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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much you spend on DC at Christmas?

202 replies

sleepfortheweek · 30/10/2022 23:03

Would love to know how much other people spend on their DC at Christmas...do you have a budget or just buy what you can/what they ask for?
.

OP posts:
GhastlyBoo · 31/10/2022 07:02

@tropicbloom

Filling a stocking for £10 is easy.
My dc have quite small stockings and I usually spend around £10.
Last year it contained:
Fluffy socks £2.50
Chocolates: £1
Light up pen £2
Bath bomb £1.50
Notebook £2

Younger dc:
Fluffy socks £2.50
Chocolate £1
Blind bag £3
Mini crayons & coloring book set £3

AgentJohnson · 31/10/2022 07:03

I really don’t think what other people do is going to help you. There is no way I would spend the amounts people spend on their kids at Christmas, Anything above 100 euros would be a splurge. Tech and big ticket items can be bought by pooling Christmas, birthday and pocket money. If I would buy these items for DD it would only be teaching her instant gratification and not the benefits of saving.

Start as you mean to go on OP, don’t buy into the bs of having piles of presents to open at Christmas.

Umbrellabee · 31/10/2022 07:03

My DC are 6 and 5 year old twins. They get about £100 each because that’s what we can afford. They get LOTS of presents from family too so they get more than enough and everything they ask for across the family.

mrsmarmalade12 · 31/10/2022 07:07

I spent a lot, maybe £500 however we have no other family who buy for them.

elephantseal · 31/10/2022 07:08

What can you afford? What do they need? How much do you buy them the rest of the year? I'd think about that.

I'd never get into debt for Xmas or buy pressies on a credit card. I also don't believe in gifts for the sake of them. Lots of kids have far too much these days.

Dinoteeth · 31/10/2022 07:08

Umbrellabee · 31/10/2022 07:03

My DC are 6 and 5 year old twins. They get about £100 each because that’s what we can afford. They get LOTS of presents from family too so they get more than enough and everything they ask for across the family.

What? You have 2 sets of twins a year apart?

Shiningsilverargent · 31/10/2022 07:13

Mine are into their teens so it’s £100 on a present/cash/towards something they’re saving for. I then buy extras like chocolate, an annual etc. this year they are getting oodies and thick throws for sitting around because of the cost of living - I bought these back in August in a sale.

bookdown · 31/10/2022 07:14

No idea. It won't be the same for each child either. They are still primary school age and don't know how much everything costs. They get about the same number of presents. They are often thrilled with inexpensive gifts but I buy a lot of gifts so it probably adds up to £200+ each but I actually don't know. I buy over a few months so lose track!!

YellowTreeHouse · 31/10/2022 07:15

No budget. I buy what I want (too young to properly ask at the moment as toddler).

We’re a fill the living room with presents kind of family though so a few hundred.

CeeJay81 · 31/10/2022 07:18

£150 to £200 per child usually. This year my older child wants a PC, so have agreed it'll be a joint present for his birthday, even though that's not till spring. He's starting gcse's in September so its going to be needed. It's also balanced out with my 8 year old not wanting an expensive item. So hers will only come to about £130.. but she will have many things to open so will be happy.

Doowop1919 · 31/10/2022 07:28

Not much this year. DS is 2. so far he's got a dinosaur toy, a puzzle, a fishing game and we're getting him a buggy for his doll. For his stocking, just chocolate coins, mandarins, some tubs of playdoh and a small car. He'll get plenty from family too so he won't be going without.

Chocolatefreak · 31/10/2022 07:28

100-120. We also ask the grandparents/aunts uncles to chip in for expensive presents that our 14 year old needs, for example, for one piece of equipment for a hobby, they all chipped in 50 quid each. He now has a great piece of equipment that will last years. So glad he's now past the toys stage. I dreaded the tsunami of plastic every year. In general our family has cut right back, when we spend Xmas together we do Secret Santa so every adult just gets one thing they like. We all have way too much. Agree with pp re stocking too - I still do him one but it's full of useful things like socks and pens, some sweets, maybe a torch or something.

transformandriseup · 31/10/2022 07:31

£75 spent so far on toddler, mostly in the sales. We could spend a lot more but our house is tiny and even a few toys look like a lot.

Stickmansmum · 31/10/2022 07:32

I’m doing this year very roughly:
1x big gift (60-200 depending on item)
books (25)
Clothes for their hobbies (60)
Some other item (up to 50)
Stocking filler (30)

inappropriateraspberry · 31/10/2022 07:32

About £100 -£150 per child. We could spend more but don't see the need. They're still young and I'm sure once they want more tech and things it may go up.
We get a lot second hand, and I pick things up through the year in sales. I got my daughter a brand new bike for £55 last year! Youngest now wants a proper bike, but it will be a max spend of £60 for it. DD wants a big dolls house for her barbies. Again, I'm looking at second hand wooden kidkraft style ones.
Stockings are small things from Poundland and similar.
As long as they have stuff to unwrap, they're happy!

Cosycover · 31/10/2022 07:34

Last year I spent over £1000 on one child as he wanted an oculus quest and that was £400.

This year it won't be as much. Maybe £600-£700 on each child. I have two.

Indoctro · 31/10/2022 07:34

We are going ott this year. £2200 on a off road buggy for my boys (6/8) to share.

They sold there quad bikes and used all there piggy bank money to contribute £600 though.

avocadotofu · 31/10/2022 07:34

About £300 - he's 4 but we don't really have a budget.

chocolateisavegetable · 31/10/2022 07:35

£150 each plus a stocking with some very cheap bits. I know a couple of people who spend a few hundred each and they’re on much lower incomes! (Their choice of course)

saleorbouy · 31/10/2022 07:38

We don't mad and usually they get 3 or 4 Santa's gifts and a stocking of smaller useful gifts from us. Perhaps £200 each in total.
I come from a family that never went mad at Christmas and we try to keep it that way MIL have other ideas though.

Beachloveramy · 31/10/2022 07:46

Young children around 100-150 most years but it varies massively.
Teenagers uncapped depending on what they need... I'm taking my 15yo yo Krakow so that's about £500 plus £100 worth of bits and bobs and spending money. My baby I've spent £45 total.

I saw an app my friend uses called Manage Christmas which is really good.

auntiemabelisveryable · 31/10/2022 07:49

About £200 each and then some stocking fillers (which can sometimes end up being expensive now they are getting older)!

I don't do Christmas Eve boxes!

neverbeenskiing · 31/10/2022 07:52

We don't have a budget as such, but we usually spend about £200 per DC, plus £25-30 each on stocking fillers. I buy things for them throughout the year so it spreads the cost.

Ifyoudreamofsanddunes · 31/10/2022 07:52

We usually spend about £200 on each when adding it all up. However this year they want surfboards which are £££ and we are away for christmas which means we can't take the boards with us, so we will need other presents for them to open. It's finding that balance between cheaper items but not useless tat...

PayPennies · 31/10/2022 07:52

We can afford around £300 for each of our 2. But here’s what we actually do -

  1. work out what they need and will use outside of school clubs and nursery in the limited time they have at home.
  2. work out how much of that will come from grandparents on each side and leave those out
  3. scour eBay, charity shops and Freecycle for months before for what’s left on their list of potential needs and wants.
  4. THEN - see what actually needs some £! Spent on and never has it so far crossed £50 each!