to be shocked by how much people spend at Xmas?

[SantosLHalper]

There's a thread going on here about what we all got for Christmas and I am geuinely stunned by how much some people get. Its amazing what people have spent.

"This is a little like me expressing my surprise at those who spend a lot on holidays or alcohol etc.. as I don't take holidays and don't really drink."

exactly shiney - I don't get people who spend£50+ on having their hair cut, or "silly money" on make-up

but my god wouldn't be MN boring if we all spend a similar amount of money on anything

I am always amazed. MY sil and my closest friend all spend a fortune, on their 2 children.
BUT they both SAHM's, who claim poverty and are always saying that they can't afford things.

Once a year we spoil the kids and each other. I have the money to do this because I spend sod all during the rest of the year because I am tight fisted and much prefer to have lots of money in the bank. I only spend £30-£50 on their birthday presents

Once a year we get the things we CAN afford but would never dream of buying for ourselves because they cost too much and seem extravagant.

Spend about 400-600 on each kid and on each other.

Neither of mine 'insist' on anything and only the youngest writes a list to Santa. The older one is 20 and is a wonderful young man.

no no no shiney - boots are a necessity

People have different jobs, incomes, amounts in savings, priorities, houses, holidays, jewellry, cars etc. It is no surprise that some spend vastly more at Christmas. As long as they are not getting into debt then it is all good and none of my business . I am very happy with and grateful for the presents I received this year and I could not care less whether MN'tters approve or not, lol.

I am shocked by what people spend. I didn't say people shouldn't, nor did I suggest people were bad for doing so! Just plain old shocked.

Their money, their life.

YABU. It's no one's business, really.

I am not shocked what people spend on their kids..just on adults.

Why shouldn't adults get nice gifts then? What if they don't have children, or have grown up ones?

I'm shocked anyone even notices or cares what someone else does with their own money.

Not saying shouldn't have nice gifts, jusy shocked at amount of money spent in these hard times.

And for info, nice doesn't have to mean expensive.

'And for info, nice doesn't have to mean expensive.'

Maybe not to you it doesn't. Maybe to someone, what they really want is expensive and they find a way to get it.

Big deal.

Not everyone's having a hard time, either.

Like Donotwanranothermincepie, we spend a fortune as Xmas-but we can afford it once a year.
Neither DH or l smoke/drink or go out for dinner much and it gives us a real buzz to see the DC's faces when they open their pressies. These are very grateful well adjusted DC's (24, 20 and 15) who do appreciate the value of money and ask for little.
DH and l don't but each other gifts but use the money to go on a family holiday each summer and the DC's generally come too.

None of your business.

I imagine if some of the billionaires posted on here, the whole of mumsnet would fall to the floor in collective thud.

Some people have billions of pounds. Some of millions. Some have hundreds of thousands, do you get where I am going with this?

Those with lots of cash will inevitably splurge a hellava lot more than those with less. Why is this a shock to anyone is beyond me!

thats good to know expat, its just a bit shit to rub peoples noses in it. goodnight.

I don't understand why people are so interested in/shocked by what other people do with their money.

Being as it doesn't affect me I don't think about what other people do with their money, it's none of my business.

I wonder if it'll be different next year with the Child Benefit cuts etc, maybe people are having a final blow out knowing that 2011 is going to be pretty shit all round. VAT hikes, interest rates set rise, universal benefit cuts etc etc.

We prob spend about £500 total but that's on grandparentsx4 nephew/ niece. Two dc and each other. I also spend a small amount on a friends 2 dc.
We hosted this yr fir first time and I was shocked at the food spend and we didn't buy a turkey pil brought that! I wouldn't say I had loads of food either! But it's all money we have and I do buy bits through the yr for my dc and just get the main pressie in Nov so I'm happy with our spend.

'thats good to know expat, its just a bit shit to rub peoples noses in it. goodnight.'

Get a grip! If you get offended by how other people chose to spend their own money, what you need as a gift is an icepick to get rid of that chip on your shoulder.

I am sure that folk posting on other threads about the £££ they spent on each other don't mean to rub your nose in it

A lot of people are well-off. Some are my friends. I'd hate to think they didn't feel comfortable expressing joy at how they spend their own money or sharing what they got for Christmas because I'm not as well-off in money.

'A friend's good fortune is a blessing,' as the saying goes.

As for what strangers do, don't really care so long as it's legal.