how much do you REALLY spend on your kids? i think im in denial...

[juicychops]

every year my sister asks me how much i spend on my ds (only child) and every year she is shocked by the amount that i say. She has 2 kids so would obviously have to spend the same on each so maybe has a smaller budget than me.

Xmas is once a year and i love it and i have prepared and saved in advance this year so wont be getting into debt to pay for things. Having a ds that is nearly 12 everything on his list is super expensive but i dont want to risk him being disappointed only having a few presents to open. I have had the talk with him and he understands that he wont get as much this year as all of his things are expensive and add up to a lot, which he was fine about, but still, i would like him to have a reasonable amount of presents.
My budget was £200 but it will look as though i will end up spending nearer £300. Is that really terrible? I feel like i need to justify spending that much, and in my defense i dont buy him much at all through the year as he has to save his own pocket money to buy his own things.

But i suppose im just asking is that over the top and spoilt? or around normal?

Between Christmas and her birthday the following day, I normally spend around €300-600 on DD. That's because last year it was an Xbox and she really wanted it as did DH. This year, her ipod screen smashed (after 4 years constant use!) and needs replacing, so she's getting an iPad mini, but that also needs a good case, and her earphones are getting dodgy too so we're adding a pair of those to the main present - she needed a bike in September which we were going to get for her birthday, it was given but as an early present then.

Overall, her stocking and new PJs etc cost about €50 (included in overall cost above). She doesn't generally need new clothes for Christmas Day, but there is usually something casual under the tree for other use from us.

But we can afford it, we prefer to buy good quality on lots of things (so Canterbury tracksuits - €€€ - but she wears the 6 she has on a CONSTANT basis as she has no school uniform and wears these for school and a lot of sport, so they get hacked to BITS over the 1-2 years she fits them). And we also use it as an opportunity to get useful things, like camping or scout gear, always a few books, probably something on the fun end of educational, and a few pure fun things as well.

And I do buy good presents for everyone else as well.

I spend £100 on each of my 3 (20,20 & 11) They have 4 or 5 presents each to open (no additional presents from family) and have always seemed delighted and happy with that. We are not miserly or po-faced or believe ourselves morally superior we just appear to have very few material wants lol - sometimes it's a real struggle to get them to come up with even one thing they really want. I have always been that way from a young child (never really wanted anything badly enough to ask for it) I guess they've got that from me. My dd gets more excited about the vast quantities of cheese we have in the house for the festive period.

I do know people though (incl. close family members) whose children have close to 100 presents each and that does if I'm honest seem a but ridiculous, opening them all just becomes a ripping and dumping session and the kids don't appreciate any of them.

I'm sticking to a budget of £120 each child this year. It doesn't seem a lot but I buy them things throughout the year as and when they need stuff. I have no doubt that ds 13 is going to be disappointed on xmaa morning but he has been behaving like a spoiled entitled arse in recent months and is going on an expensive school trip abroad next year so I am going to ignore his sulks on xmas morning.

About £75 a head on stockings, & £150 on 2 presents from us. But they know the stockings are from us too, they just don't want to admit it!

I am reining it right in this year for 5-yr-old DS and I'm not being a po-faced misery! I just know what he has masses of toys already and doesn't need much more - but we do have a big family so obviously that does take a lot of pressure off me. So I'm planning on about £100 for stocking and presents.

About £400 but this includes items for his (very expensive) hobby and we only buy for, and DS gets from, close family and very few friends.

Bloody hell Six if DS dared to sulk on Christmas Day his presents would be going back!

I budget £200 on each of mine (3) and they're 7,5 and 4. I probably will end up spending around £150 on each of them but I've worked hard shopping around for budgets and started in July!

I know people who think nothing of spending thousands per child and ones who'll spend minimal amounts. Makes no difference, they all enjoy Xmas. My mum told me she used to spend £50 on me and my 3 siblings which seeks tiny but I never remember Xmas being anything other than awesome.

We usually spend around £500/£600 on each DD (we've got 2) We have the money available, certainly don't get into debt or pay for it on credit. I think you should spend what you can afford. I'm sick of people asking us how much we spend and then screw their noses up at the amount saying it's too much.... sod off is what I tell them, they're hard working, sweet girls who aren't spoiled throughout the year and we love Christmas!

I'm spending just over a hundred on each child, it works out to around 6 each, some books and a joint board game or something. It always seems plenty and whenever I've gone for more it's always seemed one or two too many. We have a small family but they get a couple from grandparents and a couple from extended family so this fine. I know it always seems a lot on the day and can't imagine them having more than ten each, they would get jaded.

They also get a stocking not sure how much that will be.

Mine are still little so I imagine it will be harder as they grow, but then again it's down to what you can afford.

I find it interesting seeing what other people do though, there's no right or wrong after all.

If you can afford it and it's sustainable then I don't see a problem with spending that much.
We spend £75-100, though DS and DD are only 4 and 2. Not because we're trying to be competitively tight, but more because they're young, and they get loads from family and friends so we don't want to overload them.

I always get puzzled by the responses to threads like this (though most on here seem to spend what I do.)
There always seems to be a lot of posters who write things like "I am getting mine a satsuma, a pencil case, a colouring book, a board game and a bubble bath." Yet, I can almost bet that the child's room is as full of lego, plastic tat, millions of dolls/soft toys, little ponies etc as the next child (my caveat here is that this will not apply to anyone living in poverty). Now, either someone is downplaying what they actually buy, or they have plenty of relatives or friends who are also buying lots.
For mine, I save monthly. I spend £250 to £300 per DC (23,19 and 9) and £175 on the long term girlfriend of DC 19.

Try to stick to about £100, but ds aged 9 gets lots of gifts from other family so he has plenty to open. I think it is good to have lots of bits, I.t is the thrill of seeing e pile of gifts and the unwrapping. I buy small fillers like crafty stuff from pound shop. He enjoys this stuff more.
We have also booked a panto which is unbelievably £££ , 23 each no concessions, I love a panto though

That sounds fine op. All in all with 3 DC (two teenagers and a five year old) day trips, Santa visits, food and family gifts we spend around £2000. If we didn't have it I wouldn't but we do so I do iykwim.

always down play what you spend on Christmas gifts, never tell people what you earn and certainly never tell people how much your weekly food shop is. Unless you want no friends that is... you spend what you can afford, end of.

Bloody hell Six if DS dared to sulk on Christmas Day his presents would be going back!

I was tempted to buy his entitled arse nothing but DH convinced me otherwise. Ds is expecting a big pile of presents and I have told him in no uncertain terms that he isn't getting what he expects so get used to it. I'm not usually mean but ds seems to not care about the fact that money is quite tight in the house and he constantly loses PE kit etc and then expects us to just replace it - he has stopped losing it now that he has had to replace several things from his pocket money

2 DDs aged 11&9

Spend £15 each on stocking
£200 each on tree presents - clothes, games, bigger stocking fillers
£100+ on main dependent on what it is. This year mains are £250 & £500 each but they're big tech gifts. Normally it's £200 ish on the mains each

We spend £50 on ours, same as birthdays,but we have plenty of food and drink which seems to matter more to them

£20 for each DC.

I added it up the other day and so far £170 on DS (4). He has a big present, a sack full of medium presents and a stocking. I have shopped wisely using Argos 342, Amazon price drops and home bargains. RRP of the stuff is quite a bit more.
DGP have spent £30 on a main present (both RRP £50-60, I helped them bargain hunt!) from each side of the family plus I know they will buy books and other smaller bits too.
As he gets older I'm sure we'll end up spending more.

The amount I spend has gone up as they've gotten older. It's easy to spend about £100-150 on a small child and get a lot. When you have a teenager then that same amount buys a couple of computer games. I think I spend about £500 (or more) on each of my 2 teen DSs and have for the last few years. They both have summer birthdays so we spend on them twice a year and don't inbetween other than the odd book etc.

If they have expensive things that they would like then sometimes they contribute to them from saved up money. They've also had things such as their room done up for their birthday, which some people would do anyway.

It does sound like a lot, but we are lucky to be able to afford it and DSs are appreciative, well behaved and never ask for anything until pushed.

I think that's normal TBH I've spent £300 on my husbands presents so far. Baby will only be 5 months so won't really be getting him anything.

Mine will get a main present around the £30 mark and about £20 on stockings...they get lots from grandparents , relatives etc but still nothing exceeding £50 a go...iPads etc aside I'd genuinely struggle to think what could cost so much???? And £100 for a 9 week old baby????
Mine don't have a clue what they want either. They aren't bothered about presents as much as the day but I think possibly cos get things throughout the year (again nothing big) .

I don't think it's terrible, have learnt never to admit to spending on children at Christmas on here as it's always criticised if it's more than an orange and chocolate coin.

In real life, most people I know spend lots at Christmas.

Some spend weekly on wine, beer, nights out etc whilst others save to they can do large events like Christmas etc.