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 am amazed how many people are willing to say.

Just don't over do it if you can't afford it, there is already at least one thread on Mumsnet where someone is in horrendous debt having over spent before Christmas.

FWIW and I know these sums are totally meaningless without knowing any family's total budget & lifestyle but we spend about £150 on our teenage DS. we could spend a lot more, we are mortgage free and on slightly above average earnings with decent savings and investments but personally I think that is 'enough' and would rather put money aside for future expenses.

Actually I am gobsmacked at someone spending £1000 on a child's Christmas presents .

.

Call me goody two shoes but I make sure that whatever I spend on making our family Christmas 'special' I also donate the equivalent to various charities and local appeals.

I cant see how anyone cares if you spend £3 or £3000.

I save religiously for Christmas and then spend the lot. And I thoroughly enjoy every single minute of it.

I don't get into debt and even if I did. Its up to me.

Love how these threads always turn out.

I do think £1000 on a toddler sounds crazy, would love to know what the buy and where they put it all, I think you could easily spend that on a older child if they need/want a laptop or a musical instrument but to spend that on toys for a little one seems a bit too much.

My dd's get quite a bit but we spend less than £1000 on the whole of Christmas, food, presents, decorations etc..

This year we are getting 2 yo DD a lovely wooden train table which we got half price, was still £100 but lovely quality and should last for years. Also a few books, some play doh, a chocolate Santa and a couple of DVDs so a total of about £150. DS turned 18 this September and has been told that now he's an adult he won't be getting a big present so will be getting about £100 spent on a few books, a tetris light for his room, a puzzle, some sweets, socks and pants and smellies. We only buy for immediate family so have 4 more adults and one child to buy for with a budget of about £25 per adult and £50 for my 8 yo nephew so will spend about £400 in total on gifts.

I spend about £500 per child. Santa probably spends about £200, we give gifts of about £200 and then £100 per stocking / eve pjs and book.

I save £100 a month throughout the year and this pays for most of it.

Curious, you are feeling peculiar about the amount you have spent on your children, by the sounds if it, the pile is enormous!

What about holding a handful back, then giving them as little treats throughout the year? For example, they have had a day of exceptionally good behaviour, been really sweet to her sister, helped you out or perhaps been poorly. Much better to stagger them if you are feeling uncomfortable.

We spoil DD too much. I don't monitor my spending on her, but I have probably spent a good £300 this Christmas, including books and I'll probably buy her some more things. She gets what she wants throughout the year as well. It's a bad habit we'll need to break soon. However, when we say no, she doesn't usually have a tantrum and just accepts it. She is 2.

All I hope is that, some of the people on here that spend loads on there children do a little something for charity too.

Depends on what they're interested in that year really. I don't consciously have a set amount I spend, no real budget to speak of. I just buy things I think they'll enjoy as and when I see them. This year I think I've spent £600 in total for the three of them, they're 4, 3 and 2. So £200 each I guess.

I've spent about £200 on my dd (7) so far this year. Will probably spend another £100 and her Christmas Day outfit/school party dress. Main present this year is a Hudl2 which I hope she loves. She doesn't play with toys really anymore and I wince at all the money I paid last year on plastic that which hasn't been played with (Barbie ship I'm looking at you). Having a clutter next week and a lot will go to charity shop in town.

It changes every year.

My ds 2 ended up with a bit more than the others. No I don't like him better, just the way it turned out.

It is getting very hard to buy things for my teens now. Everything costs so much more, their tastes are more expensive. An X box game can cost £40 alone! for my two youngest I can get them a much bigger pile of presents for pretty cheap. The teens piles are getting smaller each year it seems.

I actually don't know why people want to know how much others spend. You spend what you can afford and it doesn't really matter what others think does it? I often see these types of thread a place for people to brag.

plastic tat not that

Oh and with the people I know well irl £100-200 is what most people seem to spend.

Greer Dr-clutter not clutter......jeez I give up

I try to spend under £150 on each (I have four). This year I suceeded. Apart from with DS1...

£25 on stocking, £75 on presents each plus £30 ( total)for a family pressie of 4remote control cars. I think it's the time spend enjoying each others company and not a frenzy of unwrapping present after present.
Out dc are 9 and 11

Here's the thing
Ds (4) had asked for 3 things, he really really really wants them
They cost total c.£12 and tbh 2 of 3 would be standard things I would get him any time of year. The third? A little Lego man...

So have I listened? Sure
And also bought a load of tat he's not at all fussed about but I think would be nice for him or good for him (eg books) to last till birthday

But for me it's really clear- this year it's me not him piling over the top, even though it's not loads of cash

Give it a few years and I'm sure it will be iPads and all sorts being requested...

Have dd 6yrs and ds who is nearly 2, I spend anything from £70-£150 each but I try to get the best deals, they get essentials in stockings, clothes from us and it really depends what they want. They probably seem to get a lot to others but I've been quite lucky and found some real bargains! Ds is Elmo mad, loves him, I saw the new Big Hugs Elmo for £65 at Argos, have won one for £24 on eBay, hasn't been used and the lady who sold it sent brand new batteries with it too. Found a small hardbook edition of Dear Zoo brand new in our local charity shop for 29p!! That will be squeezed into his stocking!

I don't set a budget, I buy things they need or would like, usually £300-£400 each.

I buy from end of September usually.

Totalling it up I've spent roughly £250 on each on two DDs and another £100 total on DH/his family/my family

I haven't counted.. depends on what they are into. Youngest has got a laptop though so that was a decent chunk of change.

But yanno I'm not arsed.. We spent years with little money and have only been comfortable the past few so I want to spoil them with things they had to watch their friends get year after year.

Not much because they are 22months and 3 and I'm skint! I've had to buy DDs main present 2nd hand but she won't care.
I plan to save a set amount per month for next year so it can be better, I feel bad that they won't get much but my parents will spoil them and we will have a lovely Xmas lunch. Mmmmm, sprouts :)

They get one present from me each so I spend however much what they want is. In previous years it's usually been a toy they want at between £20-45. One year it was £6 between them .
This year it's a bit more at £65/70.
Father Christmas then brings them a present, usually anywhere between £5 and £25. He also brings a stocking filled with a mixture of useful stuff, treaty stuff, chocolate, and silly stuff. Also a tree decoration. The stocking often costs nearly as much as their main present