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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask how much did you spend on your DD or DS's second birthday?

40 replies

Fairweather123 · 15/04/2017 17:28

We have bought 3 presents totalling £95 and will be having a BBQ/tea in our garden with family. So all in with food, birthday cake, banners, balloons and a couple of bottles of prosecco about £200.

I'm not playing birthday trumps, I genuinely have no idea what is the 'norm'. The last couple of kiddie parties I've been told about were for a 4 year old and a 7 year old and both parties cost almost £500!! That seems obscene to me.

OP posts:

MasterOfDisguise · 15/04/2017 17:51

In the nicest possible way, it doesn't matter what other people do! As long as your child is loved, well cared for etc then anything they get for their birthday or party is fine and comparing costs is just pointless. In my view £200 for a 2 year old is a lot of money, but if you can afford that, great. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun, so enjoy yourself and don't worry about whether others spend more or less.

Fwiw we took my 2 year old on a day out using clubcard vouchers (so essentially free) and presents cost about £40 all in. Maybe that's the cheap end of the scale but we had a fab day, I made a cake & we have lovely photos & memories.

Trb17 · 15/04/2017 17:55

Sounds about what we did at that age. A few pressies and a family party or day out.

It only gets more expensive as they age once they can read the Argos catalogue so get away with as little as possible while you can

SootSprite · 15/04/2017 17:59

I've never understood the need to see what others have spent in order to justify your own expenditure. Surely if you can afford it and everyone's happy then what's the issue? People can spend £2, £200 or £20,000. It all depends on your individual circumstances surely

GplanAddict · 15/04/2017 17:59

We're going to have an animal disco for my soon to be 2 yr old with just us (family if 5). She wants to be a Giraffe, her brother a lion and her sister a Snow leopard. Dh and I are undecided!
We'll get her a few things from the attic and wrap them up. She'll probably get gifts from gp's too.

Foggymist · 15/04/2017 18:02

I made all the food so that part didn't cost much, probably €15-20 worth of ingredients. Decorations €10, we got him two presents from us which totalled €35. The cost doesn't matter at all, if I found myself spending over €100 in total I would begin to question my sanity. His first birthday was about the same except the food cost us more because we had a bbq.

Flossimodo · 15/04/2017 18:10

About £50. Didn't have a party as relatives all miles away. Just had a nice day at home with cake and candles and some new drawing stuff and teeny trike. Dad took the day off work so that made it special.

UppityHumpty · 15/04/2017 18:13

£3,000ish on presents from us.
Same again on the party (hall hire, food, bouncy castle, magician, balloon artist, soft play area, catering for 200 people etc)

SheepyFun · 15/04/2017 18:19

Can't remember what we got DD as a present; it would have cost about £20. No party as she couldn't understand what was going on. Did have cake plus coffee for her 3rd and a proper party for her 4th (at home) - we're happy to do parties now she wants them!

Also, while the presents are cheap, we buy her what she needs through the year, including toys (birthday and Christmas are very close, and family are generous).

Elllicam · 15/04/2017 18:21

Maybe £50-£100 on presents, £200 on party, hall, party food and got a good deal on a bouncy castle and entertainer.

MasterOfDisguise · 15/04/2017 18:31

uppityhumpty

Unless you're Prince George's mum...which I kind of hope you are!

Tw1nsetAndPearls · 15/04/2017 18:40

When our fifteen year old was two I probably spent about £50 on a teaparty at home and a small gift.

We didn't really do anything for our son's first birthday and didn't have the money for a gift. I can't see us spending much more than £50 on his second birthday.

Bantanddec · 15/04/2017 18:47

Who cares, a 2 year old won't remember it anyway!

Brokejoke · 15/04/2017 18:49

We didn't have a party. Spent maybe £50 on presents.

Crunchyside · 15/04/2017 18:58

I probably spent between £30 and £50 on "nibbles" for the grown ups that came to his birthday party. And I can't even remember what his present was, although it was less than a year ago.

This year for my son's 3rd birthday I'm spending £80 on a party at a local farm, as it's about 3 weeks before my next baby is due so I'm feeling like a big heavy hippo and don't have the energy to entertain at home. Will probably spend £20 max on a present because he doesn't actually need any new toys and he will already get plenty from family and friends!

£200 is quite a lot... but not as ridiculous as £500!

BlueDaBaDee · 15/04/2017 19:00

My DDs 2nd birthday is next week. Going to spend a couple of hundred on presents - want to get her a bouncy castle slide thing, a scooter, sand and water table etc and lots of craft stuff, some puzzles and books and maybe a little toddler table. All things she'll get lots of use out of.

Then having a BBQ which will probs cost about £60/£70 hopefully. They'll only be about 10 adults/ kids so nothing too expensive.

BlueDaBaDee · 15/04/2017 19:03

I don't think £200 is extravagant, unless you buy toys throughout the year. At this age, I think there's a big jump between toys aimed at 1yo and ones aimed at 2yo. Plus, I save for her birthday and limit takeaways and frivolous spending so I can afford it .. don't know how people can say it's extravagant and then spend £200 on their hair or a candle

LockedOutOfMN · 15/04/2017 19:06

DD had a few small gifts from us, books and plastic tat she loved, and an ice-cream cake from the supermarket (birthday in June...it's hot where we live then). In laws came over for the ice-cream cake and brought her gift (pushchair for dolly she had been obsessed by at nursery). Homemade present and card from her older brother. My family sent gifts via Amazon as they're abroad.
DS was six years ago so can't remember that far back!

As they've got older they've had better presents and parties with friends! But 2 wasn't a big deal in terms of celebrating.

AppleOfMyEye10 · 15/04/2017 19:10

Its so silly to ask what other people spend. Surely that's based on what others can afford and the circumstances. It's such a random question and any answer can do

FumBluff1 · 15/04/2017 19:15

Long time ago, probably £100 on gifts then we went to see a fireman sam show! No party

elQuintoConyo · 15/04/2017 19:17

Couple of gifts around €20. Homemade cake. Just us (no family around).

He is a December baby, so we don't go nuts!

Uppity i'm shocked that you didn't have a dace painter. A for your poor child!

Ecureuil · 15/04/2017 19:23

Can't remember. Probably about £100 on gifts and £10 on cake ingredients.
We had a party for DD1's third birthday and that was more, probably about £500.
DD2 is 2 in July and won't have a party so again just gifts and cake. Getting her a mini micro scooter so that's about £100 with helmet.

lljkk · 15/04/2017 19:25

DD got an ice cream & no party. I honestly can't remember any of the others. I think was more than an ice cream.

SearchingforGrandparents · 15/04/2017 19:29

Uppity I find that very hard to believe that anyone would waste that amount on a 2yr old that doesn't even know what day of the week it is! Catering for 200 people?!?!? That's just an excuse for the adults to have a party!

soundsystem · 15/04/2017 19:30

Um, not much. A cake she choose from Tesco that was less than a fiver. We didn't have a party, just a little birthday tea so that was just regular grocery shopping apart from the cake. I might not even have got her a present as I knew my mum and sister would go nuts and she'd be overwhelmed . Oh we went to the zoo, so £30 entry for us all plus lunch.

For her upcoming 3rd birthday, we're having a party in a hall and then she's getting one big present that's £205 (in my defence it will get used for a few years by her and then younger sibs (if she'll share!), and can be sold on when she's done with it so she can buy something else with the cash).

I lean towards spending cash on things they'll remember, but if people can afford it and it makes them happy then I'm not judgy!

Talith · 15/04/2017 19:35

We prob got a big present like a toy kitchen. Had family get together at a pub and bought a round of drinks to cut cake with... but people bought their own food. Under 300 quid.

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