AIBU to ask how much you spend on your children at birthdays/Christmas?

[glossypeach]

I know it’s all relative to finances, ages and just generally how much you’re willing to spend - but I’m curious. So how much do spend on your children at Christmas and on their birthdays?

Oh and we won't be buying consoles or tablets or phones or the like until our kids are secondary age.

It varies so much with my kids. We have 5 kids- the older ones are into things like gaming so there are years I’ve spent about £600 each on them getting them each an Xbox or switch and bits to go with them. This year they are getting about £200 each plus a trip to Disneyland. The baby will likely get closer to £100 spent on her. Birthdays are probably about the same but we normally fling in a trip somewhere or experience too- legoland, Disney on Ice etc.

Trying to cut down now that they are all adults in their 20s but struggling with the idea that the present pile will be less.
I don't have enough eyes to roll at the idea of adult offspring in their 20s expecting a present pile.

My son's birthday is Christmas Eve so definitely make sure he has separate presents for each day. He's our only child and we do spend a lot on him, this year it's his 18th and is after a new electric guitar and replacement gaming PC as his is 7 years old and old tech. He doesn't like suprises or stocking fillers due to ASD which I find really difficult.

No set amount. When they were little we spent as little as possible partly due to lower income, partly because they were happy for not much and partly because they got a lot of gifts from others.

As they got older it depended. Some years were expensive because they got bikes. I don’t think rules are necessary

I read it as the parent is struggling with seeing their adult kids having less, not that the adult kids themselves 'expected' a pile of presents.

My oldest is 20. He doesn't expect anything but I still love getting him things to open and for him to have lots of things I know he'll appreciate. He's very thoughtful with the gifts he buys for us and his younger sister and we like being able to still buy him nice things as well as give him cash.

About £100, I would spend more if there was a specific thing I thought she’d get a lot of use and enjoyment out of that was more.

Just turned 5. She just already has so many toys, we’ve gotten a ton of great hand me down toys from relatives and our buy nothing group (like wooden blocks, huge wooden train, big wooden doll house, proper long lasting nice toys), she has my really nice dolls and their zillion outfits from my childhood… she just can’t play with anymore. I know family and some friends will give her bits so try to keep it to one decent fun thing from us, one from Santa, some art supply/stick on earrings/consumable bits in stockings + birthday dress at birthday. Half the time it takes her a couple weeks to get through it because she doesn’t want to open more, she just wants to play with the one new doll or whatever 🤷‍♀️. Dreading Christmas because she’s just had a birthday 😂.

YABU - there'll be a wide range, so it's a stupid question

^^This. I always find it weird on Mumsnet that there are so many threads asking how much people spend as opposed to what they buy? Who cares what anyone spends?

2k between my two. But not evenly split

Birthdays can be around £200-300 max. We have Eid instead of Christmas and I'd spend£100 each. There are 3 kids.

Usually £100 for birthdays, teens 14 and 17, and will probably spend, £250 ish on Xmas for each of them. Some years it's more, but they don't really need anything at the moment, so may get a few presents to open, then put money in their accounts, so they have it if they need something in the future. Luckily they are both good with money and won't spend it needlessly.

One year I bought a kitchen Only put it together Christmas eve when kids in bed and discovered it was damaged 1 side was cracked. nothing I could do so left it when my kids saw it and noticed it was broken I just looked at the fire place and my son jumped to the conclusion it was damaged coming down the chimney 😂. The company offered a replacement I had to say no as my daughter was now convinced Santa had damaged it she still loved the kitchen. I am sure your up cycled kitchen will be a great hit too.

I don't set a budget, I set a "what I want to get dc" list. I collate ideas, toys etc and then watch their prices and if I still think he'll be interested in them. I also start in the generic things early enough that it spreads the cost.

Some things I've managed to get second hand, but will jazz up the packaging so it looks new. Some things are experiences and cost a fortune but I know he'll love. I also go all in on a theme 😂

I'm trying to dial it back but he's a (not supposed to be) only (but realistically, I'd do it for all of them if they were here), has as yet undiagnosed neuro-diversity, has a tricky time navigating school and is an absolute joy.

I genuinely don't know what I've spent so far, I did say to my DH last night "don't open my wardrobe unless you want to die by Amazon boxes". I once sent my DM a suggestion list with about £300 worth of stuff on there so she could choose a couple to buy, and she bought it all. Now I just send specific links to a few things anticipating that she'll get them all 😂

My son is 4 and I don't understand how it's possible to spend upwards of 150 quid on something they want, will use for more than 5 minutes and isn't complete tat.

i sailed back Xmas last year and gave ‘experiences’ my kids want to do the same this year. I’ll still probably spend about £100 tho.

the baby will be less as well he’s a baby and I’ll pick him bits up second hand!

Between £100 and £200 each (we have 3) including stockings etc

I budget £400 each (2 DC) for birthdays and Xmas but that includes a birthday party which can take up half that budget easily. Will be glad when those years are behind us.
I try and get it in less than that but a couple of years ago DS got a Switch and this year it's bikes for Xmas. New one for DS and second hand for DD.

3 kids … we’ve Been on a tight budget last couple of years so roughly £50 each for birthdays. Try and get bargains & 2nd had

last year for Xmas spent £50-80 on the younger two and eldest got £100 but I got lots of good deals and founds so many great quality 2nd hand toys for younger two

this year I’ve been carefully saving so they have a budget of about £200 each which includes stocking fillers.

next year I’ll be back at work after maternity so expect we’ll have the potential to spend without a budget but will still try not to go overboard.

It depends tbh
4 kids

Sometimes £100
Sometimes 3k

Probably too much - 500 ish maybe more each. I want to reduce that - bargain hunting

We save 50 per month for bdays and that covers parties etc as well.. Xmas we save190 but that also covers holidays

Around £100 per child per birthday/Xmas. But their main expensive items (bikes/ instruments) they get as they need during year

£500-£1,000.

between £50-£75 now they are teens. About £30-£50 when they were younger. Money is very tight though and I am aware this isn't the usual MN standard.

£200 birthday budget, £300 Christmas budget.

Mumsnet is very "I do Christmas for 2 pence" but I wouldn't say that reflects reality.