to ask how much you spend on DCs christmas presents?

[Splatt34]

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?

[bedmonster]

Probably £350 on each dd, 7 & 8 and &150 on ds 1. Sounds like a lot compared to some, to others it will be not a lot. None of it has been bought on credit, all paid for outright. No debts here.
I think you spend what you can afford.

[soundevenfruity]

We are the only ones who give Xmas presents. My side doesn't give anything and DH's just token style ones so we tend to overcompensate for that. About £150 (if I can get a decent balancing bike cheaply on eBay).

[akaemmafrost]

Loads but same as altinkum. I don't get into debt for it. Save up a few months beforehand and I don't spend much on myself at all. Clothes have to be falling off me before I buy new ones and when I do its always in the sales.

[MrsDeterminedandSpecialMum]

When it was just DD1 I could spend upto £300. However, now we have DD2 I've budgeted £130 max on them each and that is only because I can afford to at the moment. I wouldn't get into debt for it tho.

[CheerMum]

We've spent about 850 on dd, but we haven't gone into debt and she is a lovely unspoilt girl. I plan a lot for Chrimbo and did almost all my shopping in October when Argos had a 3 for 2 so spent about 500 but got toys worth 750 ( I love a bargain)
She doesn't have a big extended family so this is all she'll be getting. Plus, she has had health problems all year so I wanted to indulge her a bit.
Merry Christmas everybody!

[nappydaysagain]

I think we've probably spent £300 on DS1&2 (11&7) and £200 on DS3. We aren't particularly well off compares to some but DH and I save for Christmas each month throughout the year and its all been bought out right. I would really struggle to spend less than £100 as a new out Xbox game can be £30-£40. The oldest 2 are very appreciative off what they do get.

[nappydaysagain]

of not off

[pinkyp]

I spent about £120 on ds2 who is 2 next week so will get lots then for his birthday and £160 on ds1, ds1 is 5 and wanted a tv which is why his is slightly more.....

But everything I bought was on offer or in the sales so I know they have presents worth at least double what I spent

[VestaCurry]

2 dc's. Around £70 each. No grandparents alive now, who were always generous. They have Aunts and Uncles who buy for them so by the time those gifts are factored in, we figure they have a very decent amount of presents under the tree. We just don't feel comfortable with spending more, not sure specifically why, probably lots of reasons along the lines of don't want to get too much into the whole rampant consumerism of the season etc.

[MonsterBookOfTinsel]

About £100 on ds, 4 years. Wii, 2 games, Thomas tank take and play, imaginext castles, poundland colouring books.
About £150 on ds, 2 years, she has a bike,helmet, Mrs potato head, dolls house and poundland colouring books.
We do it onaking sure they have the same amount of presents, not amount.
The Wii was second hand off my sister for £30 :o

[BegoniaBigtoes]

Prob £70 ish each, plus stockings. No "main" presents this year as there is nothing big they want, so we are getting a selection of smaller things, some they want, some surprises. Exciting as there will be more to open!

[MonsterBookOfTinsel]

On making

[MonsterBookOfTinsel]

My post is awful, of amount of money!

The dc were attacking each other :o

[Psammead]

About 75 pounds, probably. DD (almost 3) is getting a magnetic fishing game, snakes and ladders, a puzzle, PJs and a big garage thing.

About another 25 on her advent calendar which I make myself.

So about 100, all told.

[oneofthosedays]

We save all year for pressies and food for xmas. Have spent £200 each on DS and DD but that includes clothes, new bedding etc. Relatives, i buy for our parents and nephews/neices only and budget £30 per person. Dh and i don't tend to buy for each other apart from a token DVD or something as we really don't need anything and tend to mooch the new years sales for clothes/shoes etc. That leaves £50 for each Dc's birthday presents and £100 to spend on xmas food and booze.

[plim]

About 200 on each of the older children and 80 on the toddler

[LadyLetch]

I agree with Strawberries though that it is ridiculous to compare lists without seeing the bigger picture.

Who else buys for the child? If its just the parents, they're bound to spend a lot more than someone who has lots of family to do it for them.

What do you buy all year round - do you regularly see something in town and just give it to your child? Or do you put it away for Christmas? A parent who does the latter will naturally give more at Christmas, but they won't necessarily spend more over the course of the year.

What do you give for birthdays? If you spend more on birthdays you are likely to spend less at Christmas, or do you prefer to spend more at Christmas?

Finally, what's included in the presents? Purely toys or do you include practical stuff too? Things like pants, socks, vests etc soon add up in cost, but its not giving anything extra iyswim.

I probably spend about £200 each at Christmas, (I dare say more, I don't add it up!) but I fit into the latter group of most of those questions. I don't buy magazines or give gifts all year round (everything goes into the Christmas box), they don't get any big presents for their birthday (I pay for the party, and a few little bits) and they get all the essentials for Christmas. This year, I've spent about £30 each on underwear bits (pants, vests, socks, tights), £15 on new Wellies another £15 on a new outfit.... That's £60 gone, but I can't believe other people don't buy these things for their children - they just don't give them out at Christmas.

I probably fit into one of those parents who others would describe as giving an 'obsene' amount at Christmas, and my children do get one hell of a lot, but when I look around at those friends who often say the same my children don't actually own anymore, in fact I think they own far less tat, because I never just pick things up when I see them and give, I really think "will DD still like this at Christmas" and I think that actually cuts back on a lot of the tat! I honestly don't give any more, I just give differently.

[oneofthosedays]

ladyletch I agree, generally year round dcs only get bought what they need with the odd cheap treat i.e £2 or less. If they want something they need to count up their spends and see if they have enough. For ours at xmas, family have never been one to go overboard and grandparents on both sides have 6 dgcs to buy for so our presents form the bulk of what they get.

For dd's birthday in Dec she wants an ipod touch, she has been told budget doesn't stretch to that and therefore has saved £50 to put towards along with our 50 and relatives are also giving money towards as well. It's harder as they get older as what they ask for gets more expensive and they want what they see friends getting.

[PearlyWhites]

£150 for the two eldest dd age 14 and 8, £80 for dd age 23 months and
£20 for ds 4 months( he also has dd baby toys wrapped up)

[CheerMum]

I buy gifts throughout the year, but I'm frivolous like that
But I never spend money we haven't got iyswim
I tell myself it's cos dd has health issues so they are little rewards for getting through the days, but I think, deep down, I just love shopping for her hehe
She'd be just as happy with a book token ( she gets that from tight arise Dh )

[armani]

I haven't actually added it up yet, but don't set a budget. I tend to try and buy an equal amount of gifts for each dc and not worry about how much it costs as the dc don't understand that an iPod costs £150 and a barbie costs £10.
Dcs are 6, 3 and 2 and have about 10 presents each plus a stocking from Santa. They also have a new outfit for Christmas Day and new pjs for Christmas Eve. I haven't bought any tat and shopped wisely in the sales!
Dd 6 yo has -
iPod touch
Argos design a friend
Monster high dolls
Brave DVD, book and rag doll
Hello kitty art box

Ds age 3 has-
Elc rescue station (£56 bought in sale!)
Batcave
Gotham city jail
Playmobil police van
Bat mobile

Dd age 2 yo has -
Elc cupcake pram set
Happy land boot (£16 in sale!)
Baby annabelle
Lala loopsy
Peppa pig playset

Plus they all have stockings from Santa!

[3bunnies]

About 100 each, but they only get presents for birthdays + christmas, and don't have huge families. Again we don't go into debt for it.

[bondigidum]

A lot. Way more than I should have done .

DC3 is nearly 4 months and I didn't really know what to get her at that age because soon enough she'll have grown into her siblings toys. I got her a few little bits and a couple of bigger things that were more necessity. Spent about £200 on her. Older two are both toddlers and share their toys and books as they're into same stuff. Probably spent about £300 on them both.

To me that isn't tooo bad but DH thinks i'm terrible. We don't really buy them things throughout the year though (I mean toys and such) so that is my justification. I do admire people who spend very little, I wish I could be more like that.

[McChristmasPants2012]

what i can afford :)