to ask how much you spend on DCs christmas presents?

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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?

I'm amazed at how little some people on here actually spend at Christmas. Truthfully I don't know anyone in RL who spends so little.

Sorry posted too soon. My four had around £250 each spent on them in the late eighties/early nineties. Their friends at school would have got much the same.

I've spent less than 80 pounds on presents for both dd1 (5) and dd2 (2) and that money came from their grandma, so effectively I have not spent any money at all on Christmas presents . We've never bought big presents and they don't expect it. Lots of little presents are much more fun to unwrap. Dh and I get each other presents with a guide price of about 20 pounds. We've done expensive presents in the past but no longer feel the need to push the boat out. If we do it is something for both or all of us. This year we are going away for a week over Christmas (which is another reason why I haven't bought too much this year because Santa is going to have trouble hiding it in the boot of the car)

About £30 each and they're 2 and 4. The GPs spend a bit more and I prefer them not to get used to too much 'stuff'. It's the Christmas tree and lights and decorations and the Christmassy events which they get excited about.

About £55 on DS1 (2.2) and £30 on DS2 (8 months). Plus maybe a couple of books each from the Book People, so another £6 between them.

DH has had a go at me for spoiling them, but I don't think it's that much actually. It's 2 things for DS2 and 3 for DS1, including a Trunki that I would have got him anyway as we're going away.

I buy DS1 books and art stuff as and when during the year, but toys only really come at Christmas and birthdays.

We spend about £20 each on nieces and nephews.

My dd's are 5 and 6 and they have had about £250 spent on them each. Their iPods were £139 though we have never spent this much on them before but last year was totally shit and we are very fortunate to be in a much better position this year so we can treat them. Dd1 also has a birthday in December and I have gone slightly mental when it came to buying presents.

When we were brought up we had very little but at christmas we always got a big pile each in the 80's, we all got one big toy then a pile of little ones. DP got a lot less than me and is gobsmaked at the piles i give mine although i dont just go out and buy it in one, i do it over a the full year starting in January. Maybe you just do it how your parents done it. Stuff like trainers and branded clothes we got at xmas and that was that for the year although friends just seemed to get them when the next brand of trainers were in fashion. Its the same with my parents now. They get a massive xmas bag filled with stuff my mam has bought all year. Nothing expensive but smellies and art stuff. Ske keeps the 3 bags in the cupboard, wraps it and keeps it there till xmas

I guess everyone has their own xmas and do things differently, neithers the right way it's just people have different views on how much they spend etc

Last year the dcs got £200 each - with a mix of gifts and cash being given to them.

This year they're getting £30 cash each, with other family members also buying them small gifts. It's all we can afford, and they're aware of this.

I know a lot of other people in similar situations - who talk about how their dcs will get such and such an amount, but confess in private that they are just saying it to put a brave face on things, and that in reality they are hard up.

a couple of years ago i got myself into debt when i wasn't working for xmas. I had nothing put away as we had been on holiday and i had saved for that instead, at the beginning of dec i opened a very and a littlewoods account in desperation to get them their normal amount and got everything on credit, missed a few payments and got hammered with interest. I would never do that again and i should have just gave them what i could get them for that year.

All up probably about $500 each this year (kids are 8 and 2.5).

This includes a whooping great trampoline though which I have been meaning to buy for a couple of years and also new helmets and some clothes, music books for DS and some snorkelling equipment for the summer.

So yes, quite a lot of money, we don't however buy any toys or anything like that through the year and there is just one present for birthdays.

About 150 on dd (3) and 75 on ds (1). They will be inundated with presents from grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends - eg Pil have spent about 250 on each child on some great presents for them. I would much rather they have lovely memories of great presents from Santa, grandparents, great aunts and uncles so I have worked around them so they get all the kudos!

I've bought a big 'main' present for DS (2.10) that costs a lot, but I will spend less on a birthday gift; around £30-£50 mark.

With stocking DS' total probably comes to about £160. DD is only 1 and I've spent about £60-£70. I don't really know.

A maximum of £500 on each.

We have always spent about £150-£250 on dd. In the past she has had big presents like a kitchen, a bike, dolls house etc which cost around £100 alone. Struggling this year though to think of things she likes which are not too babyish (she is 7). This year she has large Lego set, some books, 2 games, a Monster High doll, a card making set, and some little stocking fillers (smarties, etc).

I feel she is too young yet for Laptops and Iphones which she would like.

If you spend £600-£900 on small children what on earth do you find to get?

Most of my friends seem to spend similar amounts to us.

We try not to go mad, mainly because we had a Christmas a few years ago where some family members got massively carried away and bought vast amounts for each other and their new baby. When the presents were piled up it looked a little obscene, to be honest, and I don't usually get all pious about other people's spending. They also brought huge amounts of extra food and sweets and biscuits. Everyone said afterwards that they had felt a bit sick at the waste, and there was a conscious, mutual decision not to have such ostentatious expenditure again.

DS1 was 6 months at his first Christmas and he got the Vtech walker and some cheap bits and pieces in a stocking - probably a maximum of £40-50. His grandparents probably spent about £30 on him and his aunts spent about £20 each. My father, who we very rarely see, always sends about £50 and we buy something out of it and put the rest in his account.

His second and third Christmases he got a balance bike and an innotab and then some bits and pieces - probably about £80 - £90 in total.

This year he is getting a proper bike from us, so he will have a bit more spent on him this year, and he has some Toy Story toys from ebay from the rest of the family. DS2 isn't going to have much spent on him at all because he will be 11 months and not really into anything particular. He has also inherited all the stuff that DS1 has ever been given so isn't exactly short of toys. He will probably have a max of £30 spent on him from us.

I don't think there is anything wrong with spending more money if you can afford it, but just buying piles of stuff for the sake of it does make me a bit uncomfortable. I can still remember that insane pile of presents spreading across the floor from that Christmas and people actually losing interest in present opening because it went on for so long, and about three out every four presents were for these two family members, so we just had a couple of hours of sitting watching them open parcel after parcel and occasionally coming across something for someone else to open!

Oh, and stockings are always done from Poundland or Poundstretcher!

My DS wants a cricket bat that cost £300 and that is all he wants, what do I do?

It's easy to spend even when you really shouldn't especially when xbox games are at least £45 a go.

I think when they are little it is easier, when they get older in their teens, they really want named items and expensive console games.

Those asking what the children whose parents spend £500+ get, well in our case it can be snowboards and equipment, bikes, a decent mountain bike can cost £1000+.
We are cutting back this year and have set a budget of £500 per child. One of them wants a computer gaming chair, another one has asked if he can have the money towards a TAG Heuer watch if he put £500 towards it with his Christmas and Birthday money.

Yeah if you are a sporty/travelling family then the equipment can get pricey, no point buying the equipment and buying christmas presents though. Might as well make the stuff they need the presents.

We bought DS1 a pretty great mountain bike last year because we go mountain biking. I have recently started diving again and DS1 wants to come with me a lot and snorkel, so a decent snorkelling set. Little heads grow so they need new helmets most years.

Want to be in the band? No worries, some music sheets/books for Christmas then.

Very few toys under our tree.

Winterhill, that's more like it! I could never get away with spending £50.

That would be one xbox game and a stocking! Thanks for your honesty.

I never discuss in RL how much I spend, especially at work.

If I was to say the real amount people tut and say that the children are spoiled or that you are showing off etc.
If I was to understate it I would be tight!! I have heard conversations with other staff in the past to know it is a minefield!

The thing is my mum and dad spent a lot on us when we were kids and could afford to do so. I can (at the moment) afford to spend a lot on mine so I do. I wouldn't go in debt or make my bank balance uncomfortable or anything.
The one thing that I learned from when the kids were small was not to buy tat or novelty presents as stocking fillers. I may as well just put the cash straight into the bin!

4 x DC's about £400 - £500 each for the 2 girls and £250 - £300 for the boys.

We do not have a big family to help out and we do not buy bits throughout the year so this includes bedding, coats, PJ's, etc.

Big spends this year have been Laptop for DD2 (£300 and kobo vok for DD1 £159 and a few designer bits for DD1 £190 and blackberry for DD1, games consoles for the boys)

When they were younger it was more like £150 each max.