To ask how much you spend on your children's birthday and Christmas presents?

[pimplypoppet]

Yes I know it's rude to ask and it depends how much money you have. We live in a modest 3 bed, DH earns approx £35k, I earn approximately £17k part time. Shopping for DDs 4th birthday today and realised with all the 'bits' I'd got I'd already spent in excess of £60. Does that seem a lot or a little to you? Realise this is not important at all, just a bit interested!

well it varies hugely for me as I'm self employed. Some years I've spent £20 quid in the charity shop on birthdays. This year ds1 is 17 and getting driving lessons at £15 to £20 an hour until he's passed so fuck knows! dts who are eight but nine in the new year would love ipad minis, which will set me back £269 each, a lot, I know, but they are not grabby about getting them and will be super delighted. I've said that will be pretty much it although they will get other stuff at their dad's, not a lot as he doesn't spend much on christmas or birthdays, which I have no issue with - I really enjoy spending on them if I can and do tend to suffer from 'pile anxiety'

It depends on circumstances at the time and also ds is used to having to wait for his birthday or Christmas rather than just getting things all the time like some children do. One year nearly everything was second hand and another year he had a piano. He would have needed this anyway, but because he chose lessons and wasn't forced into them he was thrilled with it.

I don't think it sounds excessive at all if you can afford it.

I will be totally honest, I can spend £500-£1000 on a birthday quite easily, same for Christmas. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

The price rockets as they get older and depends on what they need.

It's not a boast, it's just the truth. I spend what we can afford.

Generally £30 for birthdays and £150 for Christmas, sometimes a bit more or less depending on the cost of the main present.

Income bracket is working poor

Just getting in early with the "two tangerines and a walnut" crowd. ;)

I think as the DC get older it costs more.

This year the DC don't seem too bothered.
they have every gadget going already. So I suppose DS2 will end up with xbox games and DD money for what she wants clothes/DS games .

I have already got LFA boots and harumika/ monster high sets, for DD and a few fun/gadget gifts for the DSs.

Birthdays I guess around £150 plus a party.
Christmas I think we've spent about £250 this year, all my shopping for ds is done.

I always aim to spend less but find it quickly adds up. Ds is 4 btw.

panzee

DD has recycled pencils in fruit flavours! . Does that count!!

When they were little, pre-school age, I didn't spend much at all, maybe £20 each on presents (x3) they are the only grandchildren on both sides though so GPs got a lot of stuff. Now they are a bit older, primary school age, I spend quite a bit more, but on things they 'need' like bikes.

It varies depending on what they want and what we can afford - it's more these days now that we're no longer paying mortgage and childcare, and since we are on about the same as OP between us we're fairly well off.

This year the DDs are getting a 3DS for Christmas plus a game each, plus some stuff I sneakily bought for them in Disney last August, and the rest is stocking fillers - total about £200 each, and that's the most lavish we have ever been. For birthdays we spend a lot less because both the DDs have their birthdays within 6 weeks of Christmas.

Oh, household income, about 110k

I've gone a bit crazy this year (thanks to the Christmas bargain thread!) and probably spent about 4-500 on my DD1 and about 200 on my DD2.

DH is going to KILL me.

It just sort of kept filling up the spare room until one day when I organised it all.

Oops.

We earn about the same as you and spend very similar for birthday and xmas, but birthday party additional...that's getting cheaper as they've moved from whole class soft play to 3 friends for a sleepover/dvd.
However, it's entirely up to you how you spend your wages: a friend with similar income to me spends far more on food and kids activities and far less than me on holidays..it just depends how you like to divvy it up/prioritize.
I think there's an element of upbringing: my parents were quite low key re xmas and birthday and a bit sneery about what they perceived as monetary excess.
My aunty has always really gone to town on xmas spending ££££s despite a relatively low income, I think she's making up for the very shitty xmases she had as a child in an impoverished and abusive family and in the process she has given her kids magic memories.

Oh and we also have 3 kids..I think that can make a difference.

It was DD1's 3rd birthday at the weekend and we spent about £250 on presents and quite a ridiculous £1100 on a party... But it was a massive party in our garden with entertainers and a marquee and it was absolutely fantastic... (Again though, when DH adds it up, he will kill me.)

Depends what they want and how finances are looking.

This year is an expensive one, we've bought DD2 One Direction concert tickets and I can't spend on one and not the other. Plus a stocking

Birthdays, about £50-60.

Max of £100 if something really special like a bike but usually £50. Ds1 who is 5 has a grand total of £14.99 as I got him a transformer toy reduced from £40.

It was DD's 2nd birthday 2wks ago, I the end presents totalled approx £250. She just had a family tea party so no party expense, other than her cake which cost £100.

So far Christmas presents total around £500, although half of that cost has went to one large item which will last a long time.

I think so long as you spend within your means then whatever you're comfortable with is fine.

Dh earns £20,000 and I get carers allowance of £58 a week. We spend a £100 for birthdays and £150 for Christmas. Have 3 dc aged 2,4 and 7.I spend less on the 2yo.

My Dad went to woodwork evening classes to make me a dolls house one Christmas, he also collected books from every W H Smith's sale during the year, refurbished a second-hand cot, then a desk as later gifts. He let me choose wallpaper for my bedroom, then decorated the room for one birthday. My Mum once made me a Milly Molly Mandy dress. Believe me, those gifts were all adored by me. It's not just about the amount spent, but the love and thought.

We have spent £10 on DS2 for Christmas. We picked up the ELC toy fort second hand earlier in the year. Bargain.

My DC are 3 and 8 and I would guess around £80 each. I hit home bargains and b and m's in October when the Xmas toys start coming in and get most of it there (then the odd bigger item later on). The savings you can make are great if you have one nearby. For example, DD loves Minnie mouse so they have roller skates for 7.99. Minnie craft sets 1.99. And tons of branded toys e.g ben and holly stuff really cheap. DS loves angry birds, the sets that cost 15.00 in asda are 7.00 there. Household income only 24k roughly so I have to shop around!

We dont buy birthday presents, its a weird family oddity that also happened in dh's family. They do have parties and get made a fuss over though.

At xmas I go overboard and spend approx 200-300 pounds each. My mum goes crazy and spends another 100 pounds each on them too.

I love xmas tho, they have one 'big' present each such as a scooter and then smaller stuff such as clothes, craft stuff and games. I dont buy any toys etc during the rest of the year and they dont have presents when they are babies.

I have 3 dc (6,4 and 2). We have household income of 40k (both part time).

£100 for a birthday plus a birthday treat like a day out - no parties. £500 max for Christmas each. We don't buy much through the year though

My dc are 4 and almost 7 and we spend up to £100 on birthdays plus the same for Christmas plus I've spent about £50 each on stocking presents.

We could spend more but I don't feel its necessary at this age when I know for sure as they're grow up they'll want presents that cost a lot more. Also during the year they might get a few little presents (items that keep them amused in the holidays) but nothing very expensive so they know that any "big" items they would like are for Xmas or birthday.

I spend about £70 - £80 plus a small family party for birthdays. Then about £60 for Christmas. I would rather spend more on their birthdays than Christmas.