Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To ask what you spend on your kids at xmas

80 replies

Allthestarsarecloser · 20/11/2020 22:20

I think we spoil our kids at Xmas but I am not sure if we go a bit OTT- reckon we spend £300- 350 on each child age 9 & 13 - this year they are having new bikes (DS 13 is splitting his as bday & xmas as his bike costs a bit more) plus I will get clothes, a game, a toy each, a book etc.

Is it too much? Aibu to ask your budget? I don’t want my kids to be spoilt little shits especially this year when it’s been so rough for many people so I worry that we get them too much - I try to strike a balance each year but always end up feeling like I have spent too much. We aren’t loaded but i do save through the year when I can & they don’t get anything else really through the year bar birthdays

I guess it’s a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question really - I am just trying to gauge what is ‘normal’

OP posts:

Daisy829 · 21/11/2020 10:26

I spend a similar amount on my children. We are lucky to be able to do it. If we couldn’t afford it I wouldn’t. I love Christmas.

CakeRequired · 21/11/2020 10:31

Well last year they got helicopters. This year, dd got into horse riding and wants a horse, so we are having secretariat cloned for her. Ds has started playing tennis so we have hired Rafael Nadal as his live in trainer. Do you not support your kids enough to spend more on them?

Come on this is pointless. If they want something, it's not obviously unreasonable, they have behaved reasonably well as kids can (and you aren't looking at them through tinted glasses) and you can afford it (that's important, don't get into debt over Christmas), then buy it. Don't spoil them, don't get into debt and you'll have a happy stress free Christmas.

Matilda15 · 21/11/2020 10:32

I’ve just mentally added up for DS. His birthday is a couple of weekend before Christmas (he’ll be 10) and I buy and then split presents between the two. I’ve probably spent around £650 across his birthday and Christmas.

I also am about to have a newborn and her presents come to about £40 and are things she will need anyway. I don’t think they will need to have the same spent moving forward as you can get a huge pile of gifts for a young toddler spending £100 where as with older children £100 doesn’t go as far.

DiddlySquatty · 21/11/2020 10:36

Each to their own but I’m curious how people can afford it
I also think it depends if you have other people buying for your kids.
My in laws have passed away and Dhs siblings don’t do present so it’s just us plus my parents and my 2 sisters and one godparent that the kids get gifts from.
We try to stick to £100 per child plus stocking

kittykat35 · 21/11/2020 10:42

@DiddlySquatty I save 100 per month constantly...so even in December itself and that money goes specifically into a savings account for Christmas and birthdays. It comes out on payday so I don't even notice it anymore tbh.

x2boys · 21/11/2020 10:49

It gets more expensive as they get older and Ds1 birthday is on Boxing Day so probably £400-500 on him ds2 has severe autism and learning disabilities and I struggle to know what to buy him he would be happy with string and blutac 😂

Whattheactual20201 · 21/11/2020 10:51

Well over 1000 each for DC ( 2 )
Same for their birthdays.
But I save throughout the year and they get v little during the year.

Chamonixshoopshoop · 21/11/2020 10:52

Turns out I'm really tight! I'm spending no where near some of the amounts on here. If people can afford it, then great. I good people don't feel pressured. I dont go near social media at Xmas.
I canf stand the 'my little princess got soooo spoiled.
I think it's cras. Some people will really struggle to even buy a present for their kids this year.
By all means lavish your children, it's your money.

Whattheactual20201 · 21/11/2020 10:55

@DiddlySquatty everyone has diff incomes and also diff priorities on how it’s spent.

I am not rich my any means but am able to save around 4 k a year for Xmas and birthdays.

I don’t go out to restaurants for food, I drink maybe 1 bottle of cheap wine a month, out food shop is no waste I only buy what we eat after meal planning. ( kids do get food treats )
I don’t buy much for the kids throughout the year apart from clothes if needed.
I don’t have a contract phone, pay 20.00 for internet.
Me, DB and parents share tv subscriptions so totals for Netflix, amazon prime and now tv is like 10.00 a month.
I made sure I well insulated our home during renovations and my gas and electric bills are modest.
I scoot/ Cycle to work.
I don’t drink coffee.

CarrotCakeCrumbs · 21/11/2020 11:03

Around £150 on my 5 year old, and £120 on my 18 month old. My 5 year old has a birthday 2 weeks before christmas as well so she gets 2 lots of presents all at once really. I don't think buying them alot on special occasions makes them spoilt, I think that comes from being given whatever they ask for throughout the year.

PandemicImpact · 21/11/2020 11:06

Depends on ages and what they need.

Last year DC2 got an £800 phone. This year he will get £150 headphones plus a bathrobe and pj's.

Under the age of 10 they would have got stuff at the £150 mark for everything.

DiddlySquatty · 21/11/2020 11:06

I do get that people have different priorities and put money aside.
I just wonder if maybe the more they get the more they expect? Is the actual level of joy and pleasure any different
Not judging just musing,
I would be worried about raising my kids expectations and feeling the need to ‘top it’ every year, and then the difficulty if finances were tighter one year.
I already feel that a bit, which is probably why our budget has crept up from £50 per child to £100 over the past few years

DiddlySquatty · 21/11/2020 11:07

And true that is does depend on need.
Our eldest got a lap top for secondary which was more than the ‘budget’ but I’m sure the others will get the same when they’re her age

kittykat35 · 21/11/2020 11:12

It depends on where you live surely @newlife4 we are mid 30's and mortgage free but we live in Ireland where we don't pay council tax or water rates. But we both still work and save for the future. Are you still planning on working?? Part time or full time? 30k would not be enough to hold you for long imo especially with dc.

kittykat35 · 21/11/2020 11:13

Wrong thread sorry! 🙈

Generalblah · 21/11/2020 11:16

@Waxonwaxoff0

The same as you. I have one DS. I can afford it. I'm divorced so his dad buys him presents separately.

I don't believe that buying things for children makes them spoilt. Their attitude is what makes them spoilt. If they are rude, demanding, ungrateful, don't share - that's what makes a child spoilt imo. If they aren't any of these things then they're not spoilt.

I agree with this. My mum and dad would spend around £1000 each when me and my siblings were teenagers because they had the money to. We were always grateful and thanking them profusely for all our gifts. I feel extremely lucky. However, as an adult I pay my way, I don’t expect anything from my parents and am respectful. In my eyes a thoughtful gift costing whatever is what matters. I was never a show-off about what I received as I understood not everyone was as lucky as me. I have seen people in similar situations to me and their attitude is disgusting. Boasting about teheir things or acting like these grand gifts are meaningless and complain when it’s not what they want. Very much about how you teach your children to behave rather than giving them what you can afford.

polkadotpixie · 21/11/2020 11:17

I've spent about £200/250 on my 2 year old. Maybe it's too much but he's my only child and it's within our budget and I want him to be happy and excited at Xmas

Fridaysgirl17 · 21/11/2020 11:18

My DS (3) gets it this year and he's asked for a tablet,he uses an old tablet at the moment that's broken to watch fire trucks etc,a police helicopter and dinosaur,we'll get him a few surprises but at most 150 euro,our other DS will be 5 months so about maybe 70 euro,I've got most of the main bits already,so it's mainly clothes, PJ's and stocking bits to get,we are in lockdown here in Ireland until December 2nd so it's been harder as I do stockings for my nephew's too so I get bits in a lot of shops that are closed so I'm hoping to get out early December alone and finish up the bits I can't do online

Patooty · 21/11/2020 11:24

I always thought we didn't spent that much, but added up this year and we have spent £300 on each.
I don't buy any tat, generic stuff to bulk out or anything I'm not convinced they'll actually use so althought I was quite shocked by the total I don't generally work to any budget... Just make sure each has similar in term of playability asy two are close in age.
We generally have a small stocking with some chocolate, small toys, slipper socks etc an then 8-10 gifts to open downstairs.

Nonamesavail · 21/11/2020 11:26

About 100-150. I dont restrict stuff for Xmas and they do get barbies/toys etc when I see them in the year.

Nickysofttouch · 21/11/2020 12:03

We have spent around £600 on ds1 who is 6....

Ds2 is nearly 3 and his has amounted to about £250.

We never intended to spend so much on ds1 but because we started shopping and putting away in september we quickly forgot what we had.

This year instead of spending the same we have went by the same amount of presents. You can see how there is a price difference there as ds1 main is a hover board (£200) and ds2 main is a police ride on (£50) , ds1 lego (£75) and ds2 building bricks (£20). Its the only way we can do it because if we spent the same on ds2 he would have toys upon toys which probably wouldn't be looked at. We've chosen wisely this year on what we will buy, ds1 has asked for 2 things recently that would cost another £100 but we have decided we are at the absolute limit and he will have to learn that santa simply cannot bring everything.

I always remember waking up to quite a lot of gifts. Not necessarily expensive but I do like to have a bit of a bundle sitting for my children.

LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 · 21/11/2020 12:14

It really massively depends on the child, Age, what the gift is, what they want, and what you’ve got to spend.

DC 4 & 6 - spending about £120 each. One big gift, couple little ones, and stockings. It’s the first year we’ve been able to spend that much and I’m thrilled. Previous years we’ve done £30-80 each because of budget. If I had more I’d buy another big gift Or better main gift if they needed It, but tbh they don’t.

I’d love to buy them an awesome playhouse if I had £600 spare.

I think if you’re heaping thier every whim on them that’s where they get spoilt. Teach them the value of what they have & get and they won’t.

EKGEMS · 21/11/2020 17:17

We always get one large gift then some clothes and usually dvds and cds. This year we bought an adaptive bicycle which was exorbitant but we can afford it and he's already ridden it! He was so excited! One of his grandmothers sent us a check for half the cost which was a wonderful surprise.

Mamascoven · 21/11/2020 17:22

£200 each. Dc are 6, 4 & 11 months (will be 1 on 28th Dec)

Ragwort · 21/11/2020 17:30

Just wait until New Year .... every year there are threads on here (& I've been here for 20 years with people complaining they have got into debt and Christmas was 'so expensive'.

Spend what you like, so long as you can genuinely afford it.

Flip

1 2 3 4