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.

Think about your childhood christmases. Can you remember all the gifts you ever got?

you might remember the main present or one novelty gift that made you smile but the rest of it just blurs.

They don’t need loads. They’ll remember the time you spent and the things you did ten years from now, not the LOL doll knock off. I promise.

Our kids get one present each from us, and it’ll be something they really want (at the moment, I think I’ll be getting a stunt scooter for my son and some good quality art supplies for my daughter). It’s what we’ve always done so we’re not really cutting back this year. Budget varies depending what they want, but usually £50-100. They get a stocking each too, I aim for a limit of £20 per stocking. My kids do also get presents from grandparents, aunts and uncles so end up with quite a few presents altogether. Everyone’s different, with different budgets, but like others have said, there are things kids remember and value much more than presents. I loved Christmas as a child, we had so many traditions and it was brilliant having all the family together, it didn’t matter that we didn’t have much money so just small presents.

as my eldest was always used to getting tonnes (as she was the only child for a good few years)

She’s 9 and her younger sibling is 5. So she was an only child for 4 years at best. Most of that time she won’t even remember. And she certainly wouldn’t have been able to calculate the value of her Christmas presents.

I'm not doing the usual this year of bulking out with presents they don't need just so it looks more. I'm going to get them what they want and a few extras and that's it. I still have stuff from last year that they didn't want.

I have just declutttered my kids' bedroom and found unopened things from last year. Plus some other stuff they've had for a while that looks as good as new or is actually new.

I've put it all to one side. Stuff that I think they won't touch, I'm going to sell and put that towards one main gift each. Stuff that I know they'll like but they just haven't got around to playing with, they're getting back this year! I've also bought some branded clothes in the summer sales. That's it for them unless there's one small thing that they ask for!

I see seeds a few months before Christmas regarding things I've already got them. So I'll say something like, "that looks like a good game. Perhaps you should ask FC for that this year?" Or "wouldn't it be great if FC got you that this year?"

My children are grown now, but in retrospect I honestly regret all the stuff I bought them every Christmas. Much of it they never even wanted. It takes forever to get rid of it all now. I wish I had cut back and put some of that money towards activities

I know what you mean. I don't have a 'budget' so buy when I see and overspend.
So much so last year after Christmas I found a box of gifts with some clothing in I'd forgotten about. DC had no idea there were things missing and it made me rethink!

This year I'll keep a list.

I'd make sure you wrap their bikes (even a sheet over the top) as then it becomes a big present not just a bike with a bow.

I would hold on to some things like new slippers pj's outfits to give at Christmas.
And some basics they get anyway like toothbrushes, chocolate, snacks, socks. Also, if a present can have something bigger with it like a dvd- wrap with a big bad of popcorn or a new book with a new fleece blanket.

I completely agree and we too shall be cutting back this Xmas, family members have already discussed no gifts for adults etc.
When our kids were younger it was pretty easy to give them second hand, etc and I was pretty savvy with their gifts. But I have preteens now. I do find it hard to understand when people on here say £50 per child for example, even older ones. We have always got our kids one main gift each and then a selection of other stuff, clothes, toys etc. This year my daughter wants a phone. This will be £200. She has written me a list of a few toys from smyths, think barbie sets etc and these are between £30 & £50 each so we can very, very easily hit £500 for her.
My son is having a Ps5. Been wanting one for 2 years. This is £500 on its own, combined with accessorise needed for it such as chargers, controllers, games etc again it runs into hundreds for just a few things. This is not a braggy post at all, I'm just stating costs of items. We easily spend over 1k at Xmas on not that much at all. It's a crazy amount of money to me.
But with regards to the op question about the amount their kids have, we have also made the mistake over the years of having a big bike (mostly second hand) as we also have all families gifts under the tree aswell. I'm not saying they expect that every year but its something we've always done

What I have learnt from going unnecessarily overboard in the past is that I literally only get what my daughter asks for in her list to Santa (and obviously if she would ask for ridiculously expensive stuff then I would explain that Santa has a lot of children to give presents too and that he can’t get something so big/expensive. But luckily she’s not got there yet!).

This is what I did last year and it just makes more sense I think.

A couple of years ago my cousin had spent close to £500 on her daughter, if not more, and I felt awful that I’d only spent like £150 (on things that were actually asked for), so to try and keep up I bought loads of extras, baby Annabell doll, the cot, a pram, which cost and extra £200 almost. Guess what, those extras have never been played with! So I learnt that there is no point in going off the santa list! I will obviously buy extras that she hasn’t asked for, craft things, maybe some other things I know she will like and they will be from Mum and Dad. But the bigger things, the main things she wants will be from Santa.

Another thing I do is, if I know early on what she wants, like she’s already mentioned a couple of things, I will keep an eye out to see if they go on sale!