Spend on Xmas presents - how much?

[Silverflora]

I have two daughters who have given me Xmas lists which would some to £000s if I bought everything on them. They both go to a fee paying school and some of this may be due to peer pressure.

What would you consider a reasonable spend at Xmas for girls aged 11 and 12?

Depends what the items are (how tatty or potentially long term useful). How much did U spend last yr on them?

Is there anything on the lists that U would actually enjoy giving them?

I have a nominal £60 budget per child over 5yo (regardless of age) per birthday/Xmas event. In reality I exceed or undercut the budget (lying to them about true cost) as I C fit.

I personally prefer 2 give a single very nice gift over lots of low value pressies.

We are a relatively well-off family (for which I am very grateful!). Our children are not at private school though. I would say we spend around £80-100 each on the 2 of them.

I should probably add that the DCs don't get presents from anyone other than us and my parents as:

1. DP's family are Jehovah's Witnesses

1. We stopped exchanging presents with other family/friends a few years ago, and instead give the money we would have spent on sponsoring a child in Senegal.

This has been hugely popular btw, as it cuts down on Christmas shopping and instead we use the weekends before Christmas to visit some of our relatives. Definitely worth a thought for next year as it cuts out a lot of the commercialism, helps someone who has very little and the elderly aunts and uncles love seeing the DCs. A win-win-win situation if ever there was one!