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!

I spend around £200-£300 on each Ds including stockings. They are 8 and 9. I know it’s a lot but we can comfortably afford it and they don’t get loads of other presents from extended family. And I love to spoil them at Christmas.

Your DH wouldn't like me then. We are not doing main present this year but DS has got 4 presents which are between £30 and £45 And probably about 8 more which are between £8 and £15/20. I also do a stocking.

I buy the following:
One from Father Christmas
One from us
One from each other
One from each of my 2 sisters
One from Granny

But then my ILs buy lots. Ive reined PILs in so we get our season passes for legoland and a biggish doll for dd and lego for ds. But then there are 2 SILs and endless family.

I try and use
Something you want
Something you need
Something to wear
Something to read.

Your DH would hate me too, your bundle is very restrained. We love Christmas and it's a big holiday for us, I avoid tat but do buy a lot of decent items that can be passed on to friends etc when outgrown,

My 2 have around 20-25 to open each, including stockings. Their main present costs between £40-50 and the rest are all little bits I pick up from August onwards.
I do include pants/socks/pyjamas etc

About £100 on the toddler and £200 ish each on the 4 and 5 yo.. 1 big gift each and about 6 other gifts. This in my opinion is not excessive!

I love christmas and dont spend a lot on stuff through out the year.

You will get people on here saying they spend £30 in a charity shop and anything else is heinous Do what you like OP, you are meant to be happy at christmas

Also your DP ‘reining you in’, who made him in charge wouldn't work with me

Probably about £150 in total on our two children - one big present, a few smaller ones and stockings, Christmas Eve box etc. I love Christmas!

It's the opposite in our home. I'm the one with the brakes and DH wants to give more and more.

Your Dc's are still very young, start as you mean to go on is a good motto

Ha! DH wouldn't dare try to rein me in. I love it. I usually end up at about 250 per kid x 4 but have gone well over some years because I don't count common presents like a Nintendo toward anyone's total. It's Christmas. Knock yourself out if you can do while avoiding any type of debt. I do try to mindful of stuff that will end up in a landfill so go for quality stuff

Every year mine each have 2 or 3 presents from us, 1 present from their sibling (chosen by sibling but still paid for by me currently), and a stocking of about 7 or 8 things (one or two toys/games, a book, and some edible and practical little gifts).

I find this amount works well, and actually restricting the amount means I have to put real thought into what I do get, rather than just buying for the sake of it.

It always seems like plenty on Christmas day, there is nothing meagre or frugal-seeming about it.

But yours doesn't sound a lot at all!

I never looked to spend upto a certain amount but I have at times felt that I overspent. A lot of things were a waste of money. Others added up but have been childhood treasures, sylvanian families and LEGO are now wee investments for my grandchildren one day

Oh god, out comes the twee poem.

OP I don't think what you're buying sounds excessive. I buy more than this, but it's all carefully chosen stuff which I know the DC will get a lot out of.

Mine are 13 and 18 now, but I still buy lots for each. Each stocking will have a book, loads of chocs, a game, pj's, smellies, socks, novelty items etc like a personalised mug, mini puzzles.

Under the tree, an outfit each, more pjs's, dressing gown and slippers, calendar, more books, new duvet sets, about £100 each in vouchers, normally a vans type bag each, and a 'big' present each normally about £200 each for that, new headphones and computer games and lots of little bits

I grew up very poor though, never had a Christmas stocking in my life until I met dp, and he puts one on my bed every Christmas eve. The thrill I get from that bad boy every Christmas morning (the stocking...NOT dp btw is amazing). I appreciate spending a fair few hundred on each child may be excessive. But, other than birthdays, I don't get them anything really. And I love that they always appreciate it.

That said, I've had some frugal Christmases as a kid, but DM always made the best of it on a tiny budget and I have some great memories. It's not really about what you can afford or spend on Dc's that matters anyway. A child can have the same joyous reaction to a gift from the pound shop or a gift that costs 100 quid.

Ours get a main present from Father Christmas and a stocking with mostly sweets and chicks but a few small toys. Then they also get a main present from us plus some new clothes and books. Main present could be a doll, a salvanian house, roller skates, a football shirt, a Lego set...

Well yes actually the twee poem serves a purpose. It gives me a structure to work from.

This year I've cut down for DS and spent around £500. Have spent around £100 on DD but she is only 4 months.

I don't know anyone in real life who needs a twee poem to help them or couldn't have come up with it's great insight themselves, but I guess if it helps you, knock yourself out.

DS has a fair bit, but it's between Christmas and his birthday (which is end of Nov) so I buy over the space of six months and then split it between those.

Update; I've just been and added up the Christmas/birthday list and have easily spent £500. It was all on sale though, that's my defence. 😱 (He also has very, very little presently.)

My children will get a big gift (a bicycle for my 4 year old) and my son will get a tool station - and a pair of pajamas each. Oh my daughter has a peter rabbit watch. They get a lot through the year so we don’t really do the whole 50 presents at Christmas thing. My family give the children money and my husbands family will give them some gifts (may 2 presents each) When my daughter was born, her 1st and second Christmas we went overboard and it became a chore to open all of it and got bored.

A main present from us, one from Santa, a stocking and some books/annuals, clothes, pjs, chocolate.

I'm doing:
Main present from Santa
One present from me
Stocking from Santa

They get lots and lots from the in-laws though. And, in return, we buy for a lot of relatives and relatives kids.

If it was all on me and DH- I would be buying the same as OP and possibly more.

DS probably gets too much! I added it up the other day and we’ve spent around £200 so far on stocking and main presents. He’s 6 though so wants a telescope and Playmobil, not technology.
He’s done very well and will have lots to open.

I think you can definitely count PJs and slippers when they’re that age. Mine are 2 and 5 and honestly will be thrilled by some Disney PJs or Paw Patrol socks or whatever.

Well, DS is getting the new patroller thingy and the playmobil prison as his big presents, last year it was a toy kitchen. Just those 2 were over £100!

He'll probably get some more tracks and accessories for the magic tracks (£30) and a remote control crane (£10).

We also have a fingerling and a couple of puzzles left over from his birthday (November born). He's absolutely desperate for some board games and a popcorn machine (?!) so I think St Nick might be bringing them on the 6th.

BUT we're the only ones that are getting him anything at all so we end up compensating a bit. If my mum will be able to get him something it will just be from the above list.

I spend around £200 on each of my children. That’s split between presents from us and presents from Father Christmas.
We do a family Christmas Eve box because it’s the only day we spend together as just our family, before a 4 day onslaught of seeing relatives. The Christmas Eve box is brought out every year and is really cheap to fill, it normally has movie snacks in, some homemade hot chocolate cones and some little activities for during the day (like a little Christmas painting or colouring set or something to make).