AIBU to ask how much you buy DC for Christmas?

[littlemisssunshine81]

Every year DH says that I ‘go over the top’ and apparently last year he had to ‘rein me in’.....I really don’t agree and as it’s me who does all the Christmas shopping I just want to sense check whether or not he has a point. Now DC are 4 and 2 and I’m thinking of one main present each (by big present I’m talking eg Paw Patrol Patroller) and 5 or 6 other things eg jigsaw, PJs & slippers, couple of action heros, book and some Lego. Really doesn’t sound like a lot to me! Will also do stockings with a few little bits, chocolate coins etc. TIA!

Your dh would hate me! I don’t want to say but I do buy more than that.

I think, assuming it’s not going to plunge you into debt, that’s a reasonable haul.

We do something similar, but with a less expensive big present - DS would probably love a PPPatroller, but that would be the entire budget gone 😄. Seems just the right amount to me.

About the same as you-
Main present, couple of extras, some bits, some clothes, a book or two, stocking full of crap.
Also I do Xmas eve boxes 🙈

Slippers and pj’s are things you’d have to buy at some point so shouldn’t really be counted.

That sounds fine to me!
But do the DC receive gifts from others too? Perhaps this is what is concerning DH?

Also, it’s fine when they are only 4 and 2, but I find the cumulative effect of toys from Christmas and Birthdays each year for 2 children can get too much. Unless you are ruthless at passing on old toys (my children hate me getting rid of toys to make space for new ones), it’s easy for the toy situation to get out of control as the children get a bit older.

DS is 2.
He gets a present from us and one from father christmas (usually a big one from father christmas and a smaller one fron us)
Plus a stocking (on the 6th Jan from the 'befana' - Italian Christmas witch.

He'll get presents from granparents/uncles/godparents/family friends so there's no need for us to get him lots.

I might buy him a nice jumper to wear over Christmas but that's just normal clothes shopping.

My two are 7 and 2. Ive spent £500 between them. Some things are to share (ie. Play house) others are just for them. Christmas in total costs us a bomb, around £1250/1500 as we have a huge family but we have cut back this year. I never go into debt for xmas tho, so they get what i can afford.

I also don’t think you can count pjs, slippers and books. They are necessary items and you can never have too many books
For stockings I tend to also do useful bits, like flannels, fun soap and hair accessories (along with edible stuff like tube of smarties, satsuma and apple). All things which the DC love to open, but are not adding to the general clutter in the house.

Gosh, I feel my DH has a point now...I think I probably get too much. My 3 have a main present from us, then their sack is from Father Christmas. I made the mistake of saying we really need to cut down this year and my youngest said "that's ok because we still get our sack from FC!"

Usually main gift plus about 30 other smaller gifts (some mid range). Spend £400-500 depending on price of main gift but could be more.

I do go overboard on Christmas but love it so much. DH knows better than to try to ‘rein in’ my Christmas plans

Your husband would hate me! My 4 can have 30-40 gifts each although that does include clothes, toiletries an many, many books. I love Christmas morning and love spoiling everyone

I think it depends how much the kids are likley to recieve from other relatives.
I would consider your list to be reasonable for a child that mainly gets presents from Mum, Dad and Santa.
If your children have a lot have indulgent relatives it might contribute to an overwelming pile.

Our two are having about £100 each on them including santa presents, we are going to the alton towers santa sleepover as well, plus going out for a santa lunch at a local restaurant.

I stick to about £150 each for my teens unless it's something specific eg laptop for university the following year. Some years not even that eg we bought a PS4 for us all, or a big tv for all. They don't go without but we don't think they should be spoilt. With small kids they prefer the boxes, save your money, teenagers are £££!

Actually I’d agree about the PJs not really being a present, it’s just something else to open tbh. They will also get presents from family but very little as we have a very small family and grandparents often give money then I let them pick something in the new year to buy with it. I have started to declutter as the toys build up over the years and started giving bundles of toys away when they stop playing with things so as to not end up with a ridiculous amount of stuff.

"I made the mistake of saying we really need to cut down this year and my youngest said "that's ok because we still get our sack from FC"

Thats priceless silver1977. I once convinced an entire toddler group that I still believed in Santa: "What?! You mean we have to buy all that ourselves?!"

I have spent about £70. This includes the advent calendar I make for DD each year (she doesn’t get the chocolate ones). 3 actual gifts to open on Christmas Day is more than enough when our family’s go over board with bits for her

"They will also get presents from family but very little as we have a very small family"

In that case, its a completely reasonable amount to buy. Crack on. Your DH is an idiot.

Usually about £150 ish each. But also spread them out a bit and often decide they've had enough and don't give them all of them as easily overwhelmed and knock some onto b'day and even following Christmas !

I've spent £125 on each not including stockings which is probably around another £20.
I've never done main presents. For that £125 they have 7 gifts each, not a lot really for the money but they are decent gifts. They then have around another £100 of gifts from their grandmother, and £50 from other grandparents. Aunt's and uncles is usually 1 toy.

One has a birthday three weeks before Christmas too

I don’t think mine have ever had less than 20 things each to open. Sometimes more. But I do bulk that put woth clothes, trainers, pyjamas and things they need anyway.
The stockings are filled with chocolates, hot wheels cars, bath smelly stuff, and probably adds up to about £15 each.
I admit I do love a big pile but I’m definitely cutting down this year as they haven’t asked for much and I don’t want to waste money like I normally do buying things for the sake of it.

I set a budget for £300 each for Xmas and an extra £150 for one that has a birthday before Xmas. It’s more than I can afford but I don’t get into debt for it and I honestly don’t feel that that money goes very far this days. Especially for the oldest (teenager)

I went completely overboard last year and spent about £300 on our child who was then nearly 3 yrs old. He also got a ton of stuff from family so probably had about 40-50 gifts, way too much and it took him days to unwrap it all. It almost became a chore.

This year he obviously has way more of an idea of what's going on, but I will be spending around £100 on things I know he will love. He will have around 10 gifts from us and family are under strict instruction not to waste their money on pointless toys and other plastic tat.

Varies year to year but I am slowly learning my lesson when it comes to Christmas that less is definitely more! For starters my family always go apeshit and buy them far too much and secondly, they rarely ever appreciate even half of it so it’s a total waste.

This will now be Christmas #9 with DC and I can think of approximately ten presents they still have to this day, three of them being their First Christmas bears and the others were from last Christmas. Everything else has gone either to landfill, sold on eBay or to a charity shop. It’s so wasteful, almost sickens me.

This year I’m trying my upmost to keep it to a minimum.