How much do you spend on children that aren't your own?

[BeccaBloomwood]

We do a secret santa for the adult family members which takes a lot of the financial stress away, but we still have a lot of children to buy for.

Excluding our own children, we have 13 children to buy for including nieces and nephews.

I was going to suggest to family friends the possibility of just exchanging a chocolate santa or little sweet treat this year, however they got in touch with us first to ask for suggestions and I suppose I was too embarassed to suggest the above in case they thought I was cheap

Is £10 for a gift for a family friend's child too cheap? Last year we received lovely gifts from them which seemed rubbish compared to what we got them, but we are trying quite hard to save money for an upcoming expense in the New Year so my budget isn't great.

How much would you spend on nieces and nephews? I was thinking £20? We also have 3 birthdays coming up before Christmas and 1 in early January so that doesn't help 😂

Finally, would you appreciate a £10 giftcard in lieue of a present? I don't want to pick something that will never be used and thought a giftcard might be a better option as the parents can chose something they will use or put it towards a bigger present? I was thinking Waterstones vouchers because who doesn't love books?!?

Thanks 😊

[Newuser991]

I spend quite a lot of money: £50 or more on my DN but I only have one child to buy for so I do spoil them.

With 13 children I would say £10 is too generous.

[cloverbug]

@Bikingbear I had assumed they were cousins, my bad!

[Clearasmuddypuddles]

I’ve done £30 on my sisters child, but only £10 each on my husbands siblings children as there are 7 on that side.

Friends children we have agreed to not do presents and have a day out instead.

[MisiSam]

I spend about £15 on nieces and nephews my oldest nephew is 8 though so I'll I might spend about £20 on him this year. I spend under £10 for my cousins children and best friends child. We've just stopped buying for adults now although we did a secret santa before and that was good!

[user68634]

£30-40 on nieces and nephews (I have 4) £10-20 on friends children but don't buy for many.

[2Christmassybyhalf]

If you have more than one other sibling, perhaps you could team up?

Eg family X has grandparents, 3 adult children (AX, BX and CX). Adult children have 3 children each (A1X, A2X, A3X etc).

AX and BX buy jointly for C1X, C2X, C3X, similarly AX and CX buy for B1X, etc. etc., etc. So children get half the number of presents, but each present is a bit more expensive than a single aunt/uncle would buy?

[mam0918]

@Parbor

One sil has a strict £15 budget per child. To the extent that if something costs £13 she makes me find something else for the other £2 (pils are the same)
Other sil has a flexible £20ish budget
My sister’s children get a lot spent on them, probably £50-60. She always spoilt my older two as they were the only ones for a long time. Now I like to spoil hers.

Godchildren up to around £30

eh... she MAKES you spend exactly £15?

you dont get to demand someone spends a specific amount or demand to know how much something was.

[Whathappenedtothelego]

Around £12-£18 for nieces and nephews.

Under £10 for godchildren - usually a book for about £8.

Don't buy for children of friends (unless we are going to meet up near Christmas, then would buy them a £2 chocolate orange or something like that.)

[pinkksugarmouse]

I think book tokens are a good idea but would possibly go for National Book tokens. Much better for parents than having relatives give more bits of plastic and nice for children to choose a book themselves after Christmas when much of the excitement has gone.

[sailingclosetotheedge]

I've only got 5 nieces/nephews so I probably spend £30-40 on each.

[goose1964]

We have 5 grandchildren , it's £25 each for Christmas but two of them have birthdays just after Christmas too

[Snog]

£30 each for my godchildren

[BeccaBloomwood]

Thank you so much for the replies, I'm glad that people seem to think book vouchers are a good idea, I know I'd love nothing more than a good (covid-safe!) browse in Waterstones to chose a new book!

We've decided to take a few names off the list, they were on there because it just seemed wrong to not get them a gift as it would be baby's first Christmas but as the parents have never bought gifts for our children it might be best not to buy anything and save both sets of parents from feeling obliged

[Equimum]

We spend around £15 on our nieces, and £7-10 on the four other children we buy for.

[39weekswithno2]

Around £30 each on my niece and nephew. Around £15 on second cousins.

[39weekswithno2]

I used to spend a lot more on niece and nephew but my Dbro can't afford to do the same and I don't want to embarrass him

[WitchesSpelleas]

£0

[TeenPlusTwenties]

£20 each, but only ever had 3 at a time to buy for.
If I were buying for 13 it would be £10 (or not at all).

[WellTidy]

Nieces and nephews - about £25. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.

Friends’ children - between £15 and £20 lately.

[sunnyday1976]

We do £20 for DNs, but nothing for friends children. We all decided to just do birthdays. So much easier/cheaper!

[CatchingWind]

£10 each for 4 nieces, 4 nephews and best mate's 2 kids. Usually get books.

[toothfairycat]

No family children.
Friends though, spend £5-10 per child and we buy for a family of 4, 2 families of 3, a family of 2 and another only child.
We enjoy exchanging gifts with them but would also not mind if they said not this year. We can’t suggest this as only have one.

[FuzzyPenguin]

Around £10 for my close circle friends children, although I may need to review this as more and more are being born. £40 on my niece this may go up as she gets older but the money will come off her parents presents. We set a family group total to be split however the gifter wishes.

[Wherearefoxssocks]

£15-20 on 6 nieces and nephews. Slightly more for birthdays.
I usually buy a xbox voucher and selection box for my friend's DS as well

[Squashbanana125]

Between £20-30 on my nephew. That’s the only other child that’s not my own I buy for . My sister normally gives me an idea of what he wants