What's your budget for your DC?

[crymeout]

Hi all,

I just wondered how much you're budgeting for your DC's this year? Obviously the cost of living has gone up so it might be less for us. Usually budget £500 for presents and stockings for 2DC (age 3&5) but I think that DP is thinking more in the £300/350 range (for both of them). Also, do you split the budget equally or that they have the same amount to open? TIA.

Absolute max of around £100 each, but could be less for DD (6) as she will have more to open than DS (10).
DS will get a computer game and a couple of books/other things to open.
DD will look to have more as she won't get one huge item like the game.

I don't set a specific budget per child as that leads to spending for the sake of it. It also depends what they ask for.
I have a Christmas and Birthday's saving account that I add £50 to per month throughout the year and that usually covers all/most for both children's Birthday's.

Probably £100 max, DD (4yo) gets 1 main present from us, and maybe 1 or 2 little things, and 1 small present in the stocking from Santa, usually a new soft toy or something she has asked for specifically from santa

don't have a budget as I would never spend X for the sake of it.

We don't have a budget, and she's only 4 so I imagine our approach will change as she grows

Several dc here... One year £175 ish each plus stocking costs. No other family so what they get is off us only.

I never set a budget as I agree with with PP; it can lead to spending for the sake of it.
I couldn’t tell you the costs, but they all have the same number of gifts as that’s what children notice, not the cost.
This year, DD wants air pods and a Fitbit whereas DS2 wants the paw patrol tower which is only £50 and the plane which is around £30 so obviously his will work out cheaper.

£50 for DD, 3. she gets spoilt rotten by a large number of extended relatives anyway. Usually that money buys several books, some kind of stuffed toy, a slightly larger present like a Vtech toy, a couple of jigsaws (she’s mad about them) and a few dinosaur related items. Usually buy from the Works, The Entertainer etc.

350 on toys a toddler will get bored of within a few months is madness.

Mine are only young - an under 1 and an almost 3 by Christmas.

No budget as they're so small they don't know what Christmas is. The little one won't get anything from us and 3 yr old will probably get nothing either as she gets random stuff throughout the year.

They'll get a gift from my mum and dad and probably one from my brother. That's enough at their age.

Not looking forward to older christmases when they'll be asking for something specific.

People spend within their means so doesn't matter what other people do. I personally think £500 is an obscene amount of money and can't imagine children appreciating that much. I will spend around £50-100 depending on what they ask for.

I don’t set a budget but usually it comes in at around £100 each.

DS4 is getting a bike that cost £150 amd probably another 60 on other things.

Dd1 probably around 100. I like PP save 60 each month to cover christmas presents, extra food and Christmas outings.

DD will be 10m at Christmas. We have set a max budget but it may be under that- £130 for stocking and main presents.

Should add I have spent just over £60 on main presents so far. All in sale or 2nd hand including a free push along trolley. As well as the trolley (and blocks to go with it) she has a couple of other toys and some clothes I would have brought anyway but in nicer brands than I normally buy (frugi etc).
And I have spent just over £20 on stocking bits.

Our daughter is almost 3 and we’ll spend around £50 plus a small stocking. She’ll be inundated with presents from family so there is no need for us to buy lots.

I expect to spend around £150-£200 on each child. I'm struggling for ideas this year as neither needs much so I'm planning to buy each of them two or three toys and then wrap up sweets, pyjamas, socks, toiletries, etc. A lot of the excitement seems to be in unwrapping presents and I'd rather they had a couple of things then that they can concentrate on playing with. I appreciate this sounds like a lot of money but, for example, one Nintendo Switch game can be £50 and a small tin of Pokemon cards another £10.

Surely this is a pointless comparison as it completely depends on your household income.

I think £500 for a 3 and 5 year old is insane. We have a combined income of around £150k and I wouldn’t spend that much.

About £300 - £400 each, but I have teens and trust me that doesn't go very far!

One wants a ticket to go to a music festival next year. We won't pay it all, but will probably give £200 towards that, then add in some clothes, new perfume, a small stocking and I'll easily be at £400 with not such to show for it at all.

I miss the days when a £50 item would buy something big or wow. Won't even get a pair of fairly ordinary trainers these days.

I think budgets are sensible to prevent you overspending. It's not a target in my eyes, it's an 'up to' cap. For when I put things away and forgot I've bought them until everything comes out right before Christmas to be wrapped.

I don't know what our budget is for DD, but she is only 2. We are thinking of getting her an easel and or balance bike so with a few smaller things that could easily be £250. But without the big items could be more like £100. Will have to decide nearer the time if they two bigger presents seem appropriate or not!

Yes that's how I use a budget. Absolute max of x. I keep a list on my phone of what I have and what it cost.

£100 for my 3 year old, it's plenty at her age, I'd like to be able to spend a bit more once she's older.

£500 over a whole year, they can spend it on Xmas, birthdays, clothes, and random buys

£200 for DS1 who is 3, £100 for unborn baby DS.
Ceiling, not a target. I update a gift app as I go so I can see where I'm at and don't forget what I've bought and where I've hidden it.
DS1s money will cover 1 or 2 Christmas books for his 1st December box (which is really just a box of his old Christmas books that come out each year and I'll add a little Christmas colouring book or stickers) his stocking and his main gifts. So far it looks like this year I will spend about £130ish and I'm hoping to stick to that. I don't like to buy too much volume, it's stressful and unnecessary. He gets loads from family too.
Babys money will cover his own special personalised Christmas stocking, bauble and wooden Christmas box, plus a few small token gifts like cloth books and rattles etc.

I don't set a budget, they get a main present, a medium present and some smaller stocking presents. I don't spend equally. Each year is different depending on what they want/need. If one of them needs a new bike then we might spend £350on the main present for that one. Main presents over the years have ranged from bikes, nerf guns, dolls, football shirts, bigger legs sets, toy kitchens etc. I might spend anywhere between £50 and £450.

Roughly £100. They get a main present from us £30-50, then 6 medium santa gifts (£5-10), and a stocking with sweets and small gifts like stickers (£10-20).

We put £10 a week in savings, which covers £100x2 for Christmas, the same again for birthdays, then £100 towards Christmas gifts for other family