When did Christmas start becoming more expensive?

[Betty94]

Hi all,

I have a baby due in January (so he's not getting anything this Christmas well not in the traditional sense anyway) but it got me thinking when does the cost really hit?

He'll be 11 months next Christmas so wasn't thinking of getting him too much as they don't really understand and don't really need that much anyway IMO.

I'm probably over thinking it but was just wondering how it changed over time and what people thought about it?
I know obviously the more kids you have the more it costs but he's an only at the moment (and thinking of staying that way).

This has kinda been inspired by someone on Facebook posting a mountain of presents for her 2 year old and I thought I'd have more time before I really need to dish out the cash

Also, to make it more fun if you want to post your Christmas list below and ages of children then go ahead. Might give people some good ideas x

I get a lot of pleasure out of choosing presents, thinking about what will get played with etc. My eldest is 8 and this year he has basically asked Santa to guess what he wants! So I've got free reign and have picked things that I think he'll enjoy and particularly things he can play with his brother, they've become best pals this year which has been lovely to see. Youngest is 4 and asked for "a food maker that makes any type of food" and an ice cream maker. I'm getting him an ice cream maker (plus Lego, superhero stuff, RC batmobile) I'm thinking of it as a silly extra though with it being a kitchen gadget!!
I like to get things that are easy to set up and play with on Christmas day and always include a board game too.
It was only last year that they were 3 and 7 that I felt like I needed to match up the present piles, ds2 wouldn't have noticed before that age. I think from about 3 they start to notice ads and toys that friends have so it might be a bit harder to keep costs down after then.

@Betty94

Hi all,

I have a baby due in January (so he's not getting anything this Christmas well not in the traditional sense anyway) but it got me thinking when does the cost really hit?

He'll be 11 months next Christmas so wasn't thinking of getting him too much as they don't really understand and don't really need that much anyway IMO.

I'm probably over thinking it but was just wondering how it changed over time and what people thought about it?
I know obviously the more kids you have the more it costs but he's an only at the moment (and thinking of staying that way).

This has kinda been inspired by someone on Facebook posting a mountain of presents for her 2 year old and I thought I'd have more time before I really need to dish out the cash

Also, to make it more fun if you want to post your Christmas list below and ages of children then go ahead. Might give people some good ideas x

I also want to say my DS came a month early at new year so if your due in january dont fully rule out the possability (I was taken by suprise because everyone insisted first babies are always late and it was long ago before I had internet access).

for a newborn (if you do pop before xmas) the dont really remember and its more for you but I wouldnt rob myself of the joyful memories of the first xmas even when the child doesnt understand (my youngest was only 2 months but it was still important to me).

but my oldest at 11 months old for his first xmas he very much enjoyed it. You have to think what it the first xmas for a child born just after xmas is the equivilent to a 2nd xmas for most other children, by nearly a year they are aware and alert and excitable.

Here only the stockings are from father Christmas- everything under the tree from us or grandparents. So they know who to thank, and they know that we won't spend stupid amounts of money.

I try to avoid buying things just for the sake of it - so stockings are mainly small toys they want and chocolate and funky pens.

They never write a list to santa - MIL gives us a toy catalogue and they go through that and choose stuff. Based on that and what we know they like, we buy the presents. We try not to go overboard and honestly there's rarely been anything that has "failed". Even the couple of toys that I thought they would love and were initially ignored are now played with regularly 2 years later....

Only thing we don't give for Christmas is clothes (although this will change once teenagers if they start asking for designer dtuff) and generally books. This year they will have 2 books each but books are something I buy as and when they are needed.

I think it can get more expensive when they get to school age and start wanting what their friends have. My DS who is almost 7 has asked for a switch this year. I don’t want him left out of minecraft conversations at school so I’m sucking up the cost and getting him one off Santa. Also he’s too young really IMO to just have the switch and a game to open while his sister has a nice little pile of presents so I’ve also got him a few other bits to open. So yeah, this year will definitely be more expensive.

Also the days out once you start actually paying for the children really do start to ramp up.

If I had any advice for new mums it would be buy second hand and don’t go overboard on toddler toys! They fill your house and the toddler/baby doesn’t know what they’re missing without them.

When they’re about 7/8 ime. My older DC are 8, 9 and 10 and they’re only interested in technology now rather than toys. So last year they asked for a tablet/Nintendo switch for DS which set us back a good £500 in total. Obviously got them some other bits and pieces too but yeah, there’s no way around technology costing a lot even with decent Black Friday deals. This year the DD’s want a camera each and DS has asked for a laptop... They won’t get much aside from those main gifts but yeah, it’s a lot of money.

My younger ones are 3 months and 2. They barely cost a thing in comparison. The baby’s main gift is an IKEA high chair and toddler DS is getting a balance bike which was about £50.

..... about 1978

Also the days out once you start actually paying for the children really do start to ramp up.

This is true. My younger two tend to be free (places are often free for under fives) but the older three often cost as much as we do. Visiting Santa is always astronomical so I just don’t bother anymore, it always feels like I’ve been ripped off.

@Blownaway1

I think it can get more expensive when they get to school age and start wanting what their friends have. My DS who is almost 7 has asked for a switch this year. I don’t want him left out of minecraft conversations at school so I’m sucking up the cost and getting him one off Santa. Also he’s too young really IMO to just have the switch and a game to open while his sister has a nice little pile of presents so I’ve also got him a few other bits to open. So yeah, this year will definitely be more expensive.

Also the days out once you start actually paying for the children really do start to ramp up.

If I had any advice for new mums it would be buy second hand and don’t go overboard on toddler toys! They fill your house and the toddler/baby doesn’t know what they’re missing without them.

Do you know Switch is definately what the others have?

My DS and his friend all play minecraft and they are split between PS and Xbox, I dont know any that use a Switch - we made the mistake of getting a Wii back in the day and that was never used

My DS has both Xbox 360 and PS4, he chooses to play PS4 as thats what his best friend has but only 2 other friends play the PS, most his other friends play Xbox... it is a bit awkward when they play on different networks as the cant connect to each other.

Speaking from experience for me it has gotten cheaper because although as people point out as children reach teens they want more expensive things this is something that I have more spread out over a year. Plus DD has never been interested in consoles or brand lables.

I have over bought in the past when she was younger but not to extreme and never went into debt.

Back in the 80's and 90's though my parents definitely went into debt for presents for me and four siblings. I learned about this when I was still a child (my mother oveshared everything and I mean everything). I told her then I would prefer she spent it on the others and not me. Protective big sister.

In summary I think the push to overspend and over buy has been around a while but obviously the Internet and social media have amplified it.

@AlyssaJ12

My children always want more and more. Now my elder one is asking me to buy a coffee machine. She really likes coffee, and wants to learn how to make coffee with plant milk by herself. Now I am thinking about buying a coffee machine on Christmas…but seriously? One day I think that it is too much, and the other day I can do everything my children ask to make them feel good. May be somebody has a coffemachine in the house and can recommend me a cheaper one, because the ones I came across are really expensive www.coffee-statistics.com/best-bunn-coffee-maker/. Or may be I should hold myself under control and not to get crazy trying to please me children…

Speaking as a Vegan a coffee machine isn't necessary for making coffee with plant milk. Before buying a machine I would ask.

How old is she?

How long do her interest last?

How much does she like coffee with plant milk? Does she drink it in coffee shops? Has she tried it at friends houses? Too expensive if she is just experimenting IMHO.

Mine are under 4 year old and they get about £100-130 each thats it I'm happy with that

For us it was around 8/9.
We give a main gift, some surprises and smaller bits in a stocking.
Until 8/9 the main gift wasn’t too expensive. It was often something daft, imaginary or impractical. Often something they had set their heart on but would have very little play value or be a disappointment on the day I’m looking at you stupid flying fairy

So it made sense to me to pick out a few gifts that would suit them well and bring them as surprises.

But around 8/9 they started hankering after more expensive things for the main gift, but they were still very attached to the idea of their surprises (which were always the best part). I fully intended being firm about it and saying that they could ask Santa for X but it was a big gift so they wouldn’t get as many small surprises but they weren’t really mature enough yet.

Other dc might be. My eldest has asd so it complicates these things a bit as he was going through these dilemmas first. I could also see a situation where, as the eldest, he’d always have a smaller pile than dd, because his desires and needs would change and I’m not sure that’s fair either.

Anyway, long story short, we increased our Christmas budget, and expect to do so again as teenagers.

The pile isn’t huge; maybe 4-6 well chosen things that are always used. Sometimes I feel I should have just done main gifts and stockings but I think there were good reasons not to. Maybe if I was starting again, I’d eliminate the main gift and encourage them to expect a surprise but once they get to school, they are exposed to the idea of asking for something.

I do still enforce some budgetary constraints of course, and by MN standards I’m positively mean. We also have a policy of not giving tech gifts (so far) as we wanted to be very clear on screen limits and privileges. They have access to tech but not ownership at this point. So I’m not even counting what we have spent on iPads etc.

We don’t do a huge amount of activities as ds can’t handle it. We see a cheapish but amazing Santa, and I take dd to a show, and ice skating every week. But it can be very expensive if you do a lot of activities and santa experiences and that starts young.

As everyone else has said, it absolutely doesn't have to be expensive. Decide on your budget and stick to it. Both DH and I grew up in very similar household, one 'main' present from our DPs and a stocking with smaller, fun (and practical) items in it and we have stuck to the same with our DS. Fortunately we don't have extravagant relatives who insist on piles of presents, my own parents are very generous towards my DS, but it is the form of putting money aside for him for the future.

When he became a teenager and starting asking for tech type gifts we always explained what the budget was and the year he wanted a (second hand) PlayStation he put half towards it.

Start as you mean to go on and don't worry about what other people do. There is a lot more to celebrating Christmas than a pile of presents.

I've never gone over board on Christmas paid for 'experiences' - I loathe pantomime and the one time DH took DS they walked out as DS was scared . We lived in a village when DS was younger and there were lots of community events - free or very good value. Christingle and Carol services are free apart from a donation.

Now we live in a town and (pre COVID) there were still lots of events that really don't cost much.

@AlyssaJ12 - you can get stove top espresso makers for £12-15 and then a separate milk frother for £17-20 (Aldi do one in their Ambiano range every so often)

With those I have made lattes and flat whites all through 2020 (and I was a Costa addict)

But you also have a quick way of making hot chocolate if this is a fad

You have to resist the escalator of consumerism, I mean I love all these things but for a family
4 x posh choc advent calendars at £8 each = £32 (throw in a beauty or gin one or two and it's nearer a hundred)
Christmas pyjamas x 4 =? £40-60ish
Christmas bedding x 2 = £40ish
Christmas eve box x2 = £whatever more
Chocolates and small gifts for Christmas stockings x 2 should = £20 in my head but in reality I probably spend £40 each (make up, nice lip balms, gadgets, lindt chocolate) and we do parents stockings too!! So I've just imagined £200 plus if you have all those things before 'big' presents and food.
And have a budget for the 'big present' and little presents because it's so easy to go over for everyone.

We always used to buy presents that were essential and probably needed to be bought anyway. We just saved up,the purchases for Christmas. Things for out of school activities, books, clothes.
We’ve never done commercial Advent calendars. We have a couple of refillable ones and a candle holder.
I can’t imagine ever even thinking to do Christmas bedding - sounds like tat.
We’ve never done Christmas Eve boxes. You don’t celebrate the day before someone’s birthday.

Our decorations are meaningful rather than tasteful. Lots of greenery swags and homemade wreaths, candles and cribs. I buy tartan or velvet ribbon but not much else. The baubles are hand me downs and homemade ones from nursery days. Some are from special days out and holiday souvenirs that have been added to over the years. Our fairy lights must be over twenty years old.

It can be as expensive as you want - certainly as teenagers they had increasingly expensive presents because we had more money. We still didn’t do false plastic hype though. For us it’s about tradition, shared celebration and consideration of others.

Yip to resisting consumerism.
Advent calendars are expensive, it was fine buying 1 toy one £25 but I do grudge buying two. I've a big gap between my kids so I can't even get them to share. Kind of hoping the eldest will out grow them soon.

I don't do Christmas themed clothing other than the odd t-shirt or jumper, jumper bought big to get one year bit big, one year ok, and if your lucky squeeze a 3rd year out neat.

@ScrapThatThen

You have to resist the escalator of consumerism, I mean I love all these things but for a family 4 x posh choc advent calendars at £8 each = £32 (throw in a beauty or gin one or two and it's nearer a hundred) Christmas pyjamas x 4 =? £40-60ish Christmas bedding x 2 = £40ish Christmas eve box x2 = £whatever more Chocolates and small gifts for Christmas stockings x 2 should = £20 in my head but in reality I probably spend £40 each (make up, nice lip balms, gadgets, lindt chocolate) and we do parents stockings too!! So I've just imagined £200 plus if you have all those things before 'big' presents and food. And have a budget for the 'big present' and little presents because it's so easy to go over for everyone.

see that seems insane to me, I have a toddler and nearly teen (birthday on new year) our spends on those items are nowhere near that:

Advent calender = £0.75-£1 (x2 - paw patrol & nerf this year, just standard chocolate, when did that change isnt it still the norm?)

Christmas PJs = £5-£15 (x2 - they are actually new Character PJs not xmas themed, Me and DH dont wear PJs, this is one of the more expensive things purely because nice teen sized PJs for boys are hard to find and suprisingly expensive - I usually outsource as family ask to buy the PJs)

Christmas bedding = £0 (I have never even heard of this)

Christmas eve box = £5 (x2 - book, toothbrush, bath item, gingerbread, hot chocolate and cereal + PJs but havent include that cost since its listed above)

Chocolate and gifts for Stocking = £10 (x4 - mostly sweets like chocolate coins, chocolate orange and others that are bought in big multipacks with a few silly little usable things like stationary items and maybe 1 cheap toy/gift)

really the stocking price seems insane now when I consider its £40 for 4 but at least the sweets last a while and get eaten (DS2 has been muching through them all year at a steady pace and still has some left)

Sorry I don’t know how to link names but to the pp who responded to me - what?!!!! I don’t know much about gaming tbh. I know a couple of his friends definitely have a switch but have no idea if they’re all also playing on x boxes. I didn’t know it made it difficult across networks. I can definitely see how Christmas gets more expensive if you choose the wrong console

Whatever age they start getting in to Lego is when it starts getting expensive! My 11yr old would like Diagon Alley, which is £370. She still believes so I'd love to make what is highly likely her final year believing, absolutely magical. I've already bought lots of other Lego though!

@1stTimeMama I've deliberately hidden the existence of Diagon Alley from my two DDs for that reason. Even my mother, who loves to go overboard and spoil her grandaughters baulked at that price!

I think it becomes more expensive in the late tween/teen years. Where you start buying consoles/console games/laptop etc. Before that you can get a good few presents for not too much money. I have a 13yo DS and 8yo DD and my DS presents are a lot more expensive! I don't spend as much on my DD as her DB as I spent less on him at the same age and will spend more on her in her teen years.

To give some kind of comparison:

Stockings
DD (8)
Light up microphone toy
Robofish toy
Wind up toy
Doll clothes
Doll nappies
Rubbers
Pencil sharpener
Cost: £20
DS(13)
£10 Costa giftcard
'Zelda' Amiibo
Harry Potter keyring
Pokemon cards
Cost:£40
They also both have in their stockings:
Beanie Boo cuddly
Magnetic/wooden game
Chocolate marzipan
Sweets
Christmas socks
Chocolate coins
Satsuma
Candy cane

Their main presents this year actually cost the same but DD's will be bigger/more parcels. DS has a big pokemon card set and DD has a keyboard, stand, stool and 3 music books.

DD has other presents that are cheaper like felt tips, colouring book, lipbalm, hair things, Primark clothes.
DS has pokemon tins, pokemon t-shirts, pokemon card album, (can you see the theme?!) Switch game.

Both also have a board game and I'm making them a hamper each. They will contain shortbread biscuits, favourite chocolate bars, chocolate reindeer, chocolate orange, snowman bath bombs, nice shower gel and bubble bath, hot chocolate set and a couple of novelty items - DD has reindeer ear muffs and christmas scrunchie and DS has christmas spatulas and a jelly bean candycane.

Echoing lots of people

Get stuff they'd have anyway - pyjamas (you can also get away with socks and pants if it's their favourite character), bubble bath/shower gel, mug, books, jigsaws, stationery, craft, swimming goggles, hobby accessories

Father Christmas only brings the first-thing-in-the-morning unwrapped stocking presents: most of what I've mentioned above made more exciting by a pile of sweets and maybe a minifigure or something; we also used to do CDs and DVDs but they appear to be falling out of favour nowadays

Have a sensible budget for main presents

When they're at the age of Writing A List, make it clear that it's a list of suggestions - they probably won't get everything on it (my two spent many a happy hour going through the lego catalogue working out which they'd like best, which was totally unfeasible, which was in Auntie Ali's budget...)

Second-hand is fine so long as it's clean and fully working

All of this will be totally unquestioned until they're about 5 (or possibly ever if you get one like my older)

I definitely agree about the letter to Father Christmas/wishlist being suggestions. My eldest never did a letter or list when younger. My youngest has picked it up from school. I also now ask my teen to send me links of somethings he'd like so I get the right thing. These can be used as suggestions for any family that ask too. But they have no expectation that they will get everything they ask for whether from FC or us. When people feel they have to buy everything on a FC letter or wish list I think it's madness.