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Christmas

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

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Original poster

How much do you spend on your childs presents for christmas?

49 replies

bellabreeze · 30/09/2012 01:00

I would be really interested to know what other people spend in total on their kids christmas presents.. mine can really vary year to year depending on how skint or not skint I am. I would love to know how much approx anyone who wants to answer spends. Someone I know seems to literally fill their living room with presents for her daughter but another person I know buys her kids a couple each

OP posts:

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/09/2012 01:02

Whatever the things they want and/or I want to get them cost.

Original poster

bellabreeze · 30/09/2012 01:04

Thanks, if you have more than 1 child do you make sure to spend around the same on each child?

OP posts:

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/09/2012 01:06

No, although we always put equal amounts into their savings.

twinklegreen · 30/09/2012 01:06

£50 per child per year, but that's the main spend and I probably top it up with alot of extra's! My kids are happy and they have far too many toys! We can' t afford to give them anymore at the moment :)

twinklegreen · 30/09/2012 01:08

Yes, same amount for each child give or take....

StaceymReadyForNumber3 · 30/09/2012 01:10

About £50 each, yeh around the same amount but I don't stress if it's not exact.

Pagwatch · 30/09/2012 01:13

It depends what they wAnt.
No. It is rarely the same amount.
Children are not like that - they don't want you to spend x amount. I have had years where one wanted a doll and one wanted an iPad.
If they are looking at their present and working out if theirs cost less than their siblings then frankly you have gone wrong somewhere.

rhondajean · 30/09/2012 01:22

I don't do same amounts.

Dd1, just now. Needs more downs than dd2,but in a couple if years will be working for her own income so vice versa.

It's far too much each though if that counts...

rhondajean · 30/09/2012 01:22

More things!

LilQueenie · 30/09/2012 01:23

my mum used to spend the same on us which resulted in lots of little extras that were not really worth buying just to even out the amount. Would rather a few things for one and lots for the other so long as cost was same. Or even just what we asked for whether it was the same cost or not. This is my second christmas with dd and probably spent around over £200 but most on sale items so cost much less. Been picking up things through out the year.

HokeyCokeyPigInAPokey · 30/09/2012 01:23

I have never worried if it was the same amount as long as they have what they want. Normally spend lots but cutting down this year so somewhere between £150 and £200.

Marne · 30/09/2012 08:17

I spend what i can afford, last year it was around £150 each but i had put money back all year and e-bayed there old toys. This year i havn't put anything back and have hardly bought anything yet (have bought them a paper jamz guitar each). I'm not sure what dd1 really wants, she would like a laptop but i'm not spending that much so will probably get the pokemon gave she wants and some lego. Hoping to keep it around £100 per child but could easily go over with dd2 as she's into everything. I try and get them the same amount to open but will be harder this year now dd1 is getting older and doesnt really play with toys anymore.

WipsGlitter · 30/09/2012 08:21

I'm not sure, I think about £150-200 per child. Maybe. I'm determined to reign it in this year and cut the crap so useful stuff - socks, pants, bubble bath etc - in stocking. FIL has suggested he gets DS1 a bike but now I'm thinking we should maybe get him that as it would be a good solid present - and he'd LOVE it!!!

ninjanurse · 30/09/2012 10:14

We are cutting right back this year and only going to spend about £60 on each of them (4 kids). We have already booked tickets to take them all to see Jessie J, so will get another couple of small bits each for them. They both have other parents and family who buy for them so they certainly dont go short.

MirandaWest · 30/09/2012 10:16

I've ever consciously made sure I spend the same on each DC - they want different things and I think trying to equalise it on monetary value would e a bad idea.

ChiefOwl · 30/09/2012 10:21

Different depending on what they want. As they are 7 and 4 I base it more on looking the same amount of presents, as they get older the monetary value will become more important.

D0oinMeCleanin · 30/09/2012 10:23

It really depends on what they ask for. DH is annoyed me with this year because dd1 has asked for a 3DS XL (around £160 plus £40 for the game and all the extras (charger, case, screen protector etc) dd2 only wants an easel and paints.

He thinks it's unfair that dd1 will be getting so much more spent on her.

Dd2 is also getting a fish tank from my mum. We'll have to get her all the extras ie. chemicals, water testing kit, gravel, plants and eventually the fish. I am fairly sure this will amount to a small fortune over time.

I figure it all evens out eventually. Dd2 got a TV last year, dd1 only wanted a remote control helicopter.

TheOneWithTheHair · 30/09/2012 10:24

Usually about £150 pounds once the extras have been added on. I'm not conscious of spending the same amount on each but mil did this with dh and SIL and now at 37 and 42 they still get upset if one is perceived to have more than the other. It drives me bonkers and I keep wanting to knock their heads together and tell them to grow up.

My dcs get what they want, within reason. Sometimes it's £20, sometimes £100.

GrasshopperNchipmunk · 30/09/2012 10:47

We have a budget of usually between £150 and £200 for each child (this year will be on the lower side as I'm on mat leave).

We don't tend to spend all the money, whatever is left goes into their savings accounts, so last year we only spent £100 on each, and put £100 in their savings. They are only young though, so I suppose this may all change in time

insanityscratching · 30/09/2012 11:50

No I don't spend the same on them all but mine are adults, teen and dd aged 9. I tend to spend £100 on the adults, probably double that on the teen and dd gets more or less what she wants and a few surprises. So generally a large gift and five or six smaller surprises.It's probably a laptop this year but has been a bike or a scooter in the past
They all get a stocking too which is their favourite bit of Christmas and is filled with all manner of stuff from practical to novelties and a few treats.

olivo · 30/09/2012 13:48

We spend around £25 on a'main' present, but up or down of there is something they particularly want. Then around 20 on stockings but they include the things I would need to have bought anyway, and lots from sales.

Mine are only 3 and 6 though, so quantity and equal amounts rate over cost!

olivo · 30/09/2012 13:51

I think I'm on my own with the small amounts though

StaceymReadyForNumber3 · 30/09/2012 13:57

Olivio mine is around £50 per child and they will be 8 and 6 by xmas

Iggly · 30/09/2012 14:00

Will spend too much I suspect. £200 for both, some of which will be a main present to share (eg a toy kitchen/dolls house).

fuzzpig · 30/09/2012 14:11

I go by amount and the perceived 'bigness' (IYSWIM) of the item. Though last year for example DSD was desperate for an iPod thing, and knew that because that was a lot of money she would have less things to open than her twin who didn't want anything particular (she got lots of smaller things like DVD box sets - both were very happy with their haul :o)

Our DCs are 3 and 5 and we haven't really had to worry about keeping it even yet - they get a lot of stuff to share anyway. They aren't even really at the asking for stuff stage yet but obviously we will do the same rule as DSDs that if they want something pricey they will not be able to have such a big number of things to open.

Am I the only person who has no idea what is spent we agreed to budget this year but we've already lost track.

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