How much do you spend on your child’s birthday?

[Duskisthebesttime]

Not party/day out/meal etc

But…presents, cake, balloons..how much do you spend on average in total?

Trying to cut my DD’s amount down as better go save that money back a bit, but I just get carried away with birthdays & Christmas, what is the average amount you spend? I suppose it also depends on the age of your child..for context, my Dd will turn 6

Ds is 6 soon:
Laser quest party £220
Pound land paper plates etc probably £10
Food and drink £50
Cake ingredients and decorations £20
Card and gifts probably £50 - £70
Party bags £40

It seems like so much written out like that! 😳

£250ish
DS6 and DD3. Not piles of plastic tat that Mumsnet usually accuses people of. But some good quality toys (A good Lego set can be £80), a hardback collectors book can be £25, and this year they're both having money towards a special experience too in Florida which is about half their money so they're actually getting a bit more each this year.

Average £300 give or take

It depends on what outing / party they are having that year. But probably too much! They have a shared outing (birthdays less than a month apart), a party each, and a few small presents.

We make the cake or buy a supermarket one so £5-10? On presents I try to buy a few second hand so might be anything in the region of £30-75. I don't buy balloons but will blow them up if there's any in a drawer. Neither kid has ever felt short changed.

Way too much 🤣 but I have one DC only and want to give him the world. Cake, parties are extravagant however the gifts I buy are not big. He gets a tonne of gifts from family and friends and I provide with lists of things he likes/ wants (within reason) for those who ask for ideas so he gets everything he wants and then some.

£100 to take her and her friends out somewhere fun.
£20 - cake
£50 - present
So about £170

DD is 13 tomorrow
Presents.. under £100 (climbing shoes, a cuddly snake, book, travel mug)
Cake £15 for ingredients
£20 to take friends for ice cream

DD2 turned 11 and it was similar

This year they've had an International Scout Camp and a School Residential which has been the best part of £1k each... they rather have that then expensive birthday and Christmas presents.

My son turned 5 today. Made him a cake. Maybe £6 on ingredients. Spent about £40 or £50 on presents and took him to the local swimming pool which had a wave machine and floats (also slides but new rules meant he wast allowed on it).
Trip to the pool cost about £35 for 4 people.

Every year is different. I may spend more in the future.

£250 (from me & her Dad) on gifts/cake/balloon then usually £50-60 for meal at Pizza Express with a 4 friends

Depends what they need. Last birthday DS1 (11) was given (a much needed) new cricket bat. Plays at a county level, cost several 100 pounds. If he hadn’t needed a bat it probably would have been a big Lego set, much cheaper.

Birthday outing (just the family) is often similar but that’s because it’s an excellent excuse to go to the theatre.

Party, to be fair, was the cost of Dominoes for him and his two best mates.

at that age, about £50 in presents. Cake is homemade so not a lot. Doesn't have to cost the earth. Gets a bit more £££ when they are teens though .

At 6, it was under £100 all in, including presents, cake and some friends round. Now as a teenager it is a lot more; enjoy the cheap years!!

Presents- depends what they want.

Cake- I always make one. Probably spend about £20-£25, plus we usually get a bog box of doughnuts from a place near us which costs about £20

Balloons- don't really bother with them anymore for environmental reasons.

Homemade cake, not many presents as get so many from friends and family - £40-50 this year (got some new things as well as second hand) which was most ever but now they request what they want more and I had a salary raise so could afford a bit more. Party depends what they want to do - last year over £200 at a venue, this year outdoor picnic at local park so spent on food and a bit more on nice stuff for the party bag. Next year will probably encourage a smaller number of friends and some kind of trip/outing

Daughter will be 8, last year and this year we spent:
Didn't do a proper birthday party, we pay for her and friends to do an activity (think trampoline centre) which is c£120 for 8 kids, i make a party bag, last year i put in a sweetie cone at @£2.25 each, a mini maze game which came in a pack of 10 from amazon, a space activity book again pack of 10 from amazon, i buy a pack of Mini cupcakes so they had 1 each and a bag of mini party rings each.
Presents we spent i think £80ish, varies between £60-£90.

Thanks everyone, so for the past couple of years we’ve spent a lot on big parties at a soft play type place, decorations, specially made cake etc. This year she’s just having a few friends to a small party at home and I will do decorations & make a cake, so not much cost there. The presents I want to buy on her list comes up to around £300, but when I look at that amount, it seems ridiculous? None of its tat really, there are quite a lot of special books, bag, pencil case and things for school, plus a couple of summer dresses and summer pjs. I have a garden swingball game and the rest is things ages asked for, some plastic rubbish but it’s what she’s specifically asked for. I may cut the books down and put them on the Christmas list, I just can’t resist good books

*She’s not ages

I make their cakes- probably £10 ingredients and reuse decorations year to year with a few normal balloons thrown around the room, so haven’t bought any new for a while. This year DC turned 8 and 6 and we spent £125 each on presents from us. That was 5 or 6 things to open. I go a bit overboard on the day out/parties really- but that’s what I enjoy most!

I don’t think it sounds unreasonable if you take out clothes and books. I don’t count those as birthday presents (from us- they make lovely gifts from others) as I figure books and clothes are essential and my job to buy them so if you deduct the cost of those (but obvs still wrap them if you want!) then you’re all good 😂

Books and clothes are essentials, but these are special ones..special edition books, going out summer dresses

Without meaning to offend, whenever these threads come up I’m always baffled as to how people spend £50 on presents. I spend around £300 which I’m aware is not necessary but I can’t imagine being able to get much for less than £150.

Around £200 ish quid

Mmmm..

DS about £500
DD about £300

DD's will increase as she gets older - she's 2 atm and we do not need anymore than £300 worth of plastic tat in this house

DS is 10 and £500 doesn't go as far as you'd think

What do you buy though? Children like different things.