I just finished the christmas shopping for my kids.

[MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel]

Big Amazon order will arrive over the next few days (except for a game on pre-order) and I know it's not even November yet, but it's always such a relief to get the kids done.

Now I can focus on the food, drink, and other gifts (not that I really buy for anyone else).

Happy as well as I came in under budget by around £90 😁 across the 3 of them.

They'll get money from the inlaws and my parents which they'll spend on lego undoubtedly come January.

Anyone else finished? Hows the budget looking?

Also me and dh don't exchange gifts, as it all comes from the same pot anyway.

Nearly finished for DD9. Still have to get my mum and stepdads presents but that's it as me and DP don't exchange presents. I'm glad I have a small amount of people to buy for as it means I can get the people I do buy for a bit more.

My list for DD is -
A Chrome book (this is being paid off monthly as it isn't something we could afford outright).
Roblox nerf gun
A Squishmallow
Pack of 4 Pet Simulator X eggs
Roblox gift card
Smiley face bracelet from Etsy
3 x Candy Kittens sweet jars

Bits don’t have to be cheap tat!

I buy mine everything they need throughout the year too, I guess it all just depends on personal preference and financial situation 🤷🏼‍♀️

Foxglovesandlilacs86 you said it was miserable to get your older children one present with no extra bits.

But if you and your children as you admit yourself have expensive tastes then I can see why the amount bought and spent would be important and having just one or two well chosen gifts that may or may not be expensive would be miserable.

For many people it would be lovely because they are getting a kindly chosen gift.

This absolutely. Some will be struggling this year to get just one gift their child wants and probably feel bad enough without being told they are miserable.

Hooray 🎉🎊🎄My last and to be honest only second present arrived for DD(19) today. I have her birthday presents too. Easier because she is older and receives fewer gifts. Just the 3rd and final one for DH now and something for our hamster Lucy. Yes I know Christmas presents for hamsters because she is fully aware of the concept. 🤣🤣

DH said it’s fine to buy things for Lucy (hamster) but why in the hacking heck does she specifically need a Christmas present?

It isn’t as though I am humouring small children. It runs in the family. My mother had an birds lots: budgies and cockatiels and each year she would individually wrap and label two millet sprays for each bird. Even the two were separately wrapped so each bird had two presents. 😳🤷🏻‍♀️
There was no hope for me and there isn’t for DD.

But other people go nuts for their fur, feathered and even scaly kids (non-humans of course unless you have scaly offspring 🤣).

Only one pension to buy for this year will get next week did treat a friend earlier this week as could afford too then may not be able too in December. But food shopping mostly done now last few bits next week and stocking bits yes I know daft as on my own but I want a stocking so filling one.

Haven’t started yet but planning to this week. Tonight I’ll probably start making a list of what to buy each child and get the budget locked down.

Planning on getting partner and parents sorted over Black Friday weekend. Any other loose ends I’ll wrap up over the first week of December.

Oh and not planning on getting anything food wise until the week before. That’s only because my employer gives us x amount of money which can be spent in a food retailer and 20% discount off what we buy. So we’ll do it when the credit and discount goes live. Anything we can’t buy from that shop I’ll pick up that week somewhere else.

Blimey, some of these budgets are crazy. Our budget is usually £100 per child. This year we are getting them a combined present worth £240 (although hoping to get it on a deal) and then around an extra £100 between them on Santa gifts. Which means we're way over budget this year. But they will really love this combined gift, they've been saving their pocket money for it and have a total of about £40 saved so when we give it to them at Christmas, it will be a big wow!

I ordered a gift for DS in October and I'm waiting for it to be re delivered this week!

I plan to order the last bits by the first week of December.

What is it? :D

Have even finished buying for dearest hamster today. She has quite a haul. 3 for 2 at Pets at Home. So sorted for human DD and furry DD. 🤣🎄

Two early teens.

They want to go to America next year. Which is cool we all want to go to America. But that is going to be very expensive.

So presents under the tree is a balancing act this year. Will as always do the stuff they love, get dad to carry a freshly chopped tree down a steep muddy slope (with resident ladybirds no extra charge), make a gingerbread house from scratch (crushed boiled sweet window type level know your limits...."can we put a real candle in there?").

Oh yes and a European mini city break Easter.

They want to do and see stuff, go places. Difficult to wrap.

They will have something clearly.

Board game, books. Nothing stressful.

I'm done.
Have been for some time.
But the dreaded twitch has arrived...just in time for black Friday next week 😬🙄🤣

Stay strong!

I'm done apart from some chocolate for their stockings and a bottle of nail polish for DD2.

I’ve told my older ones to only list 5 things they really want and it can’t go over 400 I’m going to regret that aren’t I ?

well one child won’t but the other will see it as a personal challenge 😂

I have been presented with a Smyrhs catalogue with a Must Have circled... shes 9yo, this is our last Santa year... its £12...

Similar issue with my 9 year old, except she doesn’t want anything! She’s just had a birthday and was desperate for a kindle, which she got, and now she can’t think of anything she wants at all.

We had finished buying her presents! 😂

Its a cuddly snow leopard. She is very adorable .