Anyone else not going mad with dc presents this year?

[Inneedofbrandy]

There having 5 presents each with no main present as they don't need anything big, plus a stocking of poundland tat like cards, aliens in slime, marbles. I would cut that down to 3 if I didn't think they would be disappointed.

Iv'e always gone OTT every year and end up clearing it off the the charity shop on my end of summer holidays clear out, and I have family that buys them quite a lot to. I just don't want to spend that type of money again on one day! (I love christmas)

They have a wii in their bedroom, an ipod touch ds, N3ds dd, 2 big toy boxes full, a craft box, a dressing up box countless dvds and books. There isn't anything they really need apart from a few board games. I'm just fed up of having to fill my living room with their presents to fit in with what everyone else does.

My mum thinks I'm being mean, I would prefer to spend the money on the lead up to christmas doing things like iceskating, westonburt lights, craft decorations and baking.

What do you christmas lovers think?

Having said that I've done two of them already and spent less than that for the two. I dont spend for the sake of it and am not worried about giving second hand

If said I wasn't going to go mad I would be a big fat liar.
I always do.
It distracts me.
I don't spend a fortune because I buy sale items but I do buy a lot.

An embarrassing amount.

I will try to rein it in and look at things twice this year. But I can't promise anything :)

two DC's, they are getting a den kit, a cheap and cheerful CD player plus a CD each and some lego, and a small stocking. We are going away for a holiday in February so wanted to cut down and spend some money on them then.

orange I'm the same! I can't help myself!! This year is ds first Xmas so trying to rein it in and have already told dd Santa won't have as much room on his sleigh now he has to bring ds presents.

That being said she has everything! She has: her own tv/DVD combo, a ds, wii, I pod and an I pad pulse games, books bike etc. literally nothing left to get her and she is only 5!

Mine get to write a list with a maximum of ten things on. Grandparents and other family choose off the list and we buy what's left, plus a couple of things they aren't expecting and a stocking each with cheap silly presents in.

They do however, understand that they might not get everything on their list and are ok with that.

That said, last year I made them all their own crackers for the lunch table. The boys both had a rare, collectable Lego Star Wars minifigure in theirs and those cost more than some of their presents, but it was worth it to see the look of surprise and happiness on their faces.

Dd is 3, so this is the first year she has actually 'got' the whole Christmas present thing. She is currently driving me bonkers asking for everything single thing she sees on the adverts, but will be carefully managed when the time comes.

My two are getting a blanket each that I've made, a super Mario blanket I made to share and a stocking of little bits. They get loads from family

That should have read, 'we buy from what's left' not that we buy everything that's left.

I don't mind giving second hand ebay or charity shop stuff to dc. It's more the amount they have come to expect, they're 5 and almost 7, and 5 presents under the tree christmas morning isn't going to look like a lot.

I say this every year and then go mad in tesco/sainsburys christmas eve with everything half price. I might spend £10 each in poundland just to bulk it out to 15.

I am trying to cut down and will be doing mainly second hand. I have bought a few bits through FB selling pages and through Ebay already. It will look like I have spent loas though, because a lot of it is unused and in boxes.

They are having a lap top each, but in total they will cost around £70 each, so not bad. A few bits and bobs on top of that should do it.