How much do you spend on your DC

[whattodo2019]

How much do you spend on their stocking?
How much on presents?

When they were toddlers, you could get a decent main present for £20 or even less.
This year, their main presents are camping equipment. Easily over £100 (I'm not entirely sure on exact cost, DH chose and bought it all). Other, small presents like books and baking stuff about £20 each total. Stocking stuff... About £20-£30 each (includes a new book and a beanie boo, plus smaller bits like stationery, craft kit, toiletries, sweets, cub badge etc. )

I think it depends in your financial situation and also the age of your children. I tend to spend a bit more on my teen than I do my younger children and no doubt as they get older there presents will be slightly more.

Quite a bit but they don't get stuff throughout the year unless they've saved for it. Usually for birthdays they get a decent present but more is spent on an experience or party.

Ds (14) and dd (10) are getting a ps5 and an iPad respectively this year so before I bought anything else it was expensive. However we don't get into debt and we always also donate to charity etc. Also this year we should've been on a holiday of a lifetime and I'm fucked off and using retail therapy.

I don’t count.

DS- maybe £600. He’s getting a laptop footy boots and then some other bits

Dd- about £400. She’s getting a chrome book, a Lego set and a fur coat then stockings.

It’s possibly more. I don’t track it. We spend within our means.

When they were smaller it was second hand and much much more frugal. That simply won’t cut it now and it’s not a stress. So it’s all good.

My parents told me recently that there were some years they could afford to splurge on me and my siblings, then others they could afford a few quid each on charity shop toys. I honestly never noticed the difference. I just remember lots of laughs, playing board games (from the charity shop) and having family around me. I really don't think it matters what you spend. Christmas is not a time that should cause debt or undue stress.

I aim for a spend of £150 but realistically it’s nearer £200. We did an iPad once but as a joint gift with family.
DS is 16. Luckily not interested in any branded clothes. It’s all minimalist plain black t shirt and jeans.. Requests for no visible labels. Massively into OC rather than consoles so it’s usually bits to build on to his own.

I find it’s other people kids that add up frankly.

Probably about £100 each but they're only 3,4 and 6 so not wanting their own expensive electronics etc yet.

@ivfbabymomma1 Hi. I’ve got a similiar aged baby and I’m really struggling for ideas. What have you spent £800 on??

I spend about 3.5k between 2 DC Xmas and birthdays ( both have dec / jan ) birthdays.

We're at the £50 end, but that's because we buy things through the year as well - plus DD's birthday is in December, and there's no way we can predict at the things she'd like/benefit from for the following year.

Last year on one of these threads, one poster said they were spending £1,000. But it turned out they were buying a musical instrument for a child who'd already reached grade 5, and needed a better instrument to progress. £1,000 was what suitable instruments cost - we'd probably buy that separately to Christmas (should it ever arise), and still be able to say we 'only' spent £50 at Christmas despite our child getting the (hypothetical) instrument and another gift.

Not worked it out don't want to know as its far to much I ds12 has had alot more spend on him tho with hardly anything to show for it were as dd5 has more than enough for alot less.

@Somewhereelsewhere we've got him a baby yoda, a build a bear, a rocking horse, some crafty bits, some of the Aldi wooden toy collection, a vetec jungle set, a Thomas the tank set, some craft sets with the invisible ink pens, a ride on police trike which was from Aldi, some of the bigger toy story toys & some Peppa pig toys. Aldi/lidl toys at the moment look so good!

DSS 17, £250 only because he refuses to make a list and will accept cash only
DSD 13, £1000 includes an iPhone upgrade
DS 8, £500 mostly of Lego
DD 4, £300

I'm spending about £500 on DD who's 7. Plus probably £400 on a switch for me and her to share. I spend about £20 on a stocking and £50 for her Christmas eve box (new pjs, board game and a book).

I save all year for Christmas though, she's my only child, we have no debts and during the year she only gets a small amount of pocket money each month, so birthday and Christmas can be a little bigger.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked at the amounts here. I grew up in a financially comfortable family but my big present was always under £60 even into my late teens and since then as adults my parents and my siblings maybe spend £20 on each other. I now have a good salary and only one child (3 years old) and I always buy second hand but good quality for environmental reasons as well as cost. He got a great balance bike and playmobil pirate ship and book for his birthday for less than £60 altogether and I wouldn't spend any more than that at Christmas. Hate the materialism and the amount of money being spent when so many kids are starving or in dire need - and that's not to be a misery about christmas! You can still open loads of presents and make it special in loads of ways, just without spending so much money! Maybe I'll be eating my words when my son's a teenager I guess...

@mswales

It depends through we are not really that materialistic as people. I don’t wear make up, have 1 pair of trainers and one pair of boots. Don’t get my nails done etc don’t smoke and a light drinker ( maybe 1 bottle of wine a month ) we have a modest home, modest car. We don’t have loans.
The kids get nothing apart from clothes and pocket money all year.
So we splash out at Xmas.

DS(10) getting an IPad - £320, DD(14) IPhone 11 (£600) and DS (16) -PS5 (£350?). But there will be extra things bought and a stocking each. I would rather spend extra and get them something they really want and will use every day rather than waste money on any nonsense! They aren’t v materialistic at all and rarely ask for anything throughout the year. I take my daughter shopping and we barely buy anything!

@Whattheactual20201

I think we are a similar family. I also only have one pair of boots and shoes. Sometimes I think I should have more stuff!

Honestly have no idea.
Don’t particularly budget for presents but have plenty of disposable income so don’t get into debt or use savings. Dd got an iPhone 12 this week which probably would have been ideal to give her on Christmas Day but it is what it is ..

About £100 per dc.
That includes main and stocking.

If your dc are under 10 & your spending 500 plus per child what are you buying?

I really struggle with ideas

mswales

It's easy to buy second hand when they are 3, and too young to ask for the latest Paw Patrol truck at £45 they've seen on the telly. And then it gets worse as they get bigger wanting lego, and games consoles, games look nothing but cost a small fortune.

I do feel for parents whose kids see these ads and who don't have the money to spend. The pressure must be horrible.

Sometimes the cynic in me wonders are these threads started by toy sellers / manufacturers trying to work out what they can get away with charging.

@boboroll
My 7 year old is getting

Drum kit and piano as main gifts 🤣 that’s 500.00 gone

[quote Whattheactual20201]@boboroll
My 7 year old is getting

Drum kit and piano as main gifts 🤣 that’s 500.00 gone[/quote]
I hope you've got yourself some ear defenders and plenty wine for the neighbours

Ha!I feel like we spend loads, but we have a strict budget of £100 per child (3 children aged 11, 10, and 6).
We then spend around 100-300 on a family gift to be shared by all of them - this year it is Mario Kart Live ,so £100.

My mum does their stockings - sweets, bath bombs, stationery, etc. Probably about £20 each on those.