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Christmas

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Original poster

Christmas presents how much do you spend on DC?

162 replies

Adelecarberry87 · 10/12/2015 10:12

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
Adelecarberry87 · 10/12/2015 14:54

I thought spending the same would keep things fair. Although DH has went out and got DS an extra present last year. My DS is my DH SS so he does go to his DF and get a whole load of presents on top of those from my side, my husbands side, DS Fathers side and his DW side. Ex has a further divide in his family as his parets are both remarried so he does get a lot. I just struggle what else to get him. I just wondered how people divide cost between various age ranges.

OP posts:
myotherusernameisbetter · 10/12/2015 16:58

You get a lot more bang for your buck when they are little so I definitely spent a lot less when they were toddlers etc. But equally at that age they got more throughout the year as they were developing at a faster rate. I spend a whack on my teenagers now but aside from pocket money, they get birthdays (mid year) and Christmas. Clothes are bought as and when required and they have had an adult sized bike for last 4 years that hasn't needed replaced but got new scooters a couple of times as they use them for regular transport.

If I had children of different ages I wouldn't keep the amount of cash the same but keep the presents roughly equivalent in number/type. Things for younger children generally cost less for the same item. e.g. pyjamas for a 4 year old can be picked up for £5-7, for a man sized teenager you are looking at £20 minimum. A ride on truck for a toddler about £30, a bike for a teenager £300 plus.

blibblibs · 10/12/2015 16:59

I've just done a rough tally and it works out at about £200 each. DC are 6 & 7 and I try to keep the amount of parcels even rather than the cost. They have 9 presents each from Santa and a stocking.
They both only put 3 things on their list to Santa (which they have) but I know they'll love the other stuff too.

MTWTFSS · 10/12/2015 17:29

Each child will get 2 gifts each:

DS1 (4.5 years old) - £21.73
DS2 (3 years old) - £29.05

They will get an additional 4 presents to share totalling £42.43

I know they will love their presents, and when they are older I imagine Christmas will cost me a lot more.

sweetsomethings · 10/12/2015 17:33

£1000 on my 6 year old DS

chanie44 · 10/12/2015 17:57

I've spent about £100 each on my 2. Their stockings cost about £25 and then they have a couple of bigger toys.

Mine are still relatively young, so they are cheap to buy for, although I suspect we will end up spending more as they get older.

NantucketNightbird · 10/12/2015 18:15

Friendly you say? Wink well I will admit it then. around 1200 each on ds12, ds8 and dd5 about 800 on ds3. Stockings then around 50 each. They have presents from nobody else. The whole of Christmas Day is focused on the children in our house and adults don't have presents plus everything comes from Father Christmas. We buy gifts for nobody else. We get into no debt the children still go plenty of places. This is just how we choose to do Christmas and I would never judge anyone for spending £10 or £2000. It's the best day of the year Grin

oobedobe · 10/12/2015 19:18

We don't have a set budget, but I aim for around $250 per child (125 in UK pounds), probably a bit less on the 3 yo.
They get one big gift from Santa, then a sack full of small/medium size gifts, chocs/sweets - $150ish
They get two/three presents from us - $100ish
Then they get few presents/clothes/money from family too

They are only 3 & 7, so I can usually get good deals on toys etc. I also sold some unplayed with toys so that contributed to the budget (good way to make room for the new stuff too).

Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 10/12/2015 19:32

monkeyface - so 47 presents per child?

To whoever was asking about numbers of presents. Ours will have a full stocking, 1 main present, 1 shared main present and then some books. If I see anything else that I think they will really want I will buy it, but other than that no.
They will have gifts from grandparents, aunties and uncles on top of that so more than enough.

CrikeyChrisThatsCrazy · 10/12/2015 19:41

SweetSomethings I have a 6 year old, can I ask what you've spent the £1000 on?

Stiles · 10/12/2015 19:54

I don't keep track of costs, I don't don't make it equal money spent and I don't do equal number of presents.

I just buy what I know they'll like and that's worked fine so far.

This year my eldest is out the toy age mostly and knows he'll get a lot less number of presents than his brother, as he would like a couple of expensive gifts. Youngest is still in the Playmobil/dinosaurs age range.

There's only 3 years difference but they are very different with different interests so have never compared 'piles'.

fuzzpig · 10/12/2015 20:14

A lot. This is the first year I've actually kept track at all! It's a couple of hundred on each of my 2 at least, but I'm going to properly add it up once I'm done twitching - I'm going to mess about with the spreadsheet I've kept, and look at how much I spent on particular categories like books etc. The plan is to then round the total down and use that as a budget for next year.

A lot of it is things that see them through the year like PJs and socks, activity books etc. The DCs (8/6) came out of school this year so a lot of it is fun stuff related to our home ed topics. They don't tend to get things like DVDs and board games throughout the year so they arrive either at Christmas or birthdays. I've added to the musical instrument box so that's about £100 alone - I guess in terms of expense that's the 'big ticket item' really although it won't have the wow factor of previous years when they got a big playmobil set.

My parents and grandma prefer to give money rather than shop for gifts, so a portion of what we've already bought is then labeled from them, and we use the money to pay for their sports etc (which everyone agrees with).

I don't aim to spend the same amount, just keep the piles even and roughly equivalent (especially as they have very similar interests)

JemimaMuddledUp · 10/12/2015 20:42

It depends. This year between £100 - £150 per child. I've used a lot of discounts and offers to get it down to that. DC are 9, 11 and 13.

MsJamieFraser · 10/12/2015 20:56

a lot, would not like to think of it tbh, Xbox one, games, headphones, additional controller, 2 new TV's and a Ipod touch comes to about £650/£700 and that's only main presents.

We don't get into debt and other than birthdays this is only when they get, however I do only buy when we get a decent deals.

ohtheholidays · 10/12/2015 21:07

No idea how many presents they have 20 each at least I would guess.

I've managed to buy 22 presents for each of they're stockings without even trying,I kept getting the twitch over DS14 stocking.DH has banned me from buying any more stocking fillers,just as well really or they'd each need a black bag by they're beds instead of a stocking Xmas Grin

FifteenFortyNine · 10/12/2015 21:18

crikey, looking at some of these figures, kids get really expensive when they grow up! thankfully i only have 1 DC who's just 2.5 so I can still get away with charity shop toys or poundland toys, I was thinking maybe getting him 2 presents to open, if it's more he'll lose interest. He'll still get presents from friends and relatives as well so will have more than enough.

Toastandstrawberryjam · 10/12/2015 21:25

A lot. So much that I'm scared to tot it all up. But in my defence I've saved all year for it and we have had an utterly crap year. Their dad has left, we are NC with other family, and middle DC is recovering from a serious illness. We didn't think she would still be here for Christmas. Next year I will budget properly but this year they will have a lot to make them happy. They will have very few gifts from other people this year and a very quiet day.

RJnomore1 · 10/12/2015 21:31

I actually have no idea and I don't count the presents. I just buy what I think they would want and like as I see it. Dd1 has a birthday on 27th too so I am buying double for her. No one ever complains, they don't act spoilt and we don't go into debt although occasionally I pay things up like last years MacBook for dd 1 which I got cheaper from Isme on interest free for 12 months than from Apple due to an offer. In cases like that I reckon the money's better in my account than paid out immediately.

peggyundercrackers · 10/12/2015 21:48

Too much as usual. I keep seeing small things and think it's just one more little present but I guess they all add up - it's not just for the kids but for others in the family too. Dd has 4 big things and lots of little things as well not just from us but from everyone else too. We are in the middle of a clear out so we can fit all the new stuff in - up to now we have 6 crates worth of clothes to dispose of and about 8 bags of toys.

BastardGoDarkly · 10/12/2015 21:54

I just buy them one main present each, and lots of smaller ones. I don't worry about what's cost what, and neither do they (DS 8 DD 4) they'll be chuffed to bits with what they have.

But to answer the question, probably £150 on DS and £90 on DD? I'm not done yet

If I had the money, I'd spend a lot more.

MERLYPUSSEDOFF · 10/12/2015 22:40

I counted my boy's presents up and they have approx 30 each. 1 Largish (£30) box of lego, a few boot sale puzzles, pound land stationary, socks and hat/gloves, activity books and a couple of small things like the Daily Mail free lego kits. Also a disney dvd which is becoming a 'thing' each year.

Their birthday is Jan, so although it looks a lot it is less then £70 each.

TheHouseOnTheLane · 10/12/2015 22:47

Fifteen keep it small as the years go by or you will find it very hard when they hit 10 or so.

My mate has it right...she gets them one "big" gift and three smaller. They never expect more because that's all they've ever had. That and a stocking. She has no stress at Christmas and of course relatives swell the pile a bit.

myotherusernameisbetter · 10/12/2015 22:53

Mine get some money/cheques from relatives but enever any gifts, so all of Christmas comes form us, hence the bigger budget and gift pile.

ineedaholidaynow · 10/12/2015 23:13

Nantucket why do none of the adults get presents? Don't your older children want to get you presents? DS(10) loves choosing presents for the rest of the family, and has done for a number of years. Don't your children think it strange that adults don't get anything?

myotherusernameisbetter · 10/12/2015 23:26

In our house, DH and I aren't really fussed about presents, we generally buy ourselves things we want if and when we can afford them. However we do make an effort to get each other things at Christmas and Birthdays in order to show a good example to the kids :) They also like to buy us things - well they did when they were younger - teenage boys shopping? not so much! When they were early primary, I used to give them £5 each and send them into the pound store to choose a gift each for me and DH and 2 gift bags each to put them in. I waited by the door with my back turned so that I didn't see what they were buying but made sure they didn't wander from the shop. They could choose to save the extra pound or spend it in the store.

They were actually pretty good at picking things - especially for DH. One year he got an insulated mug for camping and a little travel CD wallet thing. I think they were only about 6 and 7 at the time. That same year I got a set of antlers to wear and "a lovely necklace" from DS1 - it was actually a set of beads for a Christmas tree but I wore them all day anyway :o

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