Budget for a 3 year old

[Enoughtodriveyouinsane]

For Christmas?

I’m starting to save back a little each week, what would you spend on your kids, especially at this age? On my list it’s mainly the books that add the extra cost as I do like to get her lots of books.
Is 300 a crazy amount?

Depends really.
Some people only buy toys at Xmas so bikes\scooters are Xmas gifts. Others buy things like bikes throughout the year as well.

I think £300 is a lot if it’s lots of little bits of bobs, but ok if that include large toys like a trampoline or bike that will be long lasting and used a lot.

Yes I think it’s a lot. You can get books in charity shops and all sorts on Facebook

Yes I think it's a crazy amount

We do 4 presents - something dd (3yo) wants, something she needs, something to wear and something to read, probably spend £50 or so on her for xmas, less if we manage to get the toy off fb matketplace or similar

How long is a piece of string?

DD gets pocket money and buys things herself. She also has generous GPs so that would be a lot.

Her buddy hasn't and gets everything at XMas. For him it would be fine.

On Mumsnet there is such a variety of responses from people who spend thousands to people who spend less than a fiver. There is no right or wrong answer to this except make sure you can afford it and make sure your kid isn't overwhelmed and you have space for it all. It also depends on whether they get presents from just you or from the whole family.

That's a lot for a 3 year old. Particularly if you have family that will give gifts also. Kids get overwhelmed by the number of gifts in my experience and it stops being enjoyable unwrapping presents after 5 or 6 gifts. I think it's nice to keep a bit saved to buy them the odd thing during the year as and when they need it- their tastes change a lot during the year!

For that age I would be spending about a lot less, maybe £80, £100 maximum

£300 is a crackers amount to spend on a 3yo.
That said - it depends on what you can afford and what you want to do.
Are you asking to get someone to justify it?
Have confidence in your own decisions.

Depends what you buy.
Could be a bike, helmet a few books and a toy.

Or 300 things from poundland.

Ones excessive, ones not...

Generally...
Dont buy too many different things
Assess what others are likely to buy
Dont go into debt.

I've spent just over £200 on 2 year old DS on a stack of books, a big Duplo set, a wooden shop and food and a few little things for his stocking. Left a bit spare in the budget for nearer the time of he's still into Cocomelon or whatever bit may be.
Whether £300 is alot very much depends on your circumstances. And what you buy with it.
In my case most if the books are second hand off World of Books and the shop was only £30. I could easily have spent double and ended up with roughly the same pile.

Yes £300 is huge! Ours have nothing like that and it seems to much!

Depends on a) what you can afford and then b) what the items you want to buy cost. We've never set a budget for our ds, just bought what we wanted to get him.

I have previously spent insane amounts on the dcs over the years. Last year we had dsc as well as ours all here. We went way out and ott. Prob spent in the region of 3k! For a teen, 8,2 and baby.

There was xbox Laptops switch everything.
The whole collection of HP dolls. Games puzzles books jewellery. Lego random tots that we thought looked fun.
Plus we have 2 huge families so add another maybe 20 gifts each.

Well 70%is un played with. 30%is still boxed and sealed. Which is being donated this year to a toy appeal.

This year. I haven't set a cost Limit but I have only brought what I KNOW will get played with.
DD 3 is having a kindle as she loves the others and causes too many arguments and a new doll and pram. Then a couple of little bits shes mentioned.
Teen has a large stack as his clothes etc are pricey.
1 year old 4 toys I know will get used as it's cars etc and 2 garden toy for summer.

Dsc lego and a couple of clothes. They don't play any toys other than lego or laptop. Their pile is much smaller but won't be here Xmas day to compare so to speak

I've spent considerably less but I KNOW they will love it all and will all get played with.

Last year I was plain stupid! Their faces will be just as magical with 4 gifts as 40!

For example...
A new Isla bike Cnoc for a 3yo... £399.99
Argos brand bike for a 3yo... £65.

Both bikes. One costs five times as much. Neither excessive gift giving...

Ds turns 7 this year and it's the first time we will have gone over about 80-100. My dc have winter birthdays so we do new bikes (second hand, and only if needed) at the start of the summer.

Only spending more this year as he wants a Nintendo Switch (sobs are cost).

Usually it's a Lego set, jigsaw, few books, new Pjs, a board game that sort of thing.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

For example... A new Isla bike Cnoc for a 3yo... £399.99 Argos brand bike for a 3yo... £65.

Both bikes. One costs five times as much. Neither excessive gift giving...

Exactly. I think I bought DD's toy kitchen around that age. Expensive but used for YEARS.

Re the "lots of books" - consider whether she will be even interested in unwrapping lots of books.

You would he best off keeping a list of books you want, getting her maybe 4 for xmas, then each month just buy one or two and add them to her bookshelf.

It depends what you are buying I suppose. We have bought our 1 year old a climbing frame for Christmas, we foster him and if he moves on to adoption/goes home it will be his to take with him if his family want to. It cost over £300 and he will get a couple of other things too (a wooden work bench is one of those things).

I've never set a budget as I'm sure if I did I would be thinking 'I need to spend another £80'.

Children don't work out what things cost. One year a bought my dd a playmobil princess castle. Her favourite present that year was a triangle. (The musical instrument).

We spend ~£35 per child (5 and 3), maybe £5 on the baby. But it's really just a token gift; everything they need, they have.

We have a family policy of bikes/clothes etc belonging to a size not a person. And I grew up in a house where we were made to wait till Xmas/birthdays for essential clothes and shoes so I refuse to give those as presents- the kids get them when they're needed (not a comment on anyone on here)

On the book thing, only 2 from Santa, the others are for his 1st December box so we can read them during advent at our leisure
But all the same budget.

I aim for under 10 presents plus a stocking. Presents including things like a selection box, book or book box set, colouring book, not all toys.
I'd worry less about amount and more about number, as I think having a lot of presents spoils a child more than fewer expensive ones.
(That statement makes me sound rather wealthy, I'm not haha, in fact couldn't afford it if a lot wasn't secondhand).

When my children were small we had a load of books. I'd say when they were 3 there was probably about 20 or 30 they loved, Julia Donaldson, Lauren Child's, Jill Murphy etc. The rest they weren't bothered about and ended up back in the charity shop. Most of the 'classics' that kids love can be found second hand fairly easily for very cheap.

I used to spend about £120, at that age. Last year was son's most expensive year, as he got a switch, but I still wanted a decent pile, as he was only 10.