How do I stop buying 'bargain' presents for DCs?

[cowssheephens]

Haven't bought anything yet but once I start I just can't stop!!

Ever year I say that I'm cutting down only to spend and buy more. It's a norm now for them to have 30-40 gifts each under the tree.

As a lot of them ar bargain price I feel it doesn't count and then don't bother sticking to the budget.

I have normally started to buy by now, I'm thinking if I leave it until October, I will have less time/funds to buy. Good idea?

Anyone else like this? Any advice?

They do need a new bike each, so that will be their main present. I never spend the same amount on them as DD has SEN and her bike will cost £££

[CakeNinja]

I haven't started yet, have 2 of my dcs birthdays in November (and 6 family and friends in December ) so I don't even start until December!
Goodness me, I was shocked when I saw you were thinking the bike was going to be 2K - that's more than My first car cost

I think in order to not be tempted, you really need to leave the Christmas topic!

[Badders123]

I'm done for the DC :) gone over budget but I always do
Will do the rest at end of November in one big spree.
Ocado delivery booked for Xmas eve.
Candy canes for tree, choc coins bought.
Xmas pjs and jumpers all bought (except mine)
Will get a tree in December at some point.
December is soooo busy for us...as it is for most. I just can't leave it all to the last minute. I have a rule I don't go into shops at all in December!

[cowssheephens]

cake yes, the cost is nearly 2k. The bikes are brilliant though and gives my DD the freedom to cycle like any other child. She loves being outdoors and cycling gives her such enjoyment, so it's well worth it.

badders well done, sounds like you are pretty much sorted! December rule of not entering shops is a good one, I think I will steal that from you.

[Nevergoingtolearn]

I am the same, usually end up buying far too much, this year I am trying to start later and will buy it all in one hit ( or 2 or 3 ) rather than buying bargains whenever I see them. Write a list and stick too it, I know most the things I end up buying are things they don't really need or want, most of it wont get used or played with or you end up with them playing with one cheap tat present and forgetting about the good ones, I can remember Dd a few years ago playing with a cheap tea set and not touching her bigger gifts, she would have been happy with just the tea set .

[Bimblywibble]

I think I overcompensate for them having Christmas birthdays that extended family don't really bother with. And I feel pressure to provide a whole year's worth of toys in December. And I don't want them to miss out because of their Dec birthdays. When DD was 4 she had one toy from us, and two cardigans, a ballet one from us and a hand knitted one from my mum. That was it. I felt shitty about it TBH. Now they get 4 or 5 things to open from us.

Also I really, truly believe that less is more toywise. They don't need a dolls house and a pirate ship and a castle and 7 happyland sets and 6 sets of lego. DD has 1 big set of lego friends, one medium and one small. That's plenty, any more would just make it harder for her to find the pieces she needs for each set. But I still struggle to reign it in.

Someone upthread said they worry they spend more time shopping for DC than playing with them. That is a really good point. My DC are busy kids with after school club and activities eating into their evenings, and when they are at home, one wants the ipad and board games, and the other reads. They already have those things... however many books I bought DD she'd never be satisfied! But they are lucky enough to have these classes etc and they are going to spend a limited number of minutes each week playing with new things.

[CakeNinja]

Oh I'm sure it's worth every penny to give her the same level of freedom and independence, just bloody shocked and wonder if it's slightly exploitative? Such a captive audience, although I have no experience of purchasing SN bikes myself so no idea whether or not they are competitively priced or if there are just incredibly few producers of such bikes.

[Hexenbeast]

Both dd's have got their bedrooms redeorated and ust how they want them, so they won't want anything extra that they don't need. And there's no room downstairs, so that is a main reminder for me not to buy anything just because it's a bargain.

They are having a main present - IF they can think of one, which neither of them can at present.
Then they have something to wear, eat, read, listen to, watch and play with as well as something cosmetic. On the run up to Christmas, if we go shopping and they seem very interested in something then I will make a note of it and maybe buy it. I def try to avoid complete surprises now because I can't always guess what they would want.

[rageagainsttheBIL]

Something we did which gave us a focus and a £ limit was to make a present buying challenge part of the Christmas experience.

(We as a society consume way too much. It's not good for the planet, and this is what drove this idea, along with trying to save money that year.)

We wrote 5 "challenges" for presents each on folded up pieces of paper then picked a few out of a hat.

The challenges were stuff like:

Something handmade
Something free
Something 2nd hand costing no more than £5
Something beginning with W
Something older than you
Something made from something else

It was actually loads of fun and gave us a really clear focus to distract us from Amazon... Might help with your twitch??

[PrincessHairyMclary]

I buy what I want and then when I'm wrapping will keep some that might be a little older back for her birthday etc.

DDs an only child and only grandchild on both sides . She has 3 Christmases (with me and my parents , with her dad , and then his parents ). She gets so many presents she can still be opening them. 4 Days later lol.

[Badders123]

Princess...we have part of that issue too. Boys are only gc on my Dhs side.
And for 5 years he was an only.
Mum is a widow on a pension so has a budget and sticks to it. She tells me what she wants to spend and asks me to get the gift. I order on Amazon and get it delivered to her house.
My pils are a nightmare! They ask for a list. I send an Amazon wish list end of October (sent it last week) and then 2 weeks before xmas they will phone me in a panic and tell me they can't get anything on the list!
Argh!
Well order it a bit earlier then!
They do the same for birthdays...its infuriates me!

[HerdOfRhino]

Just re-reading this thread in the hope it stops me buying ds a toy hoover, that he doesn't really need...

I can feel myself twitching.

[fuzzpig]

Twitching here too

Most of my purchases have been planned ones though. I just keep them all on a wishlist and pounce when the price drops.

And yet...

[HerdOfRhino]

Glad I am not alone, fuzzpig

[janaus]

Every year, I tell myself, that I will only buy my 8 grand children, 1 decent present each, but what has happened again... one fairly decent present, and a sack full of bits and pieces, clothes, books, etc.
I love it, think they do too,

[fuzzpig]

Oh hell. I really shouldn't have read through this thread. Thanks to a particular offer mentioned upthread I am now twitching more! And no, I won't say what offer it is in case it tempts others. I'll take this one for the team :o

[BertieBotts]

Restrict time for shopping and restrict money available for shopping.

I think too many presents can be a bit overwhelming and they don't seem as good somehow when there are loads of them.

[EmGee]

I have stuck to my guns this year and not twitched!! I could've bought some Playmobil stuff, a Barbie house, clothes from la Redoute, sainsbo's etc with all the deals on but I have managed to say no!!

While this is indeed an improvement, I have also virtually shopped for those items over and over again, put them in the basket, taken them out, put them back in again, put in my card details, deleted them.....so time-consuming!!!!

But progress has been made. Maybe next year I will be able to limit myself to looking at the bargain/Christmas threads once a day only.

[chrome100]

Your DD's bike will cost 2k?!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!?!??!??!?

I am a keen cyclist and have three different bikes myself but still....wow.

[FilthyRascal]

I have not been following the bargain thread this year in an effort to restrain myself! It has definitely worked to some extent but decided as it was December I should probably get started -now I have a a huge list of presents I want to buy for the DC and am trying to be restrained. Every year they have too many things - I'm making a big effort this year to stay on track but it's so hard when you see something they'll love.

[fuzzpig]

Em that's good progress! I find that once I have added something to my basket, there is rarely any hope

This is the first year I've actually wrote down every Christmas spend (even down to the wrapping paper, which I always buy in Boots in January) - it's been interesting seeing how the spends mount up. I'm not setting a budget this year, as I wanted to see what I do spend and then use it to set one for next year by rounding down this year's total.

I really must remember also to include other December spends in the budget - my best friend (the one friend I always exchange birthday gifts with) has a December birthday, and my new great-nephew is turning one this month too. I must also allow for the odd token present for others at Christmas too, and plan for it, rather than panicking at the last minute.

[WiryElevator]

One of the greatest pleasures in my life is giving to my children. I remember as a child how much pleasure it gave my own mother, and still does now.

DH comes from a frugal family and I find their gift giving very sad.

So I say, do it if it makes you happy.

[HerdOfRhino]

After watching ds play with his toy lawn mower, it would seem he thinks it doubles up as a hoover anyway!

[ElasticPants]

Past years I have been massively excessive. I always start shopping early, hiding everything in a wardrobe, then recoil in horror once in all in a pile waiting to be wrapped.

This year I wrote out a spreadsheet. All DC get one book, one puzzle etc, and I crossed each item off as I bought it. They don't have a handfull of similar things like they have in the past, and I chose them things they would really like, rather than a few board games each from Home Bargins because they are cheap.

To avoid going over board this year I am avoiding all shops now I'm finished