To think that your household income doesn’t necessarily impact the amount of money you spend on Christmas on your kids

[Mammylamb]

Growing up we were not well off (council house, single income family). But at Christmas we got piles of presents. My parents must have spend hundreds on them (80s/90s). We had family members who had more money but their kids got a lot less than us at Christmas.

We are better off than I remember my family being and don’t spend a huge amount on our son (possibly because at a young age, he doesn’t really care as long as he has a few toys to open)

I just wondered if income really impacts how much people spend on things like Christmas and what the causes are of this

Our Christmas usually costs about £600 which covers about £100 each for the 2 dc and all the gifts we buy for extended family and a few friends. Usually one main gift and 9 or so smaller gifts inc useful things for the dds.

I have a spreadsheet going back 8 years that I can look at and see what one spent and it's always been about that amount.

People who sneer at how “gauche” it is to do a big pile at Christmas completely disregard all the treats and experiences and extras they are able to spend on through the year - the after school activities, going out for family dinners, a new chrome book because a child is starting secondary school, replacing a bike for the summer holidays, buying the best quality items as a matter of course and so on and so on.

When you’re financially comfortable you can afford a very nice standard of living all year round to the point you don’t really consider these things treats or anything special. For low income families, even if they didn’t do a Christmas “blow out” they still couldn’t afford to live that way. So Christmas does become the thing to look forward to, to plan towards and put a bit by for every month and why shouldn’t they? It’s nice to have something to look forward to and for some people it gives them a lift to be able to say “well I may not be able to bring them on holiday or pay for riding lessons or treat the whole family to dinner out every birthday but at Christmas my children will have fun and excitement and loads of gifts”.

It’s exactly what my parents did when we were young and although I definitely fall into the comfortably off category now, I still remember the excitement and anticipation of Christmas as a child and I like my own dc to experience that too. So despite our high income I spend a lot on the dc for Christmas and the sneers of (some) MNers who desperately need to to prove their MC credentials won’t change that!

I think Christmas is a much bigger deal in a low income family.
The DC don't get many luxuries throughout the year, no holidays abroad, few fun days put, limited after school activities.
It is a day when you can try cram as many happy memories as possible to make them feel special to bring them to adulthood.
Mine don't get holidays abroad though I am going to donate 2 new decent gifts to the food bank this year so the DC understands and appreciate others have less.

So pleased to hear you're very comfortable 🙄

@woodhill
""Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke. Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich.""

Yes, those on £19k a year are the ones buying the 'ensuite off every bedroom' houses, the long haul holidays and the luxury items.

I thought we were now educated on poverty enough to not come out with that bullshit.

It is just the difference of being able to balance it out over the year and not on special occasions. As well as being able to afford what your children need, such as a laptop etc, when they need it. Then having enough money to buy stuff they want at Christmas.

i think we are very much in danger of losing the real meaning of christmas

God there's some amount of snooty bollocks being said on this thread. All the folks from schemes with their piles of shite at Xmas and there's young Henry just getting an orange when he lives in a mansion.

As in religion Eleanor? I’m not religious at all, to me Christmas is a lovely break from work if possible, a few celebratory nights out with friends and some much needed family time. I don’t think that’s so terrible a thing.

I work in housing and my husband is police so we understand better than most the struggles faced by many all year round. Both of us struggle a bit with virtue signalling facebookers dragging their kids off to a Christmas Day kitchen to look at poor people or putting together a misguided shoebox for charity (not meaning to offend here, I know many people genuinely want to help and just don’t understand the issues). I don’t think that stuff is the authentic meaning of Christmas either tbh.

I haven’t read the thread but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was full of people competing to prove their MC credentials by claiming they only give their DC a wooden stick and ball to open on Christmas Day....unlike those WC folk who get into debt buying 60inch TVs and PlayStations for their kids. Amiright?

My parents were children during WWII and knew rationing and real poverty. They thought they spoiled me in the 1980s (older parents,) but compared to the other kids on the council estate I grew up on I didn’t get much and I resented it.
I have to restrict myself or I’ll end up going into debt for mine, but making Christmas magical and child- focused matters to me. I’m aware that it’s one of the ways my humble origins show!

We are a pupil premium family so very low income. I save every spare penny throughout the year for Christmas /birthdays/summer hols fund as I like being able to have moments where the kids just dont have to worry if mummy can afford it for once.

My DM spent everything at Christmas because she was brought up in Dr Banardos. She wanted the fantasy family Christmas she always imagined.

I gave my DS too many gifts because it took me so many MCs and SB to get him.

He said there were too many presents because, I know now, he has Aspergers and is driven by logic not emotion.

you are indeed right @Tellmetruth4
what a laugh

i think we are very much in danger of losing the real meaning of christmas

I agree. Not just the religious element either.

I love Christmas but it’s not the answer to everything. A great Christmas doesn’t over ride the rest of the year. I’d have given anything to be like my peers growing up but the adults choices made that impossible. Even having a huge Christmas, which we didn’t, wouldn’t have made up for anything.

i think we are very much in danger of losing the real meaning of christmas

Santa will never die

Ponoka I thought it was worth sharing, that's all. I know it is a bit cliched but I think there is some truth in it.

I dont spend huge amounts on Christmas and my children don't have all the latest electronic gadgets though we could afford them. But they do all have expensive hobbies that cost a lot year round and they are old enough to understand that money doesn't grow on trees and that Father Christmas doesn't exist. I give them choices. You want a fancy new laptop? Fine, but you won't be getting the new wheels you want for your bike. You want a big pile of Christmas presents? OK, but don't come asking for a complete set of new sports kit in September. And I do stick to it. If they opt for "buy it now" I don't forget when Christmas and birthdays come around.

My parents were much better off than we are but I spend more I think in relation to my income. My dad kept my mum short though.

I have a spreadsheet going back 8 years that I can look at and see what one spent and it's always been about that amount

Thats what i did when the children were small. Unfortunately i had a dreadful habit if not including what I considered ‘boring’ stuff in the budget

I still stick with £100 each any more just seems like spending for the sake of spending.

Are your kids still young? Most kids I know have wanted a games console, phone etc when they reach a certain age which usually cost more than £100. So it's not spending for the sake of spending, these things just cost more than £100.