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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how much you spend on DCs christmas presents?

406 replies

Splatt34 · 02/12/2012 07:50

Just that really.

DD is 2 & have finally decided what to get her. Adds up to around £70 in total.

how about the rest of you?

OP posts:
natation · 03/12/2012 17:27

BTW, just as example, our 7 year old asked for 3 things for St Nicolas (well that's when we give the presents on 6th December), mean me St Nicolas will bring just one of these presents. Wouldn't dream of getting everything the kids asked for, unless under £50 of course!

SummerRainIsADistantMemory · 03/12/2012 17:31

Monet is right this year so we're cutting back, about ?120 each.

Sounds a lot but we don't buy them anything aside from xmas/birthdays and we have very little family.

Each set of grandparents spends ?30 on each child but other than that they have no one buying for then.

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 17:32

We normally spend around £1000 on our DD but we are fortunate that this sum is easily afforded (less than 1/3 of a months disposable income) and she is very, very grateful for what she gets. DD is very aware that she is a lucky girl and that not everyone gets the same. If I felt she was spoilt or expected presents then we would do things differently - I think we are lucky that she has such a kind and generous nature. DH and I do not get presents for each other at Christmas - we stopped years ago as we just didn't know what to get each other- we do go away as a family every Christmas for a few nights so we count tha as our present to each other.

VodIsGod · 03/12/2012 17:34

We have budgeted £60 for each of our 3DSs (7,4&2) which includes stocking presents and something from us. Although to be honest I don't think we'll end up spending that on our youngest...

Dededum · 03/12/2012 17:39

Both Ds1 and Ds2 are getting laptops. Most money we have ever spent on them, but got the laptops in the States and they won't be getting much else from Santa!

natation · 03/12/2012 17:49

Am I just some soppy liberal? I am really flabbergasted at the amounts some people spend. I just don't understand this link between massive amounts of money spent and "happy faces". Even if I had £1000 to spend each on the children, and yes I guess I could spend that if I really wanted too on our income, I would be thinking at the same time of the inequalities in the world that some children in the world on Christmas day will be just hoping for a daily meal. It's extremely hard not to judge here.

woolleybear · 03/12/2012 18:04

Varies here, not so much this year as what dd 6 asked for only came to about £30 so a few surprises and stocking presents its probably about £60-70. Last year was much more, not because we could afford more, the opposite is true, but she wanted a playmobil house and furniture and we ended up spending nearly £200. She doesn't see the value change though, just that she has got what she wants.

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 18:10

Natation- I honestly don't feel guilty about spending a very small % of our annual disposable income on our DD at Christmas - we give regularly and generously to local charities throughout the year including the salvation army Christmas appeal (hich far exceeds what we spend on DD). We are fortunate to have a good income and do feel that comes with responsibility to help others (which we do) but surely how we spend our disposable income is our business?

BegoniaBampot · 03/12/2012 18:13

Lovestotravel- curious, what are you buying her and how old is she? I would struggle to spend a thousand each on my children though they do get stuff through the year if they need it.

Badvocsanta · 03/12/2012 18:18

Yep.
We also give to charity on a monthly basis throughout the year, although we don't earn ££££ I have never liked the idea that charity is only for Xmas.
I also do voluntary work too which is always much busier at Xmas time.
I really dont get what all the angst is about personally.
If you want to spend £2000 then do so. If you want to make gifts from dust and hairspray then do so.
When I was growing up (I am one of 3 siblings) we never had much for Xmas but we loved it. Church services, nice food, a small gift and lots of trashy tv and party games.
Back in the 1970s it would have been pretty hard to spend £100 in a child IMO but very very easy now...DVDs, a cd, a book, console game and a stocking and that's almost £100..
Despite all the gifts my dc will get this year I know that their favourite will probably be a £3 gift I bought as an afterthought :)

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 18:20

She's 11 Begonia - this years presents include new ski's and ski boots as she has grown so much since our last ski trip ( we go away go away on 27th December). Her main present is a smart tv for her room - the rest is clothes, shoes, music etc.

HairyGrotter · 03/12/2012 18:21

DD is 4, I have spent about £86 on her pressies, including stocking fillers. She gets one main present, and the rest are just odds and sods. I budget up to £100. I don't like going up to £100 as I think it's too much, but I like having a budget to stick too

catgirl1976geesealaying · 03/12/2012 18:24

I do think it's tacky to spend a lot on children at Christmas. I'm not a worthy tangerine and wooden-hoop merchant, but still. I just can't help it. It just seems a bit brash. Sorry.

winterhill · 03/12/2012 18:27

So Catgirl do you think it is tacky for me to buy the kids sports equipment (Ice hockey gear comes in at around £500, Snowboarding wear another couple of hundred, guns for shouting another £500) as a present or should I buy them something cheap and cheerful and THEN spend money on our hobbies

dinkybinky · 03/12/2012 18:31

I do think it's tacky to spend a lot on children at Christmas

Why? If they need something I make them wait until Christmas. I prefer that they look forward to something rather than just going out and buying a Mac book for no reason.

mrsEbruce · 03/12/2012 18:37

I trully struggle that spoiling your children at christmas with lots of presents is tacky!!

Its a magical time for children they only have one childhood thats over with in the blink of an eye

i do agree that we all have a budget that suits each individual family and this makes no one a worse/better parent.

Sadly this thread has lead to some green eyed comments aswell as some put down comments i dont see why tbh!!

BegoniaBampot · 03/12/2012 18:45

No I can see if your kids need expensive equipment for say sports or want a tv for their room then it makes sense to give it for Christmas or you would just be spending the money through the year anyway. And especially if they are older and start getting to more hobbies/sports or say musical instruments. We tend to lump in stuff they need as well rather than just buying it as an extra through the year though we end up doing that as well.

mmichellepfei · 03/12/2012 18:54

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catgirl1976geesealaying · 03/12/2012 18:56

If they want / need something that is expensive then fair enough, but when you get people boasting that they spent a grand on loads of random stuff I think it takes away from what Christmas is about and is a bit tacky.

I don't do TVs in bedrooms either but I'm a grinch :).

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 18:56

I don't get the tacky thing but I think it all depends on what is normal to you - I had lunch on Friday with a bunch of girls from work and we were discussing Christmas and we all spend around the same, granted we are all in similar job and income brackets. Our friends are all in similar circumstances financially to us ( well similar incomes, I don't know the ins and outs of their outgoings of course) so what we spend is normal in our experience.

catgirl1976geesealaying · 03/12/2012 19:11

It's not a question of income

I could spend that much. I just don't think it's what Christmas is about or a good message for a child

If you are talking about what you earn and how much you spend over lunch and know the incomes of your friends, I can understand why perhaps wouldn't agree with the tacky comment

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 19:19

Catgirl - we didn't and don't discuss income (does anyone actually do that anyway?) but we are all in senior roles within the same company so it's not a stretch to know that we are all earning similar amounts. It's not unusual to talk about what christmas shopping has been done and still to do - especially as our children are similar ages and were swapping ideas.
I've been called many things in my life but never tacky Grin
I am comfortable with how we celebrate Christmas and know that our DD will have a lovely time surrounded by people who love her dearly - surely that's what matters rather than judging how other people choose to celebrate?

hoodoo12345 · 03/12/2012 19:19

DC, 6, 9 and 12.
£900 between the three of them.

catgirl1976geesealaying · 03/12/2012 19:23

Catgirl - we didn't and don't discuss income (does anyone actually do that anyway?)

Erm....your initial post said

"We normally spend around £1000 on our DD but we are fortunate that this sum is easily afforded (less than 1/3 of a months disposable income)"

Which is, I am afraid a) discussing income b) really tacky and c) gratuitous.

lovestotravel · 03/12/2012 19:41

Just to be clear my original post said we were discussing Christmas and that we all spend roughly the same ( I came to this conclusion from the presents my friends are buying their children) - no mention of discussing incomes.

I mentioned on the thread earlier that what we spend is affordable to us as these threads turn into a bun fight and talk of people getting into debt.

I have obviously touched a nerve which was not the intention - I think these threads are interesting as they give an insight into how other families do things. We only what goes on within our own circle of friends and families - and it is widely similar so I had no idea it was so unusual.

I was speaking to DH about this ( he says, incidentally, that I don't have a tacky bone in my body Grin) and he says he wouldn't change a thing - we both grew up with absolutely nothing and for both of us Christmas ( and everything else) was a complete non event - we love to make a big fuss of it all and while we can afford it we will continue to do so.

Wishing you a happy Christmas Xmas Smile