Christmas presents how much do you spend on DC?

[Adelecarberry87]

A friendly debate - when do you think you've bought enough?
I make sure both DC have the same spent on them but DS is 7 , DD is 2. The amount of presents DD is considerably larger to DS. Even though they have had equal amounts spent on them. I still feel like i haven't got them enough dispite DH saying they have enough.

I'm glad to see people vary the amounts spent. My 11 year old's main gift cost three times that of my 7 year olds but the 7 year old will love it. They've both got a more or less equal amount of other gifts but DD1s are cheaper.

Mine have one main gift, and a stocking full of accessories to go with that main thing plus random bits. This year it's probably around £250-300 each. We try and buy quality over quantity

Amount irrelevant. I buy what they like/need.

i'm the same as many, most years, only a couple of hundred. This year, my DS has asked for a new PC, so with some other things to bulk it up, close to £900.00.

I don't grudge it. He doesn't get pocket money (his choice) and gets when he wants and needs which isn't that often to be fair.

It's such a difficult question. When they are younger, its easier and nearly always cheaper. XBOX games aren't cheap, it all adds up.

As much as I can comfortably afford and that feels appropriate. Threads like this are useless without people disclosing their disposable income etc as well - £30 for one person might be saving every last penny for weeks and so would be a huge amount to them whereas other people can easily spend several hundred without noticing.

I really don't see what the point of these threads is.

My youngest will be receiving an ipad mini, plus other inexpensive gifts, so approx £200 total. My eldest had an ipad mini last year, and this year has about £100 of gifts. I've tried to make the presents look roughly equal in quantity though.

I try and save 500 a year for Christmas, it then gets spent on food and presents for everyone not just the children.
I don't think of money for the kids just look at there lists get as much as i can afford and make sure the number of presents is the same. This is important because of how we do Christmas morning, taking turns to open and while DH and I finish before the children I like them to go in turn until the bottom of the pile.

It's a lot this year,both dcs iPads are barely working so new iPads for them both.

Surely depends on age. We bought a baby pushchair for my 4yo. It's £2.99 on sale from sainsbury. She's been asking for it for ages. I think that's good enough.

I don't know about 7yo. Do they know how much things costs? I'm sure your 2yo won't know.

Mine are only 13 months apart so value spent tends to be about the same.

Currently teenagers 15 and 14 and I think my budget is about £500 each but in practice I think I've spent more. I don't run a balance on my credit card so I've put most of my purchases on the card and although that also includes stuff for DH (and me ), I also know I've bought some stuff on my debit card and balance of card is up to about £1400.

This is the very first year I have had a reasonable amount of money so I have been a bit extravagant. They have about 10 things to open not including stockings but at 5 and 3 they are fairly cheap things. Then a main present around £60.

And my 1yo is getting a £7.95 gift. It's more expensive than her sister's. But since they won't know, I'm not worries about 'inequality'.

When I say I've used the credit card, I do have the money to pay it, I don't get into debt, I was just trying to keep all the purchases together so I had a better handle on what's been spent. Plus some of it is electricals so have better cover etc with the card.

Around £100 as only have one DC.

31 weeks pregnant so when have 2.around £75 ish each?

Grandparents and aunt (my sister) buy presents too so they will have some nice stuff.

When older (8+ maybe) will probably be more.

I think these threads are like the ones that compare weekly shopping costs. It's almost meaningless because what's included and what's not is a bit arbitrary. Some children have a £100 tablet and a bike as handmedowns, and get to play on big sister's games console. They might only get one £30 present for christmas, but in practice they might have a lot more "stuff" than others who get a £200 bike plus a games console for christmas. Some people include a pile of clothes, maybe boots & pjs too, others buy these as needed.

Olivia we only have an ancient wii so I've never needed to spend £30-50 on a game, but I'm sure our time will come. My 7 and 9 year olds' main presents are often well under £60, but not always, and it won't last forever.

It's completely irrelevant. People's incomes differ so bloody much that you can't compare.

I've just wrapped up 25 presents each for DC's stockings and 22 presents each for under the tree. This year I've spent massively less than every other previous year- the entire Christmas for thee kids (9 months, 7 and 9) and DH plus parents has come in at under 2k.

I've shopped carefully, used discount vouchers, thought about what they'd like, but also spent a fair amount on shit from Hawkins Bazaar and Tiger that they will love to open!

I do miss the days of lots of toys to wrap rather than console games, it looks nothing wrapped up, but the kids know the cost involved with games etc. I only have 1 believing in Santa now, but he knows we have to send money for his gifts.

I've just wrapped up 25 presents each for DC's stockings and 22 presents each for under the tree. This year I've spent massively less than every other previous year- the entire Christmas for thee kids (9 months, 7 and 9) and DH plus parents has come in at under 2k.

2k, I can't imagine that at all.

We set a limit of £100 for each of our two DC, we then decided what their main presents would be, and the rest of the £100 was then spent on extra small bits.

I tend to go for the same amount of presents rather than spend the same amount which is 8 presents plus a Stocking. My 8 year olds presents cost less than my 14 year old. My eldest knows her pile might look smaller as no bulky boxes but her presents have probably cost me double in price. Baby dd (6 months) will have about 5 presents and a Stocking and that's it.

To spend £60 - my eldest is only 6, but also we don't do big expensive gifts at christmas. They are saved for birthdays. For christmas I buy early and put things away, everything is bought on sale but is sonething they would genuinely love. £60 buys loads of small things at this age.

Obviously I expect to spend more as they get older but right now there is just no need and they wouldn't appreciate it.

Dsd 19, dd 17, dsd 12 and dd 10

Varied amounts and gifts. Oldest is getting cash and a few things. My teen and 10 year old both getting laptops. Dsd 12 getting a 3 ds. All three younger ones have more things to open than the oldest.

I don't think I've spent the same on each either but they are all getting things they want and things they will love.

I can't remember how many each has, I finished shopping weeks ago and its all wrapped and hidden in the loft.

Probably £70 ish. He's 15 weeks and I've bought him a lot of books

£180 on DC4. £100 on DD2. £120 on Magna tiles to share.
Then there's the board games I bought for about £30.
The Playmobil advent calendar was £10. Then the Playmobil Santa house was reduced to £20.

Christmas PJs and a few Christmas DVDs £30.

I think it's too much and less would have been fine. I just kept getting carried away. I'm not in debt or anything, but could probably have better used the money for a holiday or something.

I got so carried away for DC4 that I have £65 worth for this birthday in February.

I used bargain threads and got things reduced, but I don't think their lists of gifts actually amounts to an excessive number. It just adds up! I tried not to buy small bits of 'filler' stuff this year, so am a bit concerned that nothing will fit in their stockings!

We've spent about £150 on ds1 and £100 each on dd and ds2. Ds1 and dd have 18 things in their santa sacks (all low cost items), 1 big present from us and a £10 present from their siblings.