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?

250-300 quid per kid.(I've two). Safe up through the year so don't get in debt or worry about paying for it.
One also has a Christmas birthday which throws a spanner in the works some years however...fortunately this year Nothing on her list is insanely expensive.

What I spend is different each year and is dependent on a) the state of my finances that year and b) what they actually want.

I normally go main present (under £40), smaller present (under 20), some books. But again varies quite a bit from year to year.

This year the stockings are costing loads because there are a couple of smiggle bits in them as well as a couple of small but expensive other bits (eg a set of 100 postcards so they have no excuse not to write thank you letters and a lunchbox which they need anyway). That's nearly £30 just on those 3 items

My budget for everything is around £150. As in his stocking, bits for his Christmas Eve box and actual present. Only the 1 DS. I don't often spend the whole budget.

I've spent £65 on my dd - she will be 7.5 months at Xmas. I had to be really reserved though and could easily have spent much more but as she won't know I've gone for a stocking, new pjs and Xmas day outfit, then 1 big, 2 medium and 3 small toys (only £27 on toys)
It's definitely a case of money goes further with little ones! And as the first grandchild/niece she will be spoilt from family too. With teenagers I can see £300 being easy to spend quickly!

I'm not even telling anyone what we're spending on ds this year. Not worth getting flamed! People can spend what they want and for whatever reasons they want to.

IT is absolutely up to you what you spend on your own kids. I would never get into debt to buy Xmas presents so it all depends what I can afford each year.

This year it'll work out around £200-250 per child including stocking/Xmas eve pjs etc but that will be split between me and exdp, so instead of them getting two lots of presents they will have one Xmas with a slightly bugger budget iyswim.

Totally agree with posters up thread...you get much less bang for your buck as the dc get older

What I spend is different each year - I tend to go on number and size of presents rather than what they actually cost me.
I have tried to keep the main present at £50 or under, but if I was buying something like a bike or a laptop then obviously it would be well over that. We tend to get big things like bikes for birthdays instead of Christmas though.

This year, I have spent about £45 on two presents for DC1 and about £30 on two presents for DC2. Then they will each have a stocking, which will be another £40 - £50 each (haven't bought all the bits for those yet), and probably some there'll be some new pjs under the tree , and possibly some other clothes as well - potentially another £40 each.

It all adds up quickly, I'll probably end up approaching £150 per child, and I would say that I was really very modest and restrained in my present buying .

Absolutely shedloads if I'm honest. Can afford it. enjoy doing so. Have greatful appreciative kids.

Before I came off fb there was a girl I knew from my childhood who's not working, neither is her husband ( well known fact as she posted her life story constantly ) in fact neither have ever worked.
Christmas for 3 primary age dc, around £1500-2000 each! How?

Complete with picture after picture, Xmas eve and Xmas day in designer clothes. We can afford Christmas so this isn't a jealousy issue, it just shocks me how much there is every single year and how they afford it.

From what I've gathered on fb she equates the amount/number of Xmas presents as a sign of being a good mum

I'm trying to get a balance this year between a decent quantity of presents (dd1 is 3yo so will be in awe at a pile!) vs the fact our house is bursting at the seams with toys that don't get played with vs not spending loads.

I've been looking in sales etc since Sept and I think it's going to work out at 2/3 proper presents each and about 8 small stocking fillers for £150ish between two dc. DD2 is only 18mo so it's not equal ££ between them. I do think though dd1 will notice if there's not the same quantity and question FC's unfairness so I'm carefully counting!

Really depends on what circles you move in, where you live, how much you can afford, and what you prioritise!

Round here it's all competitive satsumas, but every toddler also has a £100 Polarn o Pyret coat and a micro-scooter. Where my SIL lives all the kids wear Tesco but have hundreds of pounds of the latest tech and games consoles each.

We're in neither bracket (handmedown coats and no tech!) but I spend about £120-150 on my 4 yo DD at Christmas, which from most MN Christmas threads I gather is pretty average. But I firmly believe that the presents should get better every year, so it makes sense to start cheaply while they're still unable to judge monetary value and impressed by cheap craft stuff and so on. The things that older kids want are always more expensive!

We do buy DD stuff throughout the year too, and I have given up giving practical things like clothes as presents, as DD just glances at them and moves on. It's all about the toys for toddlers! And I find that if you're not bothered about brands or particular lines of merchandise you can get nice stuff inexpensively - especially in the summer sales. I do a lot of discount gift shopping for bits and pieces at The Book People and the ELC sale, and normally then get a main present of about £50-60 from Father Christmas - in past years it's been a scooter, a wooden train set, or a big Duplo set.

I think this year will work out as £260 for ds (11), £220 for dd (9), £150 each for ds (6) and dd(4).
They will each get a stocking with about 8 things in and then 1 main present and a couple of smaller ones. I don't think we are excessive but things add up really quickly!

My parents have always spent £300 each on me and my two brothers (we're all in our twenties now and they still do!). Now that they are in their 40's they are quite well off, but were certainly struggling when we were children. I can't say for certain when the £300 per child budget started but it's been there for as long as we've known there was no Father Christmas, so definitely before they became "comfortable" financially.

I am adamant it was a ridiculous to spend nearly £1k just on Christmas presents, but they worked so hard and saved so hard for it so it must have brought them a lot of happiness to do so. Every year my brothers and I tell them that it's an unnecessary amount and it's about time they cut way back on it, and every year they refuse.

I probably spend about £75 on my DSD (DH probably spends about £40 - but I earn a lot more than him) and another £75 on her birthday present the week before Christmas. I think that's plenty, but always get the last minute panic that there's not enough!

I think if you can comfortably afford what you are spending though, then there is no issue with it at all. If you're going without food and heating to do it, then it's more of an issue. It's all relative!

juicychops

Xmas is once a year and i love it

• Yes it is, every year. YANBU to love it.

i have prepared and saved in advance this year so wont be getting into debt to pay for things

• Again, totally reasonable and NU.

Having a ds that is nearly 12 everything on his list is super expensive

• Hmmm, it isn't like he is 2 and doesn't know the value of money, but if you have already told him this level of spending is ok and have budgeted for it...

i dont want to risk him being disappointed only having a few presents to open.
HERE is where you turn totally U, and, tbh, into a doormat. You don't want to "disappoint" him?

I assume you have taught him it is the "thought that counts" and all that? To be grateful and not be greedy etc? I believe there is a thing on MN where you hand someone a grip. So here, have my first one.

Ds is 5 and dd is 20.
I spend around £200/250 on them. The difference being is that ds will have 20 odd presents under the tree and dd will have 3! And I've definitely spent less on ds. At his age it's very easy to get things he'll love for £5/10/15...
This doesn't include stockings so add another £20/30 each.

They're incredibly lucky that family members also get them a lot. My dm spends more than I do (around £350) and my dsis spends around £50/75 on them.
I do think it's all a bit too much but I/we don't get in to debt for it. If I could afford it I'd spend another £100 each. I can't so I don't.

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gowgirl so it's ok for you to put a picture of your presents because 9 presents is ok?

Agree with most on here, its all down to what you can afford so there is really no right or wrong answer. We have just the one son who is 13 so yes we do tend to spend quite a bit .... his main request this year is an apple iwatch which costs £369 on its own....will that be all he has to open....nope, but that is his main gift. As people have said games alone can be £40-£50 again we have got him his usual footie one.....it does all add up but we don't get into debt as we are able to afford it. You need to do what is right for you and your family and not worry about anyone else's as everyone circumstances are different. Just enjoy spending the time with your family as that is what Christmas its ultimately all about. Children grow up very quickly so enjoy the time together :D

Your sister sounds like a PITA.

Ask her to tell you what she is spending first and then say oh yeah, we'll be about the same, or make something up, or just tell her it's getting boring, it would be boring if we were all the same.

I'm in danger of straying into the arena of competitive satsumas myself but each to their own.

As long as come January you can still pay your bills and not be in debt it doesn't matter what Christmas costs..

I have two boys aged 6 and 3 and have spent £150 each on them at Christmas not including stockings. I am amazed at how fast it has added up as they have ten presents each, eight toys and two books. Their main presents are fairly expensive though my elder son is having a Leapstart plus the books that go with it and my younger one is having a large Magformers set.

Their stockings our the biggest nightmare, they are both autistic and it rules so many things out. Very limited options for sweets due to food obsessions, no bath stuff due to them eating non food stuff, everything must be safe if they chew it, no clothes/practical items because they wouldn't understand it was a gift. nothing they can't use immediately upon opening like Playdoh for example. So stockings can get expensive as all the cheap options to bulk out the stocking seem to be ruled out.

I save up during the year and I can spread the costs as neither child can ask for presents so I don't have to worry about them suddenly making a request. Their interests are generally predictable so I am in the lucky position where I can start buying early with minimal risk.

I've spent £520 between 4 of them, but value of stuff is £400 for dd9, £230 ds11, £140 ds3, £160 ds4 thanks to discounts/ vouchers etc. Dd's total was high as she's getting into photography and asked for a camera- I get similar numbers of presents rather than similar value and make sure they all get something they'll enjoy equally rather than have equal spends.

My budget is 250 per older
Child and 150 for baby chips. So far I'm
Not near budget and I'm pretty much done

I have 5 children.

This year they are getting £200 each. Maybe a bit more depending on Dec pay.

I probably spend £200-300 on almost 3 year old DS but we can afford it easily and i think I'm at least 50%elf (as is my husband) so why not

We buy within our budget. I refuse to take out credit/go in debt for Christmas.

Me too.

I have worked hard to afford the £200 each on my children this year. It has meant extra shifts and some night/weekend work.

If I could afford more I would spend more. They don't get much during the year, hardly anyone else buys for them. £200 doesn't even go far for teens!