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?

I asked my mum to calm it down a little with my DC as the piles were huge. She listened dutifully. Instead I ended up with the biggest pile I've ever had. I'm in my 30s 😂

I'm really surprised at how much everyone spends!!!!

Maybe it will change as my kids get older, last year it was a tenner per child age 5 & 2

I budget around £200 for each, hope to spend less. They get very little all year round so fo go a bit over the top at Christmas.

I think as they get older, from my experience, more money was spent but it was in things they needed.
Tennis racquets, football boots, the coat or trainers of choice, specific sports socks etc. We would obviously buy them coats but if they wanted a particular make above budget then they would have it as part if their present iyswim.

About £200-250 on birthdays and about £100-£150 each at Christmas. I put money aside all year round specifically for gifts.

Maybe it will change as my kids get older, last year it was a tenner per child age 5 & 2

We absolutely didn't spend as much now as we did when they were younger, I also wasn't worried about spending equally when they were under 5- toddlers are easy to impress!

I'd agree it doesn't always seem to add up.
Some of it is potentially things like bikes and scooters getting passed down. Parents upgrading phones passing on their old one. So kids acquiring stuff outside Birthdays and Christmas. And some of it will be extended family buying.

But some parents will be strict budget and will stick to it particularly with younger children who won't notice stuff being second hand.

Easily £500
This includes merlin passes which I've got at Xmas last few years

I agree.
I think some people don’t spend as much for Birthdays and Christmas but buy stuff year round.

We don’t buy much year round and then go mad for special occasions

Probably about £900 between them at Christmas and around £200 each for birthdays! I am well aware I go mad though!

A tenner? Really?

In a completely not snarky and genuinely interested way, what did they get for a tenner? Do they not have stockings? How do you do it?

Around £250-350 for DS5.

As someone who works closely with families from all different backgrounds, I really struggle to believe so many claim to spend less than £100 on birthdays and Christmas. That really doesn't go far. Most children/teens have at least either bikes/consoles/phones/laptops/tablets/Lego sets/scooters/trampolines or the latest toy fads that cost much more than the total of some of these budgets and it doesn't really add up .

I get bikes used at eBay and they are passed down to siblings. Once my DDs got to 12, they stopped growing so no new bikes needed anyways They both have a cheapish smart phone which they have had for 2-3 years now. None of mine their own laptop or console - we have a family Chromebook which they can use. Not everyone buys into the latest fad and many cannot afford anyways. Not sure what the different backgrounds are financially you are dealing with but it's definitely not typical IME

About £30 for birthdays and maybe £70 between them for Christmas, both including a small present for each "from" the other, which we pay for, though DD1 gets involved in choosing what she's giving DD2. They're 1 and (nearly) 3. Christmas includes a stocking each.

The stocking includes some useful stuff like novelty bath sponges and some stuff we'd get them anyway (e.g. DD1 will have felt tip pens in hers this year and DD2 might well get crayons). Then they get a satsuma, some chocolate or sweets and a couple of small toys (cars or little figures) which I generally get from charity shops.

Main present would be something like an Orchard Toys game, or a big box of blocks/ Duplo / wooden trains (but these are generally second hand) and they'd give each other something like a book or an Orchard Toys mini game. That's it from us, they get plenty from friends and family as well.

I expect they'll get more expensive as they get older!

Well this thread has made me feel better. Ones I've read in previous years have had the majority of posters spending hundreds if not a thousand. This one is far more reassuring.
I start buying early and spread the cost as best I can. Pay in 3 with PayPal or Klarna is the only way to do it for things over £50. I have 3 dc but won't be spending much on the eldest. The youngest has £400 of Lego on his list but won't be getting all that. Middle one has many expensive items and won't be getting those either. They all have birthdays near Christmas too.
I usually budget £150 each fir Christmas and the same for my mum. Birthdays tend to be around £80 but with the Lego monster they will be more this next birthday. Dd wants horse riding stuff and I can't get more than one item for that budget.

In our family, at their own request, my PiL have become the providers of bikes/ scooters as presents, though they're from Facebook marketplace. No electronics yet and the Duplo/ Brio is second hand.

I don’t think the I spend 800 pounds per child reflects reality either. I suspect there are a lot of fantasists on the thread. On one hand the cost of living means they can hardly afford to heat the house, on the other they spend hundreds so their kids can have a "huge pile" of "things to open".

When the kids were under 18 we tried to stick within a budget of £100 each. Now they are grown ups we limit presents to £50 maximum, the same as other grown up family and adults.

Probably about £100 for birthdays and and about £2-300 for Christmas.
Spending on birthday parties would be separate.
Young toddlers.

£300-£350 ish each (3 kids)

What a weird post. You realise many people don’t struggle to heat their houses and can splash out on Christmas simply because they have more money. Why would you label someone a “fantasist” because they spend more money on gifts for their children?

My mum used to buy exactly the same - because my brother would add it up and complain otherwise. I made sure my kids would never be jealous of each other like that, I try and spend the same ball park figure but I don’t count it up at all. If one kids needs something expensive I don’t buy the other the same like some. They are older now and definitely not jealous of each other or demanding in anyway.

Well have a 22 month old and an 8 month old and £250 total, but I've bought a lot of the next stage up toys and nothing "big"

We had budgeted £300 each but we saw how much we'd already bought and stopped, they don't care

DS1 birthday is Jan and will have £100 budget this year, we expect all budgets will go up as they want more

DD is 10 - we used to spend around £120-140 when she was smaller (including stocking gifts, some small presents, and a “big present”). Now it’s crept up, both with her getting older, and with general inflation, so it’s probably closer to £200.

Though ironically now that she doesn’t believe in FC the need for a “big present” from Santa has disappeared. This year she’s into crafting - she’s requested a paper guillotine! I’m not sure that’s quite the “big present” Santa would have chosen 😂