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?

[AngelsWithSilverWings]

We usually aim for £100 each but this year DS 7 really wants an iPod touch and DD 4 wanted a lipstick , a princess umbrella and a dressing table!

So we have probably spent nearer £200 each with stocking fillers. We are cutting back in other areas of our Xmas spending though so it will all even out in the end!

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

I dunno. I think that kids now get massive presents. That's great for them-hell I really want an ipod touch!
But I wonder what they are going to aspire to have when they get older if they have laptops and ipods and Xboxes at 7?
In my day (gimmer) we had get paper rounds and save up for big stuff like that.
(Sorry LaQueen. Somebody had to!)

[Rudolphstolemycarrots]

I have three. Most years we spend abut 35 on each child. This year we are spending about 35 including stocking. We don't have much money and I don't really like how commercial Xmas is. Its consumerism gone crazy with retail making millions of pounds. We do have lots of relatives who clump their money together to buy one bigger item the kids might like - cheap bike or scooter

[Rudolphstolemycarrots]

Most people I know spend quite a bit but thats up to them and it seems to work for them.

[lljkk]

Main gift £40-£80, stockings £10-£30.

[zeeboo]

In total agreement with LaQueen!! Also the poster further up who pointed out that all children get bought wellies and underwear, but some of us buy that in December and add it to the Christmas total.

My favourite posts this time of year are the "I've spent £30 on a board game and a goat through Oxfam so little Tarquin learns the real meaning of Christmas" and then casually drop into the post "but his grandparents are buying him an iPad mini and his uncle will get him a stunt scooter"
Bloody hell, if I had relatives like that then my kids would get just some nuts and a shiny new penny from their Father and I!

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

My personal favourites are the ones taking their over-privileged, spoiled rotten DC to volunteer in a soup kitchen for the day. Nothing wrong with that per se but a bit eye-rollsome (OED 2014) when they go on and on about their virtuous choice and use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card for ignoring the poor and needy and living it up for the rest of the year.

[nokidshere]

I have no idea because i haven't really added it up.

They give me a list, I get them what they want. I dont check if the value is the same as long as the number of pressies is roughly the same. Of course they dont get everything on their lists lol - I have told my eldest (14) that his Bugatti Vayron will have to wait for another year haha

I dont save up for it, I dont get into debt for it, I don't wiat for christmas and birthdays to buy stuff - its just christmas, and as long as they are happy then the value is immaterial. One of the boys really really really NEEDS a prop for a trick he wants to try out and its £5.99, he doesn't care what else he gets as long as he gets that :)

[Arisbottle]

I agree slightlysuperior. We never really think about the cost of presents but we be never really spend a lot as it is not really our thing. Our Christmas has evolved into a day that isn't really about gifts . No great pious reason and no judgement on those who do it differently. I think there is a tendency to judge people like me who don't really do the present thing .

[jester68]

We don't have a budget as such. And we don't always spend the same, just like to let them have similar amounts of presents to open.

We will have spent no more than £300 between them. That includes all their presents, some clothes to wear over Christmas and their New pajamas, DVD and Christmas story book for Christmas eve.

We spend about £10 each on nieces and nephews (we have 12 between us) but sometimes less as get a lot of the 2 for £15 in Argos and parents of 3 of them asked for Pajamas which I got from Primark.

I have spent £60 on my partner and he has spent about the same on me.

For our parents and brothers/partners and partners sister/her partner -we have had a load of pictures done of the children which we will give them. And will buy some bottles of wine/toiletries/sweets etc to add to it.

[NoBloodyMore]

About £250 each on the older 2 plus outfit, pjs etc and £100 on DS2 10 months.

I don't really look at the cost, just get them a similar number of presents I know they'll like.

They also get a lot of grandparents.

I work hard and do a bit of extra work over the year to pay Christmas and birthdays and feel no need to apologise for the amount I spend, same as I wouldn't judge anybody who spends a lot less but it's not something I'd ever do.

I also buy them things throughout the year too

[PropertyNightmare]

About £300 each on on dc 1,2 and 3 and about £125 on baby dc4.
We always go in for Christmas in a big way. Dh and I both really enjoy the occasion. We don't ever spend more than we can afford, though.

[mrsEbruce]

I often wonder what others spend. We thought our budget was average but fair at

DD 9 £600
DD 7 £600
DD 10 months £350

We dont get into debt for christmas and have the opinion that everyone has there own budget. We however enjoy there little faces opening there presents making every penny worth it.

[Doingakatereddy]

£70 on DS (2.10) that covers main present (micro scooter) and stocking. Main change I've made this year is when relatives ask what he'd like fir Xmas I've been specific - e.g Lego, brio bridge etc.

He will get thoroughly spoilt, but he's a smashing little boy & we all can't help it.

[5dcsinneedofacleaner]

we probably spend around 200-250 per child.

[Bagofspiders]

Not much this year. [Sad] No more that £10 on DS. He's only 18 months, I plan on wrapping up some hand me downs and filling his stocking with pinecones and various things I've made.
We'll probably spend around £50-£70 on each of 3 DSC's. It will be less than in the past, hope they're not too disappointed

[oohlaalaa]

Wow. You are all a lot richer than me. Unless its a big item and one off (ie bike), its £40 budget.

[Flossiechops]

I think around £250-£350 for each of our 2 dc. I put away all year for christmas so can afford it. It is an awful lot of money but then I work hard and enjoy spending it on them. They don't get big presents like this all year round though. Plus I have ds birthday on the 27th so a very expensive time of year!

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

Aargh. Sorry, I just can't get over that MrsEBruce spends £350 on a 10 month old baby!!
What does a baby even get that costs that much?
I just though that money was tight for most people, and that seems dead wasteful to me.
Sorry, really trying not to be judgemental. Failing.

[mrsEbruce]

After reading this thread both myself and dh are shocked at how much weve spent too but i wont change it

she likes minnie and mickey mouse so she was bought

minnie pram
minnie car
singing minnie
micky remote car
micky blocks
iggle piggle
micky driving station
minni mobile
minnie phone

and to be fair 5 outfits and a jacket and shoes cost 150

So i dont see the waste but im very aware of how lucky they are

[5dcsinneedofacleaner]

main presents for mine

are dd1 cabbage patch doll and bunk bed + scooter
ds web shooting spiderman thingy and lego sets
dd2 cabbage patch doll, doll high chair and my little pony train
dd3 dolls pram and doll
dd4 activity cube and rocking horse.

after that they just have a few smaller things and that gets to the budget.

[5madthings]

it depends on what your children like tho diesnt it? my boys like lego and its not cheap!

lego vampire castle £60 the lego monster range car to go with ut £20. then a lego lighthouse and seaside house, £30 each.

happlyland fir dd the bus was£20 and the farm and some extra animals £25

the imaginext stuff for ds4 has cost £80? For the batcave and the batmobile and some little accesories.

Some bits have been cheaper ie hama beads, playdoh, jigsaws etc but it adds up easily!

Ie science kits there are three we are getting for ds2 one is a tenner, one is fiftern pounds and one is £20. So they arent big or extravagant presents but it all adds up!