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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

How much do you spend on your kids for christmas

72 replies

Laureli · 16/05/2023 16:26

we have 2 / 6yr and 9yrs

starting from our next paycheck till November paycheck me and my partner are putting away 50£ each, every month - this should give us 350 for each child

OP posts:
Yousee · 16/05/2023 18:43

About £200 -250, including advent calendar, 1st December box, stocking and main present.
Probably less this year as I'm planning to revert to chocolate advent calendar instead of toys as we are more confident in how to handle DS diabetes and he will be absolutely thrilled with a small chocolate every morning as he doesn't get it often and it's a real treat!
I also picked up his 1st December box items in the sale already so less than a tenner for Orchard Christmas Eve game and some Christmas stickers from the Paperchase closing down sale. The same Christmas books come out every year so no mountains of expensive tat before the whingers come along.

sunshineandrain82 · 16/05/2023 18:53

Our budget changes every year depending on what we can afford and what is required.

Our children have a wide age gap (4 children between 3 and 15) so we don't spend the same as our older ones the gifts can be more expensive. We make sure they have the same amount of gifts. One of our middle ones is at the stage she will get her first smart phone this year. And eldest needs a replacement really. Add on our youngest having significant additional needs. Suitable toys can be very expensive.

So we stick to what they need and what we can afford.

h3ll0o · 16/05/2023 18:56

We save £80 a month for Christmas. Our daughter’s only 3.5 so don’t have a set budget for presents. Our spending includes a Christmas Eve trip to the theatre and a meal out for the three of us on Christmas day

StuntNun · 16/05/2023 18:58

£120 per child in total including stocking fillers. It used to be £100 but things have got more expensive. That gets them one big present, a few small things and a stocking.

HandScreen · 16/05/2023 19:03

£250-£300 each including stocking

stormelf · 16/05/2023 19:05

I have 5yr old, 3yr old and 1 yr old. Our budget last year was £50 per child and £15 for stocking fillers. We do buy a lot of our presents pre owned though. All three of my children have winter birthdays, with two in December so we don't go over board on Christmas because they get about £30 spent on their birthdays. I prefer to buy them things throughout the year as they wouldn't get anything otherwise and get everything all at once.

ChiChiGabor · 16/05/2023 19:09

It depends what they need, probably not more than a couple of hundred quid per child.

caringcarer · 16/05/2023 19:19

I give my 3 adult DC £100 each plus a stocking each and foster son who is 16 £200 for larger stocking. He chooses a gift for about £80 then bits and pieces I know he will like. I could well afford more but think that is enough. I do also do gifting though to my 3 DC so £1k each per year, I split it into 2 lots of £500 each. DH does gifting too but only gives them £333 each per year. He gifts DGC £1k each.

Malarandras · 16/05/2023 19:23

Depends on what ideas I have for them really. Years where I can’t think of big presents it tends to work out a bit less. I just always make sure I spend the same on each. Last years it was about £350ish.

SirWalterElliot · 16/05/2023 19:24

About £100 each but they're both below the age of asking for expensive gifts, so that will almost certainly increase as they get older. We also get presents for them from grandparents and siblings though.

DoggosAloud · 16/05/2023 19:25

It has varied depending on what they’ve wanted. When they were into toys, usually between £300-£500. Once they wanted trainers and tech, a lot more and we put some cash in the bank for them as well.

Kablea · 16/05/2023 19:29

I think it depends on age. Ours is 2 and last Christmas we spent £20 on a wooden train set. We knew they get lots of presents from family so didn’t see the point of spending lots. We did a few days out in town to see the sights but we live in London so it was relatively cheap (apart from meals out, but that was mostly our cost!). I don’t think you need to spend the same amount per child if they are different ages. We save £250 a month for them for uni/house deposit/etc and would prefer to do that then spend a lot at birthdays and Christmas.

GiltEdges · 16/05/2023 19:34

DS is 4 and last year it was around £500, but his main gift was a Nintendo Switch which made up the bulk of it.

We don't particularly set an upper limit on what we'll spend, but if the main thing DS asked for was, say, £50 this year then nor would I spend 10x that much just for the sake of it.

BubblyBunchOfCoconuts · 17/05/2023 03:40

Lol,it's May.
Who cares???

BubblyBunchOfCoconuts · 17/05/2023 03:42

Start saving now if you are having money issues.
Kiddos will appreciate whatever you teach them to appreciate.

MadEyeMoodysEye · 17/05/2023 03:53

It depends what they've asked for (and whether we feel it's justified/affordable). Last year less than £150 each as neither of them asked for much. The year before we spent £600 on the eldest but around £80 on the youngest. From this year though I think the youngest is old enough to have an idea of costs (8) so I think we'll need to roughly even up the spemds on each.

WaitingfortheTardis · 17/05/2023 06:09

I would say maybe £100-£150 for everyhing, but it does depend on what she needs/what's on the list a little bit. She's only young though, I think Christmas becomes more expensive as they get older and into tech or branded clothes/shoes.

Tayegete · 17/05/2023 06:43

We spend between £300 and £400 but ours are teens and so much more expensive. I worked out last year that Christmas costs us around £1500 with all presents and Xmas related outings so I’m saving £125 a month this year.

MrsRickAstley · 17/05/2023 06:52

I'm saving now for Christmas. But usually it costs £250 per child (2) & £300 for others.

Lemonademoney · 17/05/2023 06:54

Ours changed hugely year to year. It depends if they need anything particular or if there’s a particular item they’ve wanted for a long time (ps5 type thing)

this year middle one will definitely be asking for his own iPad as he keeps borrowing our very old one to play Roblox with his big brother so that’s quite an expensive item straight away 😬

BodyKeepingScore · 17/05/2023 06:57

Yousee · 16/05/2023 18:43

About £200 -250, including advent calendar, 1st December box, stocking and main present.
Probably less this year as I'm planning to revert to chocolate advent calendar instead of toys as we are more confident in how to handle DS diabetes and he will be absolutely thrilled with a small chocolate every morning as he doesn't get it often and it's a real treat!
I also picked up his 1st December box items in the sale already so less than a tenner for Orchard Christmas Eve game and some Christmas stickers from the Paperchase closing down sale. The same Christmas books come out every year so no mountains of expensive tat before the whingers come along.

What's a 1st December box?

MuffinFeatures · 17/05/2023 07:38

Similarly to other people, it varies. I spent more on my 12 year old last year (£150) than my six year old (£90) including stockings. Spent £100 on my 9 year old. But I started shopping early, and put lots away throughout the year which helped with spending! 🎄

Yousee · 17/05/2023 07:43

BodyKeepingScore · 17/05/2023 06:57

What's a 1st December box?

All the kids get a new Christmas book, Christmas socks and some sort of activity (sticker or colouring book, make your own decorations, glitter glue for card making, in this year's case a Christmas game) and their old Christmas books live in their individual box to come out every year.
Just stuff to enjoy together during the run up that arrives with a bit of flair and excitement really.
I don't do a Christmas Eve box as well.

3WildOnes · 17/05/2023 07:52

I don't set a budget. It just depends what they want. They get one main present which over the years has ranged from football shirts, games consoles, scooters, art easel, bikes, etc. They also get a book or a few books, a new outfit and a stocking.
I think it is usually under £200 but has been between £80 and £400.

HairyToity · 17/05/2023 07:55

Circa £200. When my DC were toddlers I spent much less, and would often buy second hand. They were never ever any the wiser.