How much will you be spending this year on each DC?

[milk]

How much will you be spending this year on each DC? Do you think age matters when deciding how much to spend?

This year my budget for DS's present will be £15 (1.5yo). At the moment I don't see myself spending more as he gets older, as fortunately my parents spoil him with bigger gifts.

wow thats fantastic! My boys get presents from me & OH, my mum, dad & 1 of my sisters (my other sister recently left school & is off to uni so normally makes them something which i think is lovely) also OH's family dont buy for my DC as they dont like me. So i do tend to go crackers at christmas but i do start early & save into a bank account so save half the RRP.

Babies/toddlers dont normally need anything for example DS2 who is 9months has way less than DS2 who is 3.5 years, the extra saved for DS2 tho does get saved into his bank account so it equals to the same amount in the end. I tend to concentrate more on equal amount of presents.

For DS1 (3.5years) i have spent £350 and have a couple more things to get, will end up at £400 (but he did need a new bike) DS2 (9 months) has £70 on him, the rest saved away for him.

I think its great you spend £15 and that your parents spoil him, if i could do that i would, buy my family save into a bank account every month to take everyone away to butlins etc once a year on those sun holiday deals which i think is even nicer than a bundle of presents, its time with family x

About £60 including stocking fillers. DD is getting her long awaited scooter and toddler DD is getting stickle bricks and second hand shape sorters/Happyland etc. They'll have some clothes and accessories as stocking fillers too.

milk well done you !!!

About £50-70 each.

Each child 2dd and 3dsd get a budget of £100 to include stocking fillers and christmas eve hamper goodies. Sounds a lot but they get clothes (Christmas PJs, character underwear and socks, slippers, dressing gown etc) and school stuff (bags, folders, A4 pads, fun stationary etc) all included in that budget.

My youngest will be 1.5yo in dec and doesn't get as much. I'll likely wrap some clothes that I already have in the next size up to bulk out her 'pile', but this is stuff she already needed. If I don't spend her budget allowance, the rest goes in her bank account.

Extra christmas activities are not included in the kids budget though; such as panto, cinema trip etc for the hols.

Yes age totally matters. £15 on a 1.5 yr old is fine if that's what you want to do. They won't even know its Christmas.

I have a 7 & 5 yr old dc. And that would be impossible in my opinion, I prob spend £10-15 on their stocking. Then £100 on main present/s. dd has already mentioned the Lego friends house which is prob £80.

DS wants some converse trainers and a DS game, so about £75.

DS2 - I have no idea what the hell to buy, will have to think about it.

DD has asked Santa for a pink dress and a rapunzel doll which is £20 at the Disney store.

Each child will also get new pyjamas and books, and a stocking. I have really cut down this year as we are doing a pre-Christmas trip to Center Parcs as an early Christmas present.

DS1 wants a 3DS so that's bloomin expensive. But if he gets this he won't get his usual heap of smaller gifts from us. DS2 will b 2 by xmas so won't get as much money spent on him but will still get spoiled cos he's so gorgeous :)

There's no way you could get away with £15 on an older child, though I think it's great to spend less whilst you can, we did too as there's no point buying for buying sake.

Dd age 7 will get £200 on her main present, £150 on smaller presents and £15 on her stocking. Dd aged 5 will get same except her main is less at £150.

This has gone up since last year as their main presents are more expensive unfortunately. I love Christmas and start planning August as I like to make a big deal of it. We are by no means well off so I budget pretty much all year round. I also only buy the kids presents at birthdays and Christmas.

In our family, we all only buy the children presents at christmas as we feel Christmas is more for them.

I think it stems from when I was younger, my mum and dad were always skint but we still woke at Xmas to a sack full and I loved it. Most of it was cheap tatt but I loved it anyway!

The important I think is to spend what you can afford and what you feel comfortable with.

However, Im not a fan of the latest craze of spending next to nothing for the sake of!- last year there were threads where people tried to outdo each other for spending less not because they were sort of cash but out of being plain tight! Personally I'd feel mean spending money all year on myself and nothing at Christmas on the kids 'on principal'!

I like the sound of the budget above, £200 on main £150 on smaller and £15 on stocking. I don't know what my kids want this year. I never have a budget for them. I would like ideas for stocking gifts though, as that is the really fun bit.

£2.25 and a we'll all take it in turns to lick a mars bar.

No one would get a turn after me, I would just eat the Mars Bar!

I go for need/play value rather than cost. I don't see it as a competition to spen lots/spend little. I just buy as I see fit. 2 of my 3 have birthdays very close to Christmas so I am more into something small at Christmas and emphasis on spending time as a family and main present for birthday.

We were in Ikea this weekend and I picked up a play tent. £17 and it will be a shared present for all 3 children. I like doing that at Christmas, we did the same one year with a sandpit. None of them has a summer birthday so it is a good chance to get a garden toy for them all. I usually spend £5 each on a stocking- flannel or something, crayons, wind up toy, bouncy ball, that sort of thing.

I dont set a price limit but I do know itll be nowherr near £50. Her birthday is the week before too, so again, nowhere near £50.

I have been picking up some little bits as I go. For instance, I bought a friends dd some colouring in books in Wilkos as her birthday present and they were BOGOF. So dd got a set too, which are put into a big plastic storage box and she'll get them for not even this birthday or xmas but next year or the one after.

I have also managed to find a Happyland house at half price so thats in the box waiting (will be her 'big present' for this her first birthday) £15.

I put stuff in the box through the year and pick out what to give and when. I will also go into her chest of drawers and take out her bigger sized clothes that she hasnt worn yet and wrap them (got a winter coat in the next sale for £6). As she gets older I will obviouslu have to stash the bigger clothes elsewherr but she has no idea at the.moment and will just enjoy ripping stuff open

Gnocchi I do exactly the same for my little dd's! Have a tub of sale toys in cupboard put away for birthdays/christmas and take next size up unworn clothes out of wardrobe or underbed tubs (normally character or special ones esp socks and pants) and wrap them for christmas! Great minds...

I get on well with my step kids, but the teenagers officially named me 'Fun Sponge' after our first christmas together when they unwrapped toothbrushes, pants and socks in their stocking! All in good humour, they got loads of other nice and fun stuff too, and a mountain of sweets!

When growing up, my parents gave each child (3 of us) a £10 note for Christmas (we got £1 pocket money each week) and were told if we wanted a bigger present we would have to save up our pocket money and buy it ourselves. For birthdays my parents gave us £15 each.

I guess for this reason I am shocked when I read such things as:
"Dd age 7 will get £200 on her main present, £150 on smaller presents and £15 on her stocking."

All in, stockings, gifts from each DD to each other, I probably spend about £80 per child, although I always mean to spend less. I am considering buying an ipad for the whole family this year however. 1 gift, boom, done (well they'd still get stockings as Santa brings those)

I will spend about £150 on ds who is 4 as he wants a big Lego set so £100 for that and £50 on a few smaller bits. Dd 14 wants a iPod touch so about the same for her. My family spoils them both rotten though! Ds was also born on boxing day so I will spend about £50 on his birthday.

We normally spend about £200 total on DD who is 6. This will include clothes and new bedding. I'm trying to cut down on the toys this year as have no more room. She has asked for an ipod touch (thanks techy DB for introducing her to that one...) she won't be getting one, but will get an mp3 player.

I will spend about £130 on dd who will be 4 and about £100 on ds who will be almost 1. It seems a lot for ds, but it will be mainly be on garden toys as we have just moved and now have loads of space outside.

£100 each. Ranging in age from 16-27. That includes christmas eve stuff (usually bedding, a throw or pjs) stockings, and main present/s.

Milk - really? No stockings or presents from father Christmas then?

Considering I spend £15 on nieces /nephew that doesn't sound much to me... Although we only have a very small family

There does seem to be some weird competition on MN to see who can spend the least at Christmas.

We usually spend about £250-£300 on dd who is 3 , she does usually have a big present to come out out that though , last year she had an innotab which was £80 . And a dolls house that was £40 , it is a lot of money to spend but if I can afford it I will carry on with that amount .

I agree chief owl- was the same last year. I can understand if people can't afford it but last year some people on the threads sounded plain mean!

No more than £40-£50 per child. Depends on what they want.