To wonder how much you spend on your kids Christmas presents

[Angelina82]

and what ages are they?
I probably usually spend around 200/250 on each of mine. As a single mum it’s a struggle though, and I’m starting to think that I should cut back on the amount I spend on the kids that have left home, are in full time work and have partners to spoil them at Christmas. WIBU to spend more on the two college attending kids I have at home than the other 3?

Once I left home my parents gave me £100 cash which was plenty. Can you do that?
When I was at home it was nearer £200 if that helps.
Just explain to the workers you’re cutting back to £100 each. I’m sure they will be fine

Just one young child and no expensive school fees anymore! So I would guess less than £500 (hopefully) on Christmas gifting. But probably easily well into four figures as planning a Christmas New Year Lapland luxury holiday (if within Covid safety comfort levels) to reward growing child exemplary understanding, good behaviour and fortitude during past self hibernation Covid months of enforced lifestyle disruptions and inconveniences. As a side note and related to the original poster's question this will not be a celebration as such but just thankful that we have (unlike some Covid hit neighbours) survived unscathed so far owing to our proactive vigilance and being always ahead of the game in terms of now normalised excepted and expected global best practice Covid risk mitigation measures. Unlike the UK government(s) we are been super alert and not forever procrastinating and always late the the party with constant u turns hence our UK sad Covid outcomes performance track record which is getting worse daily.

Come again? That reads like an unintelligible stream of consciousness.

We are roughly £200 - £250 per child (3 children) this includes £20 + for stocking fillers.
I've had years when money has been tighter and it's been about £100 per child.
My oldest is now 21 so I probably shouldn't spend as much but if she's staying with us then I will.
My children do a letter to Santa / wish list and we take it from there.

Just one young child and no expensive school fees anymore! So I would guess less than £500 (hopefully) on Christmas gifting. But probably easily well into four figures as planning a Christmas New Year Lapland luxury holiday (if within Covid safety comfort levels) to reward growing child exemplary understanding, good behaviour and fortitude during past self hibernation Covid months of enforced lifestyle disruptions and inconveniences. As a side note and related to the original poster's question this will not be a celebration as such but just thankful that we have (unlike some Covid hit neighbours) survived unscathed so far owing to our proactive vigilance and being always ahead of the game in terms of now normalised excepted and expected global best practice Covid risk mitigation measures. Unlike the UK government(s) we are been super alert and not forever procrastinating and always late the the party with constant u turns hence our UK sad Covid outcomes performance track record which is getting worse daily.

Are you hitting the middle button on your predictive text

I spend about £200 on my 7 year old but he's my only and I can afford it. I'm divorced and his dad gets him presents too, and his grandparents get him lots.

£200 is very extravagant for grown up kids with their own income! I would never expect my parents to spend so much on me and they're well off.

The tip I got re budgeting for Christmas was, don't think, "I need to spend this much on Harry, this much on Sophie, this much for a turkey etc", get together however much you can afford and then start breaking it down into a budget. It's such a simple thing, but honestly, I hadn't thought of it until someone said that. I had been deciding how much I should spend and then trying to find the money, when actually, it should've been the other way around.

I’m in an incredible fortunate financial position but prob about £100 max. What you are doing sounds crazy in your circumstances. I’d much rather having savings for a rainy day.

I probably spend about £250-300. I use the bargain threads and buy from about June onwards. 1DC nearly 4 yo.

In your position then I'd probably spend less on the two elder and make sure the younger ones have a good Christmas. At 18 and 20 they've presumably had years of having lots spent on them and are able to understand it's the younger kids turn now. YWNBU to spend less overall.

I reckon about £100 - £150 all told.

And i always think I’m profligate!

Spend £50-100 on ours (8 and 5) usually but it depends so much on what they want or need.

I'd more likely spend £500 on one thing they would love than £100 on 20 bits of tat. I am not a fan of huge piles of presents, I think it's pretty grotesque and our house is cluttered enough.

Mine are 14 and 22. 22 year old still lives at home and has recently left uni and just starting out on her grad scheme job.

I spend similar on them both. Don't really see a reason to drop the eldest ones present value tbh. And between them, I spend about a grand or so. I don't even it out to the nearest penny however

Bit different here OP I have an 8 yr old who gets what she wants no budget as such but probably in region of 400 to 500 ish...i also have a big kid who is 30 this year and as for him well I usually buy him and his partner a weekend away mainly as a thank you for all the babysitting they do all year lol but somewhere nice for them to enjoy together.

Honestly, I spend at least €500 on them each, but that is usually one big present I.e. an Xbox or tv or tablet and then 2 small present and Santa brings a surprise also. I have 4 kids by they way. It’s really not hard to spend it and I must say it doesn’t look like a lot on Christmas mornings. My daughter loves unicorns and I paid €70 for a Myla unicorn for her 2 years ago, it’s shocking the price of toys these days. I also think you get slightly more for you money in Northern Ireland or England even with the exchange rate.

I will also add that me and my partner don’t do Christmas presents for each other as we would rather spend it getting the kids something extra or just putting it towards bills. Our food bill is extortionate over Christmas. We do a secret Santa for the cousins at €30 each and I’ve tried to ask his family not to buy us anything as we don’t do Christmas like but they are yet to listen even though we have never bought them anything in return.🙃

Mine are teens. Around £500 each.

I've not usually ever spent that much on either DCs. £50 each and less when they were small. I did put money into savings for them though .. not much but by the time one wanted to travel and the other wanted to get on the housing ladder it was helpful. More so than new toys when I could get nearly new online.

And I wouldn't be spending £250 on adult children. Especially if it was a serious push or got me into debt. My DCs liked tokens for things like sports massages or kit.

I may be in the minority but we don't spend a fortune, at all. Maybe £70 max, for our now 3yo. And that includes a few new clothes. We can afford to spend more but choose not to and spend on family holidays instead.

Usually £150-£250, some of which will be "useful" stuff like clothing. More if it's a new bicycle year.

We spent maybe 100-150 on 3.5 year old last year. We don’t necessarily have a budget, but think ooo he will like this or that. We do only have one child. We probably spend about £80-100 on each other.
Our nephew who lives with us was 17 last Xmas and we spent maybe £200 ish on him. I think the stuff he wants is obviously more expensive than stuff for a small child.

If you can’t afford the normal amount maybe sit down with them and suggest you either all put a name in a hat and then everyone has a budget and you spend x amount. But that way everyone is only buying one gift and your not spending 600 across all 3.

Ours is 2 and I doubt we'll spend £20. She'll probably get something second hand like blocks or plastic peppa crap.

When she's older it will depend on what and how many others are gifting her.

As a teenager probably one big present like straighteners, some cinema tix and £20 of make up or something. Certainly never more than £150. Even that feels too much. It's just unnecessary IMO.

I always say 300 each, then by the time Christmas comes dp has managed to spend about 5 or 6 hundred each. They will be 12 and 7 this year.

It varies dramatically year to year. Some
Years it’s 50. One year I spent 1000 because her dream gift was something we really wanted her to have and we knew it would both get a lot of use and foster her creative talents. So it’s a combination of what we can afford that year and what sorts of things she wants/needs.

However, when they leave home or get jobs it will drop. My mum used to spend about 200-250 on us. When I had my first child at 18 she cut that right back and now never spends anymore than 75 on me.

I aim for around £250 each but is often a little more. I have two children. If I had more I would spent a lot less on each of them.

I don't have many presents to buy other than my children (small family, not many close friends of buy presents for) so I feel we can afford it.

Just buy what you can afford and want to spend. 😀