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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much you spend on your kids at Xmas? (AND if you buy clothes as gifts!)

321 replies

Zara87 · 11/10/2018 22:19

We are putting together our budget for Xmas this year. I'm on mat leave so it's quite tight plus we have a huge family.
I'm thinking ds age 3 - spend around £200
Ds age 6 months-spend around £100 (And put some in his savings)

So just curious really as to what you budget per child? I'm fully aware as they get older our budget will no doubt have to increase significantly.
Also I was surprised when talking amongst friends that they don't buy clothes for their dc as presents as they see them as a necessity and not a gift (unless it's something the kid wants such as trainers).

I just am trying to get a snap shot of Xmases to come :-)

OP posts:
ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 13/10/2018 07:17

My DS is only 2 so like you’ve we’ve not really done the ‘proper’ stocking so far. But DH have discussed doing some traditional things our parents did in the stockings when he’s older (I mean family traditions!).
So DS and any new DC will get:
1 main present from us
1 smaller but still good main present from FC
FC will also bring a new outfit for Christmas Day, pants, socks, selection box, gold coins, something for the bath (colour change matey when I was a kid!) and then some other smaller cheap toys. We won’t have a huge budget and I shop throughout the year to keep the costs down.

Pebblesandfriends · 13/10/2018 07:18

I spend more than £50 each but I have never understood the necessity for a 'big' present. We just get a few things they will like each plus stockings.

Allegorical · 13/10/2018 07:31

For my 6 month old i will spend v little. A few baby toys to keep the older ones happy that Father Christmas visited him too! I might wrap up some of their old toys and hope they don’t notice.
Ds 4 will get a bike which I will prob spend a fair amount on. I haven’t decided if that will be for his birthday or Christmas yet. Prob birthday as we can go out and try them. So main present will be Lego for Christmas. DD 2 will prob get a few character type presents from whatever her fave show is.
I won’t spend a lots. Will bulk out the pile with books, crafty stuff, food items. At this age it’s more about the fun of opening everything than spending loads.

Charlottejade89 · 13/10/2018 07:33

we have 4 dc, 3 step dc for me and new dd who will be 5 no the at xmas. I've got the baby's already and spent £45, the other 3 are 16, 15 and 8 and will probably have around £150 each plus stocking. it gets harder when they are older as they want brand names, sdd wants expensive make up and sds (8) wants a bike so that will be at least £100. They all get clothes as presents because a) that's what they all ask for, especially the older 2 and b) if they want exoensive items they need to have them as Xmas presents. We Can t afford to buy £50 tracksuits all year round

Maybe83 · 13/10/2018 07:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nottheduchessofcambridge · 13/10/2018 07:40

DC 7 and 10. We’ll spend around £400 each. This will include things like clothes and new bedding (themed to whatever they are in to this year.....fortnite)

BrickByBrick · 13/10/2018 07:41

We don't do a 'big present' either.

Queenofthestress · 13/10/2018 07:43

Fucking hell, Ive only read the first page but jeeeeeeze! I spend 50 for birthdays and 30 for christmas each on my kids, there's no need to go insane when they're little

ritzbiscuits · 13/10/2018 07:44

£200 is loads for a small child, especially when money is tight. I'd be looking at £100 max, even less TBH.

Shop around, you can get great bargains. I've picked up a couple of branded toys for a few pounds in B&M, Home Bargains in the past week.

Looking ahead, Christmas can get pricey especially the years you may want to purchase a bike/scooter. Still, Decathlon do great bikes - our balance bike was £40 and sold it second hand for £15.

And I don't generally buy clothes, my ds has never enjoyed opening presents like that, so I just put them in his wardrobe.

Momasita · 13/10/2018 07:52

Surely it's best to just save what you can for Xmas, the whole thing then workout budgets from that?

Poodles1980 · 13/10/2018 07:53

We don’t really do big presents, also don’t do The new trend of Christmas Eve boxes. My 5 year ds will be getting some LEGO, a pile of books and some little stocking filler bits, some gold coins and a pair of Christmas pj’s. He will be over the moon with this because it’s more about the excitement of Christmas than the actual present. My baby will be getting pretty much nothing as he will be a few months old and has no idea of Christmas. We have plenty of money to spend on Christmas but I find the whole thing wasteful and materialistic, is rather put the money into savings for education or trips abroad.

Momasita · 13/10/2018 07:56

Poodles, why not just have separate savings then? Then you won't feel bad about spending money on Xmas because you simply wouldn't put as much ££ towards it as Xmas?

PatchworkElmer · 13/10/2018 07:57

DS (2) is getting:

  • Mini trampoline (£5 from Facebook)
  • Toy garage (£5 from Facebook)
  • Cars (£7)
  • Gruffalo game (£2.99)
  • Aqua Doodle (£12)

This is more than enough IMO. I’ll probably put clothes, crayons, and a book in his stocking.

Poodles1980 · 13/10/2018 08:05

@momasita, it’s nothing to do with feeling bad about spending on Christmas. I just think it’s wasteful and materialistic. We are about spending time together and small meaningful gifts rather than piles of crap.

GoldenBuns · 13/10/2018 08:08

I have ds12 and dd14. They have got pricier and pricier as they got older! Luckily, neither of them wants a gadget this year - X Boxes/phones do not come cheap...

This year we are keeping to £200 per child. That includes stockings, which I always spend a bit on - I don't like buying novelty tat that will just get chucked away/broken.

Justabadwife · 13/10/2018 08:09

By the time I've finished for dd (9) I will have spent over £700.
She will get an outfit for Xmas day.
And maybe some fluffy socks in her stocking, but no other clothes.
All her presents are things that she wants, there is nothing she needs.

This hasn't been the case every year. In fact this is the first year I have spent over £300 on her. When she was a baby, the limit was £50 because we were skint.

I love buying her presents. She appreciates and loves everything we buy for her.

Maybe83 · 13/10/2018 08:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GoldenBuns · 13/10/2018 08:12

Also - we don't really do clothes - as I think the kids wouldn't consider them a 'proper' present. Having said that, ds is beginning to want big brand trainers which we wouldn't be buying for him as a day to day expense.

PodgeBod · 13/10/2018 08:20

A question for those who spend less then £50, do your kids not ask for expensive things or do you say no? My daughter is 3, she's only asked for 2 things from Santa but they come to £70 alone before I even start a stocking. Toys are expensive.

cedartree12 · 13/10/2018 08:22

DS is 1. I have spent £20 on his main present (although budgeted £50) and another £25 on his stocking. He will get more presents from grandparents, aunts, godparents, etc. so will have lots to open on Christmas Day. In our family clothes are a welcomed gift (often my main present from my parents growing up was an outfit). Essentials were often a nicer version of what we would get through the year, so nicer knickers, novelty soap, etc. We have never received more than one present from parents....I never thought it was odd until I came on mumsnet! If it makes a difference, we all buy presents for each other in our family, and all get stockings, athough DCs' stockings are fuller than the adults'!

Generousparents · 13/10/2018 08:24

Dd first Christmas I spent 5 quid on eBay for a mama's and papa rocking bug and a mother care baby walker they were like new and would have cost us 150 new.
Last Christmas Dd now 3 got Sylvanian families 30 quid off facebook and they had a new price of over 200 pounds. This year I've just bought ds's present of Facebook for 60 quid and it has never been played with and a brand new equivalent is best part of 500, as it is in lots of sections and is something you can add to we will keep some parts back for his birthday and next Christmas.
Stockings they get a few little things, a game, socks, toiletries and sweets max 10 quid.
They have been known to get clothes.

There are loads of bargains out there, don't think every thing has to be new and don't think spending more shows more love.

SoyDora · 13/10/2018 08:26

Some people will really stretch themselves and spend quite a lot at Christmas. Others don't spend much even if they do have more money

This is completely true. I always think it’s a bit odd when people say on here ‘spend what you can afford’. Surely most people don’t spend all their spare income and savings on Christmas, even if they could technically afford to? Of course I know for a lot of people Christmas is a stretch and they save and budget for it, and therefore they do spend what they can afford. But there are also people who have plenty of savings etc but wouldn’t dream of spending them all on Christmas presents?
Mine are 4 and 3 and I’ll probably spend about £100 on each. We could afford to spend a lot more than that, but we don’t. That’s because they don’t actually want/need any more than that! There are only so many things they can play with, so many things they’re interested in and so much space we have to store it. In fact DD1 has only asked for books and craft stuff so she’ll probably get less than £100 and DD2 (who likes big Lego sets and Sylvanian families may get a bit more. I’m not spending money just for the sake of it.

Chocolate1984 · 13/10/2018 08:31

Don't really have a set budget but probably £100-150 unless they need something like a new bike or scooter added in. I would also spend less if they didn't need/want anything. My kids are only 6 & 3 though.

I do buy clothes as presents but usually the character or reverse sequin type clothes. Something they'd want rather than need.

Generousparents · 13/10/2018 08:34

PodgeBod
We just tell them that father Christmas doesn't bring everything you ask for and he might bring something else you'd like instead, so the kids give him ideas and he picks something they'd like

Cachailleacha · 13/10/2018 08:34

12 year old will get £50 cash and some chocolate. Prefers to choose things himself. Usually gets more money from relatives in cards or when we visit near Christmas so it will add up to more. First Christmas he got a second hand push walker from eBay.

I don't buy clothes as presents because it is my responsibility to provide him with clothing and he is happy with the basics. I understand buying expensive clothing for Christmas that you wouldn't buy otherwise.