To lower how much money I spend on my kids at Christmas this year?

[Jaaxe]

Will they notice if they don’t get as many presents this year? How much does everyone spend on their children at christmas? I always overspend and end up getting them things I wish I hadn’t or didn’t need so I want to set a limit and only get them a few really nice presents but they don’t understand money and I don’t want them to think Santa thought they wernt as good this year because they didn’t get as much as last year…they will be 9, 5 and 3 at Christmas time, they are each getting a bike as their main present as they all need a new one (that will be at least £100-150 each, slightly more for the 9 year old slightly less for the 3 year old) so majority of the budget will be going on those but working out what is a reasonable amount to budget to spend on other presents etc.

Oh goodness I wouldn't ever worry about not living up to expectations! Times change and kids have to adapt. Don't make it so they expect everything.

I second marketplace for secondhand bikes if you don't mind - we've bought DSS(6) and DS(4) theirs off there. They were basically brand new, bought by other families who's kids showed no interested. £10 for one and £15 for the other versus the eye watering £120 for DSS(8) last year new.

I really think most children get to much , most children are not stupid they know that money is tight. And everyone knows that Santa only has enough room on his sledge for one gift for each child in the world. So my kids got one gift from Santa (the thing that they asked for when they sent him his letter) and then a present from us again usually some quite big. Once the presents from grandparents and family and friends arrived there was always quite enough.

Remember Christmas is about being with the ones that love you, nice food playing games . Not just about what you get.

I love the Panto , going to the Christmas market , watching children ice skating ,meeting friends for lunch and drinks, Christmas party’s, going the midnight mass, Christmas morning walk after a lovely breakfast. The presents really are not important.

Don't get your self in debt to buy loads of plastic tatte , make memories not more stuff.

Honestly, at 9yo she's old enough to know that presents get smaller and more expensive as you get older and you get less of them. Especially compared to a toddler.

@SavingsThreads my 9year old dd’s bike is pink and 5 year old is DS , it’s also too big for him, she’s nearly 10 and he’s not quite 5 yet. My youngest isn’t 3 till December either and never had a bike so this will be her first. I’ve been much more savvy with the scooters, gender neutral and they’ve passed those down.

This is so true, I’m really going to try this year to lower the money spent but still make it magical in other ways

@Jaaxe why not just get it resprayed and lower the seat? What happened to the bill she had when she was 5? Or when she was 3 for the youngest?

My daughter goes through her toys before Xmas to get together anything she doesn't want any more, Santa takes these ones away and gifts to other children and this is why she also gets some second hand gifts. Santa is recycling. It's so much cheaper, and sometimes free.

Op once I gave 3 year old lot's of lovely gifts that were all free.
We don't have uncles/aunt's/GP to buy either.

Each month I then started to put £10 aside into a.tin for Xmas and added to it from eBay sale's.

Now we do it on line, and are able to save more.
What we have managed to save is what we spend.
Obviously some may be left over.
However doing it this way around really steadies the ship.

Why not start to save each month and look at charity shops. I'm just thinking with your incredibly large budget I could easily get second hand bike's that look new as well as loads of other gifts and probably buy panto /theatre/ attractions tickets!

@SavingsThreads I sold them, we don’t have the room to store them….I also didn’t even have the 2nd and 3rd child when I got rid of my eldest child’s first bike etc I’ve kept a lot of smaller things to pass down but bikes were too big

Op.

My 3 year old had no care nor concept of receiving exiting new toys that cost 25 from a shelf in Tesco or free from Freecycle?
She still got lot's of wonderful gifts!
Now they are older it's £ or clothes or tech.

I can't understand why it would be less magical when they will still be getting lots of lovely exciting new toys?

@Mysteryallergy I like this! Thanks for this idea!

@elizaregina yeah this is what I’d intended to do throughout the year but the year just got away with me 🤣 I’m getting a couple of hundred extra in my wage this month so I’m planning to put that aside for Christmas

Mine are slightly older than yours, but I've been trying to cut down their presents for a few years, as they get so much that they barely use. Here are a few tips:

I add some practical items along with their presents - water bottles, umbrellas, lunchboxes, gloves, pjs, body wash that smells like sweets. A lot of it is stuff they will need over the coming year and put it aside until it's needed, after it'/ been unwrapped.

I make up hampers eg sweets or toiletries. I display them to make them look a bit wow, even though they are really cheap items.

I spread out some of the gifts so it lasts a bit longer. They get an Xmas Eve hamper, which had their Santa plate for his mince pie and Santa key. I buy them new pjs (non Xmas ones they wear throughout the year) toothbrush an ld hot chocolate). I keep back a small gift, which they 'find' on Boxing Day evening.

I make sure they know there are lots of people who go without and they should be grateful for whatever they get.

Go and have a look on the Christmas bargain thread on the Christmas board. I've saved loads of money over the years buying bargains & using discount codes posted on the threads.

Spend less on the 3 year old. They won't know or care. Honestly it doesn't matter if you spend a bit more on the 9 year old as long as they each have roughly the same number of items. The value will balance out over the years.

When I was a kid it was all about the unwrapping. So one main present, a book, maybe a game, then tubes of sweets, cans of fizzy drink, pens, bubble bath, socks etc. Stuff they will either eat or use. It doesn't need to be a giant pile of toys.

If people ask you for gift ideas, ask them for experience gifts like zoo passes etc that you can use throughout the year.

Honestly, I think it would be a useful life lesson for the 9 year old. I know you don't want to disappoint her but there are good reasons why you are cutting back.

We've discussed with our two how, at the moment, everything is a lot more expensive because well, lots of reasons. They've already seen some stuff on Newsround. So this year, they get to pick things they really, really want- (rather than stuff I think they will like.) So far, youngest has asked for air dry clay and a jewellery box with a cat on it. Oldest has asked for a 'proper' piece of jewellery she can keep rather than fashion jewellery. I've been picking up stuff in Tiger and TKMax for the stocking (pens, scrunchies etc).

But, we have been making jam together, so we can 'put it up for Christmas.' I've bought a garland kit and I've started sewing them one each.

Daddy is having one bigger present this year, which they helped me choose (a kitbag in the sale) and Mummy has asked Father Christmas for a certain pair of slippers because they help her sore feet.

2 years ago, heating oil was 26p a litre. Now it is 96p a litre. To heat our home this year, we are all going to have to economise. As lots of people have said, you can make it special in other ways. My youngest has a special tiger toy- so last year, I knitted it a special blanket. She loved it and it always 'sleeps' tucked under its blanket.

Luckily FC only ever brought Stocking gifts to our house. Being self employed we had both feast and famine years.

I never realised people said all the presents came from santa? 1 small present here from santa, everything else from the people who have gifted them. 8yo is old enough to understand that bigger toys cost more money.

We bought my DD a bike for xmas last year and only bought 3 other small things from us, we do 4 presents

It also gives your kids incentive to get rid of their old stuff, it's fun for them to decide what Santa can take away to give to another child! I put my old things on FB marketplace and buy stuff for them from there too. Kids don't care if it comes in a new box or not.

Bloody hell, bikes are enough with a couple of little things such as a toy and a book.

Thanks for everyone’s ideas, it’s been good to see how everyone else does Christmas….I am going to take a lot of this on board and try the ideas given as I don’t want spoilt kids…my eldest can sometimes expect things and come across a little ungrateful at times but I can see that’s my fault as I did used to spoil her when she was the only one, I just need to try and break that and continuing to overspend at Christmas isnt going to help that….my middle child is grateful for anything and everything, I can take him in a charity shop and let him choose a 20p tiny car and it’s like he’s been given the world and my youngest is still a bit young to care about any presents at all, she just wants the same as the other 2.

If they all currently have bikes then the younger kids can inherit the cast offs.
If none of them has a bike then ignore.

Tell your 9yo about Santa.

Stop buying little bits and pieces to stuff stockings. Get them all used to a limited number of presents starting this year.

Do some nice family activity instead, preferably a cheap or free one. Spend a weekend afternoon making Christmas tree decorations, make some special hot cocoa one day, go for an evening family walk to see the lit up streets of your local town or city, make a gingerbread house...

Wrt bikes (just read your comment, sorry) -

Your almost 3 yo doesn't need one.

Your DS can have a spray painted bike from older DD. DD can have a 'new' one from Marketplace. Clean it up if it's not in great visual shape.

Start looking now on Marketplace.