How much do you spend on your children at Christmas?

[Lilybetsey]

A FB thread about a woman who plans to spend £400 on each of her 5 children for Christmas got absolutely ripped to shreds.

My children are teenagers and I have spent about £300 on them, or main presents .. then I do an advent calendar each - usually things I have picked up over the year, costs about £100 each I think .

Doesn’t seen massively excessive ? What do you spend ?

I hadn’t thought about it but looked through my list and it’s about £80-90 each. But I tend to do “big” presents (bikes etc) for birthdays and usually splash out on a party / big activity then as I’d rather a big fuss was made on their “own” day. They’re 10 and 12 and don’t ask for much st all but I’m sure I won’t get away with it too much longer!

£200 on each child, I have 4.

Wow.

I spend £80 each.

£125 on gifts and £150 cash for my teen.
Last birthday was £1k and upcoming school trip is £1.1k so it's been an expensive year.

This year I spent about 50 each on 2 DC. In previous years it has been a fiver each and when v little I didn’t get them anything because I knew they wouldn’t notice and I was skint. This thread makes me still feel skint!

I just don’t understand this. Is it every year? There are only so many x-boxes and bikes you can buy for a child over 18 yrs of Christmases. What do they need that costs £500 or even £200 every year? I will pay for all my children to go to university in full and give them house deposits. But I’m fucked if I’m going to buy them piles of stuff at Christmas, every Christmas, that they barely even register and break or ignore within a day.

DS 2.8 £65 on presents

Plus another £30odd between adevent calender/visit to Santas grotto/buying pre-school charity biscuits etc.

Alot more than anyone said here on each DC, we cant afford it however.

In answer to the OP, I’ve spent £130 on 4 small kids for all their gifts. And it’s lots! A big pressie they wanted, 2-3 medium presents and a bunch of things they’ll use like paints and socks and hair clips. I’ve spent £200 on DH, things that will be appreciated and still be used probably 10 yrs from now.

Aw Haud! How did that happen? Can you return some stuff?

75 pounds main present and the maybe another 50 in stockings and little presents.

Bikes and clothes are bought when needed and not presents.

I just don’t understand this. Is it every year?
Not for me it's not- it's just the first year in a long time we haven't either been really broke or spending most of our income on debt, and I wanted to save up and buy them all things they really wanted. Next year I don't envisage spending half as much!

I've over spent. £300 on my eldest two and £150 on the baby

@Flapjackninja would that by any chance be the Huda palette?

£75-£100 each
5 and 3 years old

And on top of that all my family want ideas for them. I could spend more and buy lots of toys and tat but I feel like I have loads.

I'm sure I'll spend more as they get older

Around 60 for main each and 25 ech for 4 advent gifts. But all bought with discount and stuff they have expressed interest in.
They are 4 and 2 years old.

£135 on shared stuff for the console.
£50 each on clothes - DP bought all those (not their dad).
About £25 each on things they asked for/a book each.
£5 on joke things for stockings.
So I guess about £70 from me and £50 from DP. I think that’s plenty since they also get things from my dad, my grandma, my aunt, sister, brother, DP’s mum and dad....then they get lost of stuff from their dad, his mum, sisters, grandma......crazy amounts of stuff. I sometimes wonder what they will do with all the things they have at their two separate houses, when they get older and grow out of it 😳

This year DS1 (17) is getting some bit of high tech kit for about £500 but he didn't have a birthday present.

DS2 (12) is getting a computer upgrade, about £250.

DD (15) is getting tickets to Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar (about £140 total)

This is an expensive year, but it's what they wanted, so the money isn't wasted on tat.

Maybe 150 each but have lost track as so many bits and bobs. Happy with what I've got them which is the main thing. Not spending more for the sake of it. And if I was hard up I'd have no problem in spending less- I have been skint at points but luckily not these days.

Also, mine are both at primary, will prob spend a bit more in high school.

Danglingmod I love that your son is environmentally committed, that's brilliant.

Amount tends to differ depending on age, with teens getting most.

This year approx
DC1 £120
DC2 £300 (but one of his presents is a hobby item that will save me money in the long run)
DC3 £20

I don't generally buy things for the sake of it so would all be stuff I know they want/need

Dd probably about £250, ds maybe £80. I don't do set amounts each, think it's pointless to stress myself to make up a number to please no one but myself. My children don't know the value of a pound yet so no point making them the same, they don't care and tbh they shouldn't care in years to come when they are older.

Not sure really, depends what they want.

This year DD waned all the Equestria Girls dolls, so I got a big bundle in perfect condition from eBay for £24

DS wanted transformers, he has some so we got him an all singing and dancing Bumble Bee.

They will both be thrilled.

I don't get the £'s must be equal thing. Little kids don't give a shit how much things cost (well mine don't anyway), it's about enjoyment.

*waned = wanted