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.

I have spent around £150 on each (older teens) and a extra £25 on stockings. I don’t really have a budget, some years I spend more than others depending on what they want/need.

I don't have a budget just buy what they want (within reason). This year have spent £300 on dd who is 11 and £110 on dd who is 7. Wouldn't normally spend that much but eldest needed a new phone (is actually a refurbished one so could have been worse.

My gift list app says I've spent £138.85 on my little ones gifts (he'll be 16 months old 2 days after Christmas) but I still need to order his play kitchen. I budgeted £300 but his gifts are hopefully going to last a few years.

I've also spent £11.49 on the stuff in his Christmas eve box and £10.75 on his stocking and they're done 😋

My DC range from 9-16. I have 4.

Over the years, the spend has been anything from £500 each to £100 each. Some years they've been younger, therefore cheaper. Some year's we haven't had much, others we've had more.

This year, 3 of mine have 'big' ticket items (roughly £300 each for those) and one doesn't. That one did last year when the other's didn't though! It depends what they all want and whether we can manage that or not.

I will probably spend around £2500-3000 this year on DC and DH. That looks like 1 main gift, around 5 smaller gifts (such as a nice hoodie, book, accessories for bigger gift etc) and a stocking each. We have absolutely no extended family, so they won't receive anything else.

Christmas has felt as magical on a year when we've been skint as it does when we're better off...

I don't have a strict budget as such, but the past 2-5 years it's worked out roughly £150 for my son.

I have spent £600 on my only daughter, including her “sofa” gifts and her stocking and I could not care less what any one thinks about it or the judgment. It’s my money, I worked hard for it and she’s my child, I decided what she deserves and how much she gets.

The judgment on all the “Christmas budget” “Christmas tradition” posts is unreal and unnecessary.

I've spent way too much ... I'm not gonna say. I started buying back in January though & had one kid completely finished by mid summer 🤪
There's got to be a happy medium.
They're going to have an extravagant Christmas but next year I think I'll leave the buying until later 😅🤗