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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

People that only spend about 25 pound per DC at Christmas ....

101 replies

nappyaddict · 06/12/2010 15:29

Do they have winter birthdays?

Do they get a lot of presents from other people?

Are they too young to care?

Do they get toys throughout the year or just at Christmas and birthdays?

Would you like to spend more but can't afford it?

I know I spend too much on DS and need to cut back but unless I really couldn't afford it I can't imagine only spending that much. I mean even if you buy second hand stuff (which I do) it still wouldn't buy very much.

OP posts:
solo · 09/12/2010 00:29

Glitterandglue, thank you :) I will have a look at that; thank you for thinking of me.

solo · 09/12/2010 00:44

Tingletangle, please don't mind me asking, but it sounds as though you don't celebrate Christmas at all; if that is the case, is this linked with your religion? or for another reason? (my Dd's late Grandma and her aunt and cousin are JW's, so I 'get' that side).

My exh was a spendaholic and during the course of our 'relationship' he told me that he'd felt deprived as a child as his parents were divorced and he was integrated into a large step family and felt that they were always put first...he blamed that for spending and getting us me into massive debt and that worries me for my Ds (not blood related) and I wondered if you had any thoughts on that? You say your Dd doesn't really have toys, but did she as a younger child?
Just interested in your view here, not looking for a fight. Ignore if you are offended.

wolfbrother · 09/12/2010 08:48

bintofbohemia

marmite pot I meant, also mustard, raspberry jam, j2o bottle etc in stocking. we are quite foodie Smile

Original poster
nappyaddict · 09/12/2010 09:26

It's not negative ... I would like to spend less but having grown up with massive Christmases and have friends and family which also do massive Christmases (which I think in my case did more harm than good) it's just odd to me to only have 1 or 2 gifts.

TingleTangle Why don't you give birthday presents? I am assuming you aren't a JW because then you wouldn't celebrate Christmas at all?

OP posts:
Original poster
nappyaddict · 09/12/2010 09:27

Also when DD was younger did you buy toys throughout the year?

OP posts:
boHOHOhemianbint · 09/12/2010 09:51

wolf - You really give them mustard and marmite for Christmas? How old are your children, do they live away from home?

briefcasewanker · 09/12/2010 10:01

DD is 2 and has an October birthday and very generous grandparents, so we have limited what we have bought her, probably comes to £30 altogether.

It's not just that she is too young to care, we have a small house and just don't have the space for lots and lots of toys.

We had a little birthday party for her 2nd, and her favourite present was probably a £5 bubble machine Smile

wolfbrother · 09/12/2010 12:07

boHoHohemianbint

Yes I do, really. They think it's normal! They are oldish teenagers but we have given some food item for years. We are hopeless shoppers so frequently run out of things like that, and they have different tastes from eachother and from us. My DS (18) loves wholegrain mustard and red jams, my DD (16) loves marmite. We don't. Mind you, the jam will be top notch instead of supermarket brand (eg the real jam company) and DS will also get miniature bottle gin, small tonic and a lemon, so don't feel too sorry for him. They will also get small pringles instead of sweets, as neither likes sweets.
Are we weird then? Grin

NemoTheRedNosedFish · 09/12/2010 12:40

wolfbrother YABU for giving your ds booze. You can't give a baby booze...

Nuttybear · 09/12/2010 12:51

Your thread has given me food for thought. I want DS to enjoy the events, family, friends food and tradtions not just the toys. But even those cost money. I keep a diary pre and post events and note what works and what doesn't. In 6 years I have firgured out the following things that work for us as a family

Help out at the Christmas Fete (I'm not a Christian I see myself as an associate member!)
Go to a Panto
Lots of baking
Lots of Decorations (same ones every year]
Go to the Children's Service on Christmas Eve. Kids dress up
Works Childrens & sports clubs parties
mulled wine
Dress up
Go for a walk in the park Christmas day
Day out in the park with friends Boxing day and the afternoon in oldy worlde Pub.
Go to the Rugby Xmas Hmm
Does this help?
]

mjinsparklystockings · 09/12/2010 13:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

solo · 09/12/2010 13:48

Nemo, the Ds is 18 so I think it's ok for him to have gin :)

NemoTheRedNosedFish · 09/12/2010 15:17

solo 18 months?!

We have spent around £200 on dd. There I said it.

Blush
changeforthebetter · 09/12/2010 15:30

FGS Nemo he is 18 years old.

I resent the competitive underspending jibe too. A lot of people "underspend" because they don't want to spend money they haven't got on stuff they think their kids don't need. DD1 wants a Barbie swimming pool [vom - on so many levels, not just price]

If I had the £££ maybe I would get things like balance/regular bikes, skates, garden playhouse etc but I don't so I won't. I have got lots of charity shop/nct sale type stuff in the past but been ill and too busy at work to be able to squirrel stuff away. They'll get a bit from their grandfather but otherwise it's just me and the X buying for them. I think they will survive Hmm

mjinsparklystockings · 09/12/2010 15:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NemoTheRedNosedFish · 09/12/2010 15:55

FGS I got it, it was a joke - didn't say it was funny but jesus christ I was just joking.

Dd's 1st Xmas - she got nowt and played with wrapping paper

2nd - I went nuts and regretted it as I spent the next year selling toys on ebay that she never played with

So from then on I spent what I could afford (and no-one should feel they have to spend more than that) and make sure I think she will get maximum play value out of it, and make sure we have room for it all (as I have said, tiny fecking house)

BUT - I think there is some 'oh we spend hardly anything on our dc' going on here - maybe because some of us do shop because of guilt (as i said, I have overcompensated as dd has basically no family apart from us to give a shit about her) and do get in debt over christmas - so were are all the posts, esepcially given the number of middle class / upper middle class mumsnetters - saying yes I go fecking nuts each year, I know I shouldn't but I do.

So there

FiveColdRingsForSolo · 09/12/2010 15:56

For Nemo

By wolfbrother
They are oldish teenagers but we have given some food item for years. We are hopeless shoppers so frequently run out of things like that, and they have different tastes from eachother and from us. My DS (18) loves wholegrain mustard and red jams, my DD (16) loves marmite.

They are 16 and 18 years old, not months dear! Wink

jumpyjan · 09/12/2010 16:17

DD has a winter birthday but DS is spring.
They do get a fair bit from other people.
Yes they are too young to care.
They don't really get toys throughout the year for no reason.
No - I think £25 each is plenty - obviously if money was no object there are things I would like to buy for DD (nearly 4) but for the little one (1) I can't see the point in spending much anyway.
I have got them one main present each - DD's was half price in the sainsburys sale and only cost about £11 and DS was £25 (I am fairly confident they are both going to be pleased with what they have got). I have bought them stocking fillers which range from £1 - £4 per item so I guess that adds to the amount I spend a bit (but it is mostly a couple of pounds here and there).

DilysPrice · 09/12/2010 16:20

Nemo, this thread is specifically labelled as a request for people who spend relatively little to explain how and why they do so. I think it's interesting, if not hugely surprising.
If you want a thread full of people saying "what the hell, it's only money" (which is not actually an evil approach IMO - I vary between the two extremes myself, and lots of people on this thread vary from year to year) then you should perhaps be looking on a thread labelled "People who buy their DCs shed-loads of toys, why do you do that?"

NemoTheRedNosedFish · 09/12/2010 17:01

Ha yes perhaps I should! I am still very surprised, and I take your point about thread title, that no-one apart from me has said, 'oh no, I spend too much cash on too much stuff for dc's normally, but having seen this thread perhaps I will do x,y, z instead.'

FiveColdRings (oo-er!) yes as I said it was a joke, I got that it was years not months in the first place I was joking in a jolly, unfunny kind of way.

overmydeadbody · 09/12/2010 17:05

I just don't think it's necessary to spend a lot on children. I could technically spend hundreds but that would sicken me. I don't want my DS to not value anything.

Besides, children don't need much.

TabithaTwitchet · 09/12/2010 17:17

Do they have winter birthdays?
Yes, less than a week before Christmas.

Do they get a lot of presents from other people?
She gets small presents from lot of other people, as DH and I both have quite large families. Nobody tends to go overboard though - and most of them will buy clothes or books rather than toys.

Are they too young to care?
Yes, probably, DD will be 3 this year. But I intend to stick to "one main gift, plus a stocking" even when she is older.

Do they get toys throughout the year or just at Christmas and birthdays?
DD generally gets toys only at Christmas and birthdays, but I will buy her books through the year.

Would you like to spend more but can't afford it?
Yes, I probably would, although I wouldn't want to spend that much more. I probably wouldn't buy any more gifts than I do at present, but they might be bigger/ more expensive ones. eg I have bought her a 20 quid playmobil set this year, if I could have afforded it I might have got a larger 50 pounds one for example, which could maybe have more play value. But at the same time I don't want her to be overwhelmed by loads of stuff.

wolfbrother · 09/12/2010 17:40

Don't worry Nemo, I knew you were joking from the first! Smile

The toddlers only get beer.

NemoTheRedNosedFish · 09/12/2010 18:14

Phew, I'm glad someone did!

I'd better work on making my jokes funnier so they actually look like jokes. Wink

duvet · 09/12/2010 19:19

Yes agree with others dont need to spend loads, especially on stuff which you know will hardly get played with.

We will only spend that much on each dd. One biggish present each and then small bits - stocking fillers.

Have old video of our family christmas and some kids would be horrified to receive what I did, (one present was a coconut!) but I was really happy!

Agree with others we dont buy lots of presents throughout the year but we'd rather spend time (work part-time) and money on family days out/ holidays/activities.

Interesting and encouraging thread :-)