How much do you spend on the children?

[weaselsquirrel]

Before joining mumsnet I thought most people spent £100s on each of their children, but now I'm noticing threads which are making me think dh is right and I go over the top. So without wanting to cause an argument, do you have a set amount?

I know that I have spent roughly £160 on two DC - about £60 of that was on clothes, the remaining £100 on toys, books, chocolate etc.

That will be split between stocking presents from Father Christmas, presents from St Nicholas (on Dec 6th) and presents from us under the tree.

I don't know how even the split is - I hope it is roughly £80 on each child, but I don't have a set budget per person, so I might have spent slightly more on one than the other - I don't think that matters.

About £500 on dd1, and £250 ish on dd2.

Also I dont think cost is a huge factor

Someone might spend £100 on one item

Someone else might spend £100 on 30 small presents.

I personally think the second is unnecessary, as promotes wanting lots of items rather than careful consideration of one thing they really want

Crikey. This year it'll be about £20 each, so £40 in total. We don't have much money.

I've just brought what I think dd will like and get good play value out of, her under the tree presents were about £60 but her stocking and Christmas eve hamper fillers have added up although a lot is things she needs anyway, I've brought a couple of smaller things each week since August though so the cost has been spread out

Was probably £50 - £100 when they were small, now they are teens, £100 - £150 unless they are getting a big item like a bike/laptop.

About £580 on DS1 who is 6.10, then about £200 on DD aged 4.3 and £80 on DS2 who is 16 months.

Same here OP.

As a child I always had tons to open - big piles fo DB and I. I now realise my DM got into anxiety inducing debt to do this and it was her way of making up for not having things like a holiday or car etc (She was a lone parent and just could not afford it)

I realise in the past I've spoilt DS and bought him way more than he needs and vowed never to get DD a ton of stuff just becuase I thought she'd like it. I still managed to overspend last year.

Since last year i have embraced minimlaism and see the lack of intrinsic value in buying too many toys. So I have spent much less this year. I have gone for two largish presents for DS and one or to smaller bits not the huge pile.

I hae only bought for DD what I absolutley know she will play with as she doesnt play with many toys she has. She likes crafts and dress up.

I should add DS1 is getting 3 things so he won't have some giant pile

DSD about £950 without her stocking added in. She's asked for expensive presents. There aren't that many they're just expensive. However we don't have a set amount, she gets a lot less spent on her birthday and gets stuff throughout the year. DSD is 11.

Chocolate Oranges are 99p in Lidl if anyone's interested.

Don't have a set budget, depends what they need that year. Probably 150-175 these days? It used to be less when they are younger - under 100 when they were little (they are 11 and 12 now). It will be a little more than that for DD this year if we decide to buy her a new phone (hers seems to be struggling so may not hold out to her birthday).

We're not financially constrained. That's a small enough amount that we don't really notice it. I just think it is enough for a nice Christmas and spending any more wouldn't really make it any nicer.

I've budgeted £100 for each child, think I've spent £80 on one and £70 on the other and I'm done, all gifts are from fc, they are 2 and 3yo

I have 2 already Sparkling

So do I Tilly.

Dd's are almost 9 and 11, we used to spend £100 each but now it's more like £150-£200 as the things they want are getting more expensive and a lot smaller, I start buying in September so it's not too much of a shock to my bank balance. We only spend £30 on birthdays.

DS has a birthday on 20th December so it's a nightmare this time of year.

He's got Skylanders Trap Force for his birthday which was £49. I will probably add a DVD and something small. So about £70 for birthday,

Xmas, so far he has a game for his Xbox which was reduced from £45 to £25 plus a DVD. I am totally stuck beyond this as he is autistic and has very narrow interests, it's all gaming related at the moment but he does like audiobooks at bedtime so am going to investigate those.

Again total cost will be under £100.....and a lot will depend upon exH contributing.

Thankfully DS seems to understand that money is tight.

Around £500 on DS this year. All he really wanted was an Xbox One. This is what most of his friends are getting too.
He has an early January birthday and asks for very little for this, preferring something at holiday times.
Also I work every second Christmas so I am going to delight in every second of him enjoying his parcels as this will probably be the last from 'Santa'. (He will be 11 soon).

Too much. We don't have a budget, I just stop when it starts looking way too much. However, I am cutting down this year because we are drowning in toys and they don't even play with half the stuff they already have!

I am going to spend £60 on my 2 year old but it will be a practical present of a nice toy box.

She will then get a £20 present from grandmother, about £30 from an aunt and maybe the odd small present from a friend. So all in all about £100.

it used to be a lot less around 70-100. this year it is around 200 but that's because I've been buying since august. saved a load of vouchers and busted my backside finding the best deals I can so I intend to enjoy it

I have 3 DC aged 12, 10 and 8. This year I have spent between £100-£150 on each of them. The eldest has had slightly more spent on him than the other two, but has fewer presents as his "big" present was much more expensive than theirs.

I find the amount spent grows and the size of the pile shrinks as they get older. When they were babies I spent around £20 each, rising to £50ish by the time they started school. Now eldest is in secondary his main present has cost over £100.

Yes, we've had years when I've had the twitch and gone mad on 22nd/23rd and the presents stretched about 6ft out from the tree in all directions. It was ridiculous and unnecessary and it didn't make Christmas nicer for them or us. It almost induces a type of present gluttony in the DCs which is horrid.

We are fortunate to be comfortable financially but bizarrely that makes me want to be more restrained. DH grew up dirt poor, in real poverty and he would happily spend an obscene amount on the kids if I let him. I certainly don't think you need to spend more to have a lovely Christmas. But I know it's easy to say that when you aren't struggling.

I start in January and buy little bits for Christmas whenever I see nice things, so I never know - think around £100-150 each for my children.

I am one of 7 and have lots of nieces and nephews so I need to start early in order to afford everyone. I do get lots of offers through the year too - in fact I don't think anything I bought this year was full price. I got loads of woolly hats and gloves in the summer down from £20ish each to £2-3 an item and I bought all of the 10 kids I buy for their Easter presents for 2015 (not edible) the week after Easter this year too.