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Christmas

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

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Original poster

To ask what you are buying your dc for christmas and how much do you spend per child?

91 replies

mrsshears · 30/10/2011 08:32

My 2 are 5 and 14 and i'm spending £250 on the 14yr old and about £150 - £200 on the 5yr old.
I would normally spend less on the younger one but she is having a tv and dvd for her bedroom which i consider a bit of an investment as i'm hoping it will last a good few years.
I find with older dc its getting increasingly difficult to spend less as everything they want is so expensive,on dd's list is an ipod touch and some vans.
I'm really interested nosy to see what everyone else spends and what you will be buying

OP posts:

Proudnscary · 30/10/2011 08:33

Between £80,000 and £100,000 on both of them.

Presents? Probably diamond encrusted scooters and a solid gold X Box.

ssd · 30/10/2011 08:34

probably about £150 on each (ten and thirteen)

I save all year to afford this

i think you should spend what you can afford, but dont get into debt with it all

borderslass · 30/10/2011 08:35

SFA can't be bothered with christmas this year.

ssd · 30/10/2011 08:36

dont know what i will be buying, they seem to have bloody everything although thats not how they see it

Original poster

mrsshears · 30/10/2011 08:38

ssd we save too,we start a christmas account at the beginning of the year and what is in it by about november time is what we spend.

OP posts:

RedHelenB · 30/10/2011 08:38

under £100 each for three of them but I do spend a lot on them throughout the year on their activities. generally my Christmas spend for everything is around 300 -400.

altinkum · 30/10/2011 08:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

antsypants · 30/10/2011 08:40

Well, mine is 2 years old, so I don't spend much at all, I get her something to have wrapped up and leave it to everyone else to splash the cash, she would be just as happy with a ball of tinfoil...

I know it's different when they are older though, I don't think anyone should be putting themselves in debt though.

HowToLookGoodGlaikit · 30/10/2011 08:43

Whatever I can afford. Luckliy they are not overly materielistic and dont ask for expensive things.

Birdsgottafly · 30/10/2011 08:45

Mine will be 14 and 16 at Christmas. When they were little, i set a budget.

As you say if they need it, i won't put a limit on spending because if it is an item like a laptop, then it is needed.

Mine want clothes which are outside of our normal budget, so i buy these, it works out about £500 each and similar for birthdays(i am not boasting, i also save all year for these).

I am a LP and what i do is apportion part of the overall household budget to each of us. This includes hobbies, as well as what is left over for luxury items.

PippiLongBottom · 30/10/2011 08:46

I'm hoping to spend £50 or so on each of them. I have three. They get generous presents off their grandparents and are getting a wii from my sister.

emsyj · 30/10/2011 08:46

DD will be 19 months so planning to get her a play kitchen and ask the grandparents etc to buy accessories for it. We don't really have space for it but having asked around friends with kids they always say the play kitchen gets most use (by girls and boys). Will probably get the Ikea one that is £60, plus some books and other stocking fillers. Imagine it will be less than £100.

Will also tho have to buy Christmas gifts AND birthday gifts (both got birthdays very close to Christmas) for 2 godsons and usually spend £50 each on each gift - their parents are very very generous to DD though (have bought her a cozy coupe, smarttrike, books, clothes and goodness knows what else in the past year).

FabbyChic · 30/10/2011 08:47

I used to spend £150 on each child up till they were teens, then when they became teenagers it was £300 on the eldest and £250 on the younger child who was five years younger. Last year I spent £600 on my 17 year old and £50 on my 22 year old. This year as they are 23 and 18 they will get £60 to £80 each.

Im the only one that buys for them, they have never got presents from anybody else just me.

JoandMax · 30/10/2011 08:47

We're spending about £150 on DS1, 3.4 to, as he's having his first proper bike along with a few little bits.

Spending about £80 on DS2, 20 months, on a scuttlebug and some other small bits. I spend a bit on classes for him so not fussed by the difference in cost between the two (although some friends think I'm being horrifically unfair....).

They are the only children in the family so will get thoroughly spoilt by GPs, Aunts and Uncles so we don't get masses of presents for them.

FabbyChic · 30/10/2011 08:47

Oh and the eldest has left home and the youngest is at Uni so they have to have stuff they can carry and use i.e clothing.

FabbyChic · 30/10/2011 08:48

I always made sure they had the same amount of presents to open was always 10 or 12.

Atwaroverscrabble · 30/10/2011 08:48

Ds(12) and dsd(16) will have about £80 on each and dd(2) about £50....

Swankyswishing · 30/10/2011 08:48

I've just laughed loudly at Proudnscary's post!

I have no idea what any of mine are having to Xmas yet, or what I'm going to spend. I wont' go overboard though, my friend spends £500 on each of her (3) children each Xmas time that they can ill afford. I think it's madness

mumatron · 30/10/2011 08:51

Ds is 11 and I will probably spend £200-£300 on him. He's having a surround sound system £100, a gaming chair, clothes and ps3 games. He already has piles of puzzles and board games so I won't waste any money on all that again this year.

Dd1 is harder to buy for, I'll probably spend a bit less. She's having a 3ds and 2 games for it. She's asked for a colour changing lamp so I'll probably get her that. Oh, she also wants a pair of Pastry high top trainers too.

Dd2 will be almost 1 so she'll probably have about £100 spent on her. I've got her some happy land stuff and a little bike, she loves dolls so I'll probably get her one and a pram.

They'll also have stockings with pj's and underwear in.

I tend to start my shopping in the summer and try to vuy in the sales as much as possible.

ssd · 30/10/2011 08:53

jesus birds thats a lot

winnybella · 30/10/2011 08:54

DD (almost 3) will get:

-a baby doll- Annabelle or Corolle (with a view of buying a wooden cradle for it for her birthday month after Christmas)
-a doctor's set for the doll
-books
-puzzles
-stocking with bits and pieces and sweets

I would think about 80 euros

DS (almost 10) will get:

-a Star Wars Lego set
-lots of books
-a DS game
-stocking

Depending on which Lego I'll get it'll probably be around 150 euros.

I only buy things that I know they'll play with and refuse to buy lots of plastic tat. They'll get more stuff from the family.

ShellyBoobs · 30/10/2011 08:55

Over the years it's varied hugely for us. We just have one DD (now 13) and it's been totally dependant on what she's wanted at the time. She's lucky in that it's not an issue of affordability for us but similarly, we're lucky in that she's not the type to ask for hugely expensive things, normally.

This year she's wanting some new hair straighteners and yet more clothes. I think it will be in the region of £300 from us but she'll also get lots from other family too.

I think it's far too much, to be honest, but it will be a pittance compared to what some of her (private) school friends will receive.

mousyfledermaus · 30/10/2011 08:56

nothing,as they will get lots from relatives.
we give them something in june/july instead.

4madboys · 30/10/2011 08:57

we wont spend loads, no more than £100 on each child but my parents are getting an xbox kinnect as a joint present for the boys. and my mil tends to like to buy them something big so she will be getting the baby a wheely bug, and one of the boys a maxi micro scooter, and the others will get something of equivalent value, maybe lego or something else that we can think of.

and we actually wont spent £100 on the two little ones as they are 3yrs (ds4) and 10mths (dd) we will prob spend £20 on dd and maybe £50 on ds4.

Birdsgottafly · 30/10/2011 09:00

SSD- i am in the same position as Fabby, i don't have anyone else to buy for my children. I wouldn't be happy to allow others to buy main presents for them, even if i did, tbh.

Since being widowed that is how i have worked out finances, it's a three way split, after living costs. Everything bought is needed, or very much wanted, i don't buy for the sake of it.

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