Is 400 enough for two dc?

[Lipperfromchipper]

Just a Christmas question, dc are 6 and 4,
I have spent about 320 so far and was thinking if I spent another 80 between them on stocking fillers that would be plenty?? But I’m getting cold feet about that!!? How much have you spent on two dc of similar ages??

But maybe your thread makes people feel bad who have very little money to spend on their kids... it’s just obvious that £400 is a lot of money. Spend what you can afford no need to boast here. Christmas is enough pressure as it is.

Also not sure why you are asking. I get one main present (laptop this year, but she is starting secondary school next year) and then various cheaper things so that she has between 8-10 parcels to open. The cheaper things will range from a few pounds up to around £30. The main thing is to get her a few things to open and make a pile and things that are fun that she will like. The total value is not really the of consequence. Stocking fillers do add up when they are older but for your kids, you could get a heap of small bits that are really cheap!

@pinkcardi

And an Amazon tablet each. I forgot that one. I will admit that these are totally uneccessary, but after a few hellish trips this year I think it will really help when we travel.

My max spend per person is £30, so I think you have already gone way overboard!

Of course it's enough but you know that, please consider children that won't get anything and maybe donate a gift to a children's charity

They are 6 and 4, you could buy them something for £20 each and they’d be absolutely thrilled, they have no concept of money or amount of presents. I really don’t understand why you are fixated on amount spent?

We have a 2 year old and nearly 4 year old, we will buy a main present and then lots of (naff) bits that don’t cost much at all but will no doubt be more popular than the main event. I bought some bubbles to go in Xmas eve boxes last year, they were more excited about going outside with their £1 bubbles than the actual presents!! It took ours days to open their presents, they’d open one and want to play with it, they were utterly overwhelmed with the piles of gifts from family, it just isn’t necessary when they are so little (we say this every year, well all 3 years we’ve had children!).

Childrens books that are £10

www.waterstones.com/book/the-smeds-and-the-smoos/julia-donaldson/axel-scheffler/9781407188898

www.waterstones.com/book/oi-puppies/kes-gray/jim-field/9781444937350

www.waterstones.com/book/tom-gates-spectacular-school-trip-really/liz-pichon/9781407186726

As PPs have said - there is no 'normal'. Don't spend more than you can afford must be the only rule. As you mentioned, we stop buying basics in the run up to Christmas so the children get socks, pants, school socks, bubble bath etc in their stockings, along with sweets and maybe some small games or toys. Nothing worth more than a fiver - anything else is a 'proper present'.

My two haven't asked for anything much this year - last year was a Nintendo Switch between them, so I made them do chores and use savings to put £100 towards it, and we bought the rest. Plus clothes (I have bought mine several charity shop items this year, we aren't poor, I just hate waste and they grow so fast....).

This year I also got some boots for DS that I know he needs, and several items around the £10/20 mark that they'd asked for. I got some second hand from ebay. Aunts and Uncles spend £10 per child, and we have lovely godparents who spend a bit more! We got my DD a second hand phone from ebay for £90 which she hadn't asked for, but she's at secondary school and all her friends have them. I'm getting a £10 PAYG SIM for it.

It probably does come to about £200 each from us. We are lucky to be able to spend that but we never buy rubbish and always try to get good value. Both have asked for socks, pants and mostly sweets on their lists, so they aren't grabby. But we all love coming down in the morning and seeing huge piles of stuff to unwrap - it's so magical!! OP - yours are a lovely age, enjoy!

I spend about £200 on 6yo DS. Sounds fine OP.

It's not excessive if you can afford it and they will enjoy their presents.

Depends what you're getting as well.
I'd spend about similar amounts per child, probably a bit more.
But a good proportion of that will be things that if they don't get wrapped up then I'll be buying anyway. So they'll get underwear, new toothbrush, stationary for school etc.
I asked them once if they'd prefer I got those things as and when they needed or wrapped up, and they unanimously asked for them wrapped up. They've even had school uniform or study books at times.
It means they look like they've got a huge pile, but doesn't cost ridiculous amounts.

Definitely start saving these large amounts and buy smaller gifts. Mine are at uni and it’s ££££!

Oh op - spend what you want. Mine are 21 and 13 and I spend a bomb. I like to and I can afford it. The only thing I'd say is if you're on a budget, then you could save what with your kids being the ages they are. Now is the time you'll get away with cheaper stuff maybe

For example, I've bought one of mine an iPad and an Xbox controller. Over £500 right there - for two gifts which I (personally) don't think are madly excessive.

Ignore those who say they do their entire families gifts for 30 quid. You'll always get these people trying to make you feel shit or like you're boasting.

It's almost as if some posters can't grasp that other posters have a different budget

Spend what you can afford.
We spend around £170 on dd (11).

Good place to get books from

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FacetDisplay?categoryId=133705&filters=2a2&facetGroupName=Age&facetOptionName=Toddlers&catalogId=10051

DD will get about £150 spent on her. She's 12 and doesnt do toys much.

@Actionhasmagic so can only poor people post on mis et regarding Christmas? What a ridiculous post

Sounds about right to me.
They cost more as they grow up 🙄

Sounds plenty to me... but MN is polarised on this.

Posters either spend £1.17 on each child or £3000 on each child.

I dont think its an unreasonable amount at all. Toys are really expensive. The average toy is about £40. I ve spent £1300 on my. Two who are 7 and 2 years but my daughter asked for the our generation stuff which is really expensive (£130 for an ice cream van).

Anyway its irrelevant what anyone spends on their kids, you spend what you can afford its not a competition.

Mine are the same age. We will probably end up spending around that on total on both. We can afford to spend that amount. We choose to spend our money on our DC and generally don't spend half as much on each other.

They like their Nintendo switch and want games for that. Two new games for that cost me almost £100! The amount does include Pj's, hats and clothes. It's not all tat, honestly!!

I've spent pretty much the same if not more on mine.
Ds1 has asked for 2 ps4 games which at £40-£50 each soon adds up
Ds2 has asked for lego which had come to just over £150 for the 2 sets

So that's only 2 gifts each. I do go a little crazy on them for xmas and their birthdays as it's quite soon after, so they don't get much else throughout the year.

£200 a child to me seems on the cheaper side! Yes, it is still a lot of money but for me I'd say it's 10-15 presents and about 10 cheaper bits for a stocking. In no way is it ott or 'huge'.

I do appreciate that some people

I do appreciate that some people can only afford less that £50 a child but as long as you aren't getting into debt and the child is happy then fuck what anyone else thinks

You'll not get a balanced answer on here OP. Mumsnet likes to get competitive.. whether it's Christmas presents or who washes the least.

It sound fine. If you want to spend a further 80 on stuff they need then that's fine as well. As long as you can afford it.

My 11/12 year old has a chamilia charm bracelet with two disney charms and a matching set of rings ( £100) , 6 vinyl pops ( £60), starter make up pallettes ( £30), hairdryer (£20), instax printer (£30), Instax film (£25), twinkly peg lights (£10). Her stocking has various books that she loves such as ripleys believe it or not, guiness records, a few novels, needle felting kit, rock painting, lip balms, hair brushes, bobbles and clips, notebooks and pens. ( £50).

I really do not think that is too much at all. My other kids are older now and I am just glad its not my two boys asking for different games consoles and two or three games each. THAT was eye watering but they were also very much used and totally worth the outlay.