second-hand gifts. I also only buy them one thing! So I might spend £50 per child including stocking. They also get 3 or 4 presents from grandparents and other family, so they're not deprived but it's not a massive quantity. As we've always done this, it's just what they expect and they're still hugely excited.

I now realise that other people buy way more than us, but I just naturally did what my parents did and only belatedly realised times had changed.

And to add, we would like to spend more on them than that but it's all we cam afford really so.

Have spent 93.50 in total on 2 kids age 6 and 3. That covers 8 presents each and 2 joint ones, including postage. Almost everything off vinted/from charity shops-greener and cheap!

Mine is 8. I have been spending no more than £200 for presents that go under the tree and stocking fillers, but we also go to Christmas theatre shows/ballet/concerts as a family in the lead up to Christmas and that costs more than toys-books-pyjamas, and counts as collective presents.
This year my dc started asking for more expensive gifts (iphone, playstation) but that's a no go for now.

£500 each for a 6 and 8 year old. They look forward to Christmas and even though they get lots of bits throughout the year, they love it and they’re so excited when they pile in and see their presents. It’s just magical.

I'm not a hoarder or a shopaholic. It's a trauma response of not wanting to disappoint anyone. I can afford to spend what I do now but I am trying to find a way to not feel like I do incase in the future that changes. I just saw so many people saying that spend £50, £100, £200 etc on their teens and I was genuinely curious how they do that, if for example their children aren't into sports so they don't ask for their expensive football boots or they're kids are big into drawing so are happy with art pencils and pads etc. Is it just their children don't like to follow the 'fashion trends' or is it that they stick to a couple of gifts only.

Between what we’ve bought so far and some things on the “ideas” list, it’s looking @ €350 - €400 each for two teens (15 and 13).

We’re in the lucky position that we can afford that without having to save or go into debt and the dc always appreciate what they get but yes, it was a lot cheaper when they were small 😀!

Around £250 to £300 including stocking fillers but largely it would depend on the main present. This year it will be a craft table which he will use for years. Hes an only child and age6. I get lots of bits from vinted as new like crocs, jibbetz, a tonie etc to save money and this will include also pj's, slippers too. His birthday is February and that will be a bike and smaller bits. I think if we had more kids we'd have to reduce that down.

I’m so nosy - can I ask what the presents were for that amount?

Both are getting the same thing this year so £120 each plus about £50-60 on other bits - new rucksacks, socks, pants etc might be more but doubtful as dc know it’s been a bit of a year!

No kids.

spend around £150 each for nieces.

@Mummy3Plus1 I’ve been on here years and this comes up all the time. Quite often when pressed, posters will concede that their dc do in fact have the smart phones, gaming consoles, Nikes etc but they’re bought by/handed down from generous relatives or the dc “save up” for expensive items… saving the money they’re given by said generous relatives.

It’s easy to say I wouldn’t dream of spending more than X amount when the expensive stuff is being provided by others!

I spend £150 per child including stockings and I also have four children to buy for.

Never said you were. I said my children had been affected by a shopaholic relative and as a result don't like piles of presents.

They don't like video games.
Elder DD has a laptop for school work, younger DD shares mine. They have basic smart phones.
They shop in primark and sports direct for clothes.

If your kids like brands and you are happy buying them, its no one else's business. But you asked how people had low budgets for teens and the answer is simply by not having as much disposable income as you.

Have a lovely Christmas. I'm sure your children appreciate what you do for them.

My 3 are all in Primary school, oldest in the last year, youngest just started.
They get 3 things from Santa and then fiddly bits - games, colouring pencils and books, craft or something to make from us.
This will be the first year that we have ever spent more than £120-£130 each on them. The bigger two are wanting a lizard each (plus two tanks - can't live together) and the oldest has only asked for 2 very small other things (he knows about Santa)

Our house is coming down with toys and things and some years I find it so hard to know what to get them because they don't NEED anything.

They do get things bought during the year and for birthdays if they need them, bikes (FB marketplace until they learn to look after them a bit better) OH old laptop and my old phone, they bought their own switches with Christmas and birthday money, same for new games.

Time enough spending a fortune on them for another few years yet!

Probably just under 1k.
only child 8years old.

probably be:

PlayStation bundle and TV

Nike Jordan’s

football shirt

stocking

We spent a LOT less when he has smaller! Have more income now and don’t buy much throughout the year

It’s definitely more expensive the older they get. Mine is around £500 per child but that includes all the little bits. Mine are 19,15,14. Middle child also bday xmas eve so it’s double whammy

I only have 1 child (20 months), we’ve got a budget of £300 for her. Inclusive of Santa, I expect the total cost to come in at around the £250 mark once I’ve got her the last few ‘practical’ bits. I expect the budget will increase as she gets older and wants more expensive items though.

About 150 euro . But we are going skiing on 20th so that's their real present ! Kids age 15 through to 22. Experiences over 'stuff' !

In my house it's simply that I can't afford to spend excesive amounts

My kids know that if they ask for something like expensive football boots then thats their main present and I'll do my best to get it for them but they won't expect lots of other presents.
My dd asked for £120 football boots one year and she was really happy with them and that was her big present. She might get some chocolates and pjs or something but thats it.

My ds wants a phone for Christmas this year but I'll try to get him one for about £130 it will be a Samsung 15 or something from ebay, not the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. Then he might get a couple more smaller presents if I can afford it.

My ds wanted a pc one year so I went halves with my parents and we got him one that was £300 he was really happy with it.

Some of the figures on this thread are mind boggling to me. There are some very privileged kids.