To only spend £5 on gifts for ds's classmates?

[Moonfacesmother]

Ds is 4 and I'm reception. The first term I think there were three parties but since christmas we have been to 17. 17! There are nearly 60 children across the two classes and ds has had invites not just from this in his own class but some from the other one too as well as parties of children he knows outside of school.

I will be bankrupt at this rate! The thing is I spend £5 and it looks like I spent about 50p. Otoh I don't want to spend more as I suspect it disappears into a vat of plastic tat and I don't know in most cases what the birthday child like / already has.

So aibu to spend just £5? The most I've spent is £8 but that's because I forgot about the party until the last minute and couldn't find anything reasonable in the supermarket for much less.

The parties do decrease over the years... I promise.

£5 is more than enough, if your son goes to every party that is £295 a year before friends outside of school.

I have a box in the cupboard full of book people deals, sainsburys 70% off toys, bath sets, art stuff etc. Also our local cardland does 7 cards for £1.

Ooh I hadn't thought of the works. I might look in there.

I bought a few nice dolls from Smyths toys when they were half price but typically we've had mainly boy parties. Ds's year groups is really boy heavy - approx 40 boys to 20 girls.

Start a gift shelf in your cupboard. When you see bargains in the sale buy a few. I've had things with 75% off from Boots sale. Hawkins Bazaar often have brilliant wee gifts on their sale shelf for pennies. Also regift things that are doubles or unsuitable for your DC.

It just shows how mad the whole class party is! I wouldn't spend more than £5 and I would only accept an invitation if they were real friends.
My party limit was 12 children, and preferably less.

£5 is perfectly fine. (3 DCs. Been to a million parties over the years.)

And Reception is the worst year for it, after that the perty madness tails off, so it's not forever.

YY to getting a set of £5 books and splitting them between 5 children, add a box of maltesers, and wrap. Great present and quite cheap.

(For some reason, my DCs think a box of maltesers is the present to die for. No idea why, but it's always gone down well with other DCs too).

Don't worry...all the really decent nice parents that you want to be friends with long term totally understand that it's costly and would truly hate for you to be spending more than you can afford.

(A mum once said to me and a group of other mums...'no need to bring a present' when she knew I'd lost my job recently and my DS was invited. We've been friends ever since. It was kind of her to be so thoughtful to say it, but also to not single me out).

Moonfacesmother, my DS is currently in reception too and the year group at his school is very boy heavy too. Wonder if 2008/2009 was generally boy heavy? There are, I think, 17 boys in his class and 7 girls!

The works outlet recently had some really nice dinosaur figure sets in a big box, which I got for a few of his friends. It's the kind of thing DS loves so I assumed his little friends probably would love it too. Was only £4.99 and RRP was £9.99

17 in 3 months? Wow, that's a lot more than DC have averaged for the entirety of primary school. At least we've saved a fortune, I guess.
I can't get party bag prices below £3-£4 each either.

Stop doing party bags! I don't know anyone who does them now. I think the collective madness peaked and now no-one does them. They aren't missed. It's just tat that goes straight in the bin.

Piece of cake in a paper napkin and a balloon. That's enough.

Every single one we've been to has had party bags.

Hence I feel compelled to do party bags.

this site does cheap Melissa and Doug stuff. I stock up and keep a present cupboard.

YANBU! A fiver is the absolute max I'd spend. We're are skint though. A book or a pack of felt tips or something.

When my son was younger most of us mums would stick a fiver in the card. Soon mounted up and the boys could buy something bigger. Hard to find something for a fiver that doesn't look like tat. Easier for a girl. I also kept a present drawer and recycled the numerous handbags etc my daughter would get.

I often get t-shirts two for £8 from Next, really nice useful present, as a parent I already drown in plastic toys....

Fiver in a card and a box of sweets is always welcome too, I don't think parents really expect any more.

Now mine are older I do £10 in a card but they have fewer parties and they tend to be close friends.

Mine aare a little older (7 and 9) I spend about a fiver and if it looks a bit cheap I chuck in a bag of haribo from the pound shop.

I bulk buy cards from the card factory (or the book people used to do a box of them).

I stock up in sales.... I get fab stuff reduced to half price or less and put them in present box for party gifts....saves that last minute rush,

I do the book people 10 for £10 as 'party bags' with a piece of cake.

I rarely spend more than £5 on school friends but I buy a lot in sales so I like to think I get good stuff. For example Scholastic books had a sale recently with some Klutz books with marbles or jacks for £1 each (RRP was £5.99 I think) Perfect school friend present! Or Wilkos sometimes sell off stationery dirt cheap. I got pretty notebooks, tins of coloured pencils and sticker sets for 10p each last year. Also, for the past couple of years Boots have done a toy sale in early Oct, where everything is 75% off and 3 for 2. I think they must be selling off any remaining stock from the previous Christmas. Anyway, I got some fantastic bargains in there last year - Transformers for £5, Playmobil sets for £3 etc. Worth looking out for!

Yanbu. I find Argos clearance is a godsend. You can often get a £10 or more present for a fiver. And make sure you grab another one or two for the next party while you're there.

One (stingy) word...regift

Yes but moonface if you are the first to stop doing the wretched party bags you will earn universal respect and love from your peers for stepping away from the bonkers party pressure and being the leader to the path of sanity.

I love doing party bags....am I odd

Yes

I do a big present shop whenever the drawer gets low. Never spend more than £5 per present, sometimes less. recently we've given Melissa and Doug stamp sets, git a drawer full of their bead sets and a paint your own car, lego sets when on offer though I think we've done all the cheaper ones at the moment and I don't want to risk repeating! book people usually have l lego books line the ideas book, character encyclopedias etc cheap or in sets. Still have a couple of those in the drawer plus colouring books and pens and other craft stuff. Doing craft bags is great as you can buy packs of stuff and split it up.

party bags- no,lucky dip with books- yes. or something like a ball each.

presents, no more than a fiver on principle- although dd3 had presents that varied from a box of malteasers to stuff that must have cost £20.

Only ever spend £5. The works and home bargains are a good option. I always find something suitable.