How much do you typically spend on your DC

[GingerRH]

Making this post to satisfy my own curiosity.

There is no right or wrong answer - everyone is obviously welcome to spend whatever they wish on their DC, and I don't want anyone to feel shamed.

The reason I ask, is I'm on a FB group for LOL Dolls - SDD is obsessed. And I've seen several posts where children are being brought 100s of pounds worth of LOL's. When I say 100s one picture shared had £850+ worth of LOL merch for one child. Which to be is mind blowing.

So yeah, wanted to see what people typically spent. Wondering if we're being tight with her 😂🤣

Malooha, that is obscene. I’m sorry but it is. Not least from a landfill perspective. I also think it’s well over the bell curve into ‘completely can’t see the value of anything due to too much of everything’.

Your money and yes, you do have a right to spend it how you wish.

We have a criteria that presents must be affordable (budget varies according to how affluent we are at the time) , and either much wanted (a specific request from child) or needed (eg laptop for school, clothing). I have spent under £20 on DD one year as her wants were cheap!

Malooha, do you spend that amount every year? And if you were to have more DC, would you do the same for them? That seems a crazy amount of money. Why 2 electric ride-ons? And did you buy ALL the Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol play sets? Why not buy a couple of things from each and save some for his birthday? From my experience (I have 3 DC), if they have too much choice with toys at that age, they become totally overwhelmed and don’t play with anything.

Sorry, obviously it’s your money to do what you like with, but I don’t think you’ll get the reaction from your 3yo that you’re hoping for. They start to see every gift as nothing...it will be an ‘open, put down without even looking at it properly, next please’ thing.

@Malooha blimey, who knew paw patrol and Peppa were so bloomin expensive??

@CoffeeChocolateWine

Don't be surprised, there's another poster that will get whatever their child asks for, no matter the cost.

Different strokes and all that :)

If you are fabulously wealthy go ahead. In previous jobs I have worked with families affected by debt though and part of the problem is poor financial literacy and setting examples for spending that are unsustainable. As long as people are ok with that.

Agree @CoffeeChocolateWine when DD was 3 she got lots of presents (from extended family not us!) and she just found it overwhelming and couldn't focus on any of the toys properly. I'll just never understand a consumerist mindset.

Between 3 and 4 hundred for each DC. Ds is 9, dd is 3. That actually doesn't amount to piles of plastic tat. It's good quality choices that I think they'll enjoy and be worth the cost.

But I am conditioned to go big at Christmas, my childhood was the same.

I have a DS 9 and my DD is 15, i gave them a budget of £200 for a list to give me. with PJs, and stocking fillers they will probably get around £300 each

I have a £500 budget for presents this year. The children (2) have approx 400 and the adults (5) the rest.

I have one dd and spend around 150-200 on her. Even then, with all the stuff she gets from others too, she is generally overwhelmed by stuff. Her dad and I are no longer together so she gets a full on present haul from both of us, plus two extended step families buy for her now, too.

This year she has asked for her bedroom to be redone.

We’ve generally spent £100-150 including everything. Typically, this results in quite a few good quality toys (last year DS1 had a Hotwires set, Hexbugs set, board games and several other bits).

This year, both children are having bikes. We decided on premium, lightweight ones, but even second-hand, a good condition one for our eldest was nearer £200. Saying that, he is only have books, a helmet and dressing gown (needed) on to of his stocking, so probably nearer £250-300 this year.

Next year, though, I envisage the budget going back down a bit. Our children have always had plenty to open on Christmas morning, and often too much really.

I budget a 1000 to 1200 for 3 DD’s but don’t split amount evenly as DD’s are 11,5 & 2, the 11 & 5 year old write lists and also write one for the 2 year old to give me some ideas but I try to make sure they each have a big gift, a stocking full, a few smaller gifts to open and some new pyjamas and slippers and get a gift each off each other too, normally ends up being more towards the 11 year old and less on the two year old due to what they want

Around 200 for DS14. He has his birthday on the 5th so has had a joint main present for the last couple of years as the price has been creeping up as he gets older! This year he will have a switch as a joint present with a few smaller bits

I don’t have a set budget as such, I just pick up stuff as and when I can afford it. My parents always give me £100 to buy presents for them to give to her so I just let then choose from the stuff I’ve already bought. Just added it up and so far I’ve spent about £250 in total so £150 from me. She hasn’t asked for a big present so it’s mostly things like board games, books, baking stuff, science kits, new backpack, craft stuff and things like that. The most expensive thing I’ve bought was £30 and I got loads of stocking filler stuff in home bargains for £1 each

It’s my dd’s second Christmas so she’s really too young to understand or want anything. I’ve got her a wooden kitchen, some books, some instruments and a race track type thing and it’ll likely come to around £100 max.

It’s harder when they get older I think because everything is so expensive and there’s a lot of competitive parenting which often causes parents to take out loans just to keep up the Jones’.

There's a couple of these threads every year. Cue tutting and people saying things like: "We're not well-off, household income £80k" and that sort of stuff

ANYWAY - £300-£400 for DS (only child, 11). It is mostly a 'big present' which tends to be electronics of some kind, then some smaller bits like DVDs and such. To me it is a lot of money, we didn't spend so much when he was smaller.

This year..
£1400 gaming pc as joint family gift
Then roughly £150 on each child

I usually aim for under £350 each but computer is pushing it up. It’s got educational purposes too though

My daughter is four. I feel like I’ve gone overboard this year. Her main present is a dolls house with lots of Sylvanian, the house was £30 and Sylvanian about £100. We also got her a barbie set and some stocking fillers. So I think £200-250, this feels like an awful lot

I think also, stuff is just expensive now. It seems like only ten years ago, a must have furby was £20. A must have doll that cried or something, would be £30 tops.

Out of nowhere, plastic shite seems to be £100+ (I'm looking at you Lol doll thing)

£500 sounds a lot. You can't actually get a lot of hyped up plastic merchandising tat for £500 though.

You can however, get a lot of board games, puzzles, and good quality toys for half that, and often much less.

It's the "I've done £600 on Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig" that makes my teeth itch.

I have 9 year old triplets and tend to spend around £200 on each x

It’s mind blowing how much people spend on their kids these days. I’ll be spending about £50 on my toddler. He has a lot of relatives who will buy things and already has more than enough toys and clothes. If anything, I think that’s too much and I wish the relatives would spend less because it’s all just stuff that takes up space.

£150 on DS5

He's having everything he's asked for. Harry Potter Lego etc
He had a Switch earlier in the year - he just hasn't asked for any of those big type presents. I also know he will be more delighted with his stocking full of Hot Wheels and Fidget Spinners. He also has lots of relatives and is having a couple more big presents off DGPs.

Probably 1,000e each on the 11 and 10 year old and 250e each on the 26,25 and 23 year olds.

The younger ones have looked for a chromebook each which are expensive and then I am hoping to pick up fit bits and air pods as surprises around black Friday.

Trainers and sports gear will also cost a bit and then a stocking each.

Probably about £1200 on Dd (12 ) including her Bodyshop advent calendar (£45). We’ve never spent more than £250 before in total but we moved house this year and our desk top PC didn’t survive the move so she is having a MAC book for school work etc ( She has no idea). On top of that Lego gingerbread house, some make up, books etc.
DS 26 and girlfriend again are having slightly more expensive presents approx £110 each - normally they would have about £75 DS and £30 girlfriend. I just had a good idea this year, another year I won’t and they get much smaller things, last year DS had Port and a chilly bottle.
I won’t buy stuff for buying’s sake ( unlike DM and MIL)