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Christmas

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Original poster

What's your budget for young (ish) DC's?

99 replies

amisrong · 09/09/2023 11:07

I have 2DC, 6&4. I was going to budget £250 each to include everything (and a lot of books/crafts included in that), however I realised that a few things that DC1 has said she's going to ask Santa for already take her over that budget. DP has suggested £300 each but I'm trying to reign it in, as last year I went over that for each. How much do others with DC this age budget for? TIA Smile

OP posts:
MoltenLasagne · 09/09/2023 11:10

Last year we got the main present (around £80 IIRC) new and then got the Stocking presents from vinted. Lots of really good quality, barely used, second hand things on there if you start early enough.

We are fortunate though that grandparents also bought other relatively big ticket items, so if you've a smaller family it may be harder.

Original poster
amisrong · 09/09/2023 11:32

I probably should have said that they will get maybe one small gift from one other family member (-£10). The other thing is, they do actually get another Christmas with their dad but he gets them things he wants but gives it to them as 'presents' but it's not things that they want (and are often age inappropriate- kits etc for much older children/teenagers). That's why I like to get them quite a bit of some things that they like, particularly as they're actually with him on xmas day this year and will be disappointed Sad

OP posts:
WaitingfortheTardis · 09/09/2023 15:53

I think we will end up spending maybe £220 on dd this year. Last year was a chunk less and the year before was similar. Within reason we adjust the budget to what we think she would like most that year and then allow for the stocking presents. This year she desperately wants a Barbie house, I've told her it's too big as I want her to be properly surprised on Christmas morning!

PlipPlopChoo · 09/09/2023 15:57

At those ages about £100 absolute maximum but I think it was probably less. We could have afforded more the budget was at about that level because.

  1. We did not want them to be brought up to be overtly materialistic and spoilt
  2. Presents for 4 and 6 year olds do not need to cost more than that amount
  3. It will only get more expensive as they get older so working up from £100 each is a lot more astute than working upwards from £250 each
  4. They will grow out of them quickly anyway
Tryingtohelp12 · 09/09/2023 16:01

We will get one bigger present and 4-5 smaller ones. Any other requests will be popped on a list for grandparents to choose their gifts.

big ticket item for 5yo is a new bike - but it will still be second hand and will budget about £150-200 as bikes are so expensive (would rather a good second hand one than a new rubbish/cheap/poorly designed one). He had a relatively small birthday as we knew he’d need a new bike around now.

2yo - not too sure yet. Very into elsa and dolls but already has all doll type things (pram cot high chair etc).
I don’t believe in buying things for the sake of it so if there is nothing I think she’d like or enjoy she will just get smaller items. It all balances out eventually

Newborn- will just get a token one or 2 things

WashableVelvet · 09/09/2023 16:01

Around £100, and I try to buy second hand. Last year I went slightly over that for DC1 as we bought him a 2nd hand Islabike, but it should do 3 years then be handed down to DC2.

We could afford more/new, but it get overwhelming for them quickly and we don’t buy them tech type things (tablets, games) so that eliminates some expensive stuff.

Clarie83 · 09/09/2023 16:04

£100 per a child

Whinge · 09/09/2023 16:06

It will only get more expensive as they get older so working up from £100 each is a lot more astute than working upwards from £250 each

I agree, it's best to keep the costs low when they're younger as things can be really expensive when they're teens. I think £250 - £300 for a 4 and 6 year is a huge amount of money and they will be really overwhelmed with the amount of gifts.

I would budget around £80 - £100

GettingOldWithoutStyle · 09/09/2023 16:09

£100 for children the same ages and that covers main presents plus stockings and a sack for the day the tree goes up (with PJ's and jumper in) I buy from sales through the year. This will be around 10 presents under tree each which range from £1 - £30 as no big ticket items required this year. That said the £30 present is worth double that so although £100 spent it's all worth alot more if that makes sense

barbie3 · 09/09/2023 16:16

I don't set a budget per child. Have an overall budget but at that age they won't know what everything costs. Mine would notice if one got a lot more presents than the other but wouldn't know if one had more spent on them. Favourite presents are not necessarily the more expensive or biggest. So if you need to budget I'd set an overall budget and only buy things (even cheap things) they'll love.

housethatbuiltme · 09/09/2023 16:38

My kids don't really have other family so no other gifts.

They get £130 each (regardless of age) for everything (gifts, stocking, xmas eve box etc...).

We utilize second hand stuff a lot... better for the wallet and environment.

My kids don't make lists though, the fun of xmas is the surprise really. We use to circle the argos cataloge as a kid but we would just circle random shit for the sake of it. What we got was always FAR cooler than anything we circled. It was always the coolest stuff we had never even heard of before not the 'fad' toy everyone else got and went off instantly.

CornishGem1975 · 09/09/2023 16:47

About £200 each child, more as they get older but they only really get from us. I'd spend less but everything is £££ so even the most basic of toys is £25.

NewmummyJ · 09/09/2023 17:05

We don't have a budget, but agree less is more at that age as they can get overwhelmed with too much and can't play with it all. I would also echo looking at vinted, you can get some great bargains on there including brand new or barely used stuff.
Ultimately getting few things they love/fit their interests and making memories playing with them is the most valuable gift you can give them. Oh, and pop the unused budget in a high interest account for when they are older- they will thank you for that and will have forgotten whether it was 8 or 10 presents they got, or 100 or 200 pounds you spent on them age 4 or 6.

YourNameGoesHere · 09/09/2023 18:22

DS will be the same age as your youngest at Christmas and our budget is £50 which will buy more than enough for him to have a nice pile of gifts and not be completely overwhelmed. He doesn't care if things are second hand from Facebook marketplace or charity shops and long may that continue. I'd hate to think how much you'll be spending when they are 16 and 14 if their budget this year is £500-£600!!!

s14a · 09/09/2023 18:23

We tend to buy throughout the year so no set budget but we aim to be £250 or less for our 8 year old and about £150 for the 2 year old.

This year we will have a newborn but will just give bits we were planning on anyway (3-6 month clothes mainly!)

And our 2 year old were aiming to get him a tonie or a yoto so that will be a significant part of his present this year.

Totalwasteofpaper · 09/09/2023 18:36

I think i am out of touch or it escalates more rapidly than i though

We have a 2 year old and will spend about 60 max
She's getting a melissa and doug cafe i got for £30 from vinted and I'll get her a baby doll and stroller.
Possibly some playdoh?

Sprogonthetyne · 09/09/2023 18:42

I aim for 100, but sometimes get bits second hand if they've asked something big.

Bearonthestair · 09/09/2023 18:43

I have a 6 and a 4 year old. Budget is €300 each. We do a really big Christmas though. We're not from the UK, this sort of budget tends to be the norm where we are. Birthday present budget is a lot less. Every family does it differently.
I would never get into debt for Christmas, spend whatever you are comfortable with.

Backagain23 · 09/09/2023 18:52

I don't know that the budget means much to young kids to be honest. They will just know that they got XYZ for Christmas, they won't be whipping out their calculators Dudley Dursley style to tot it all up.
I'd rather spend £250 on a few really good toys than £100 on a massive "pile".
This year DS main big gift is a Hobbycraft cardboard castle I got in the sale for £10. He won't know it was only £10, he will just know Santa brought him a castle. And glitter glue to decorate with 😁

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 09/09/2023 18:53

Kids are 8 and 5. I will be aiming for around £300 each this year. Dc1 wants a keyboard (of the musical variety) and dc2 wants a big box of kapla as their main gifts.

evtheria · 09/09/2023 18:56

DS9 - approx. £100-£120 with stocking included. We can't spend £200+, though if we could I already know a couple of 'big ticket' items I'd get.

Nieces and nephew (4 altogether) - £30-40 each.

Likeaburstcouch · 09/09/2023 18:58

This thread is fucking mental

Tare · 09/09/2023 18:59

Honestly I would struggle to spend £300 on my 5 and 3 year olds! I don't set a budget, but they do get overwhelmed by lots of stuff (as do I) so try to keep to a reasonable selection. I reckon I spend about £100 on each of them.

YourNameGoesHere · 09/09/2023 19:11

Likeaburstcouch · 09/09/2023 18:58

This thread is fucking mental

Isn't it just!!! Honestly what kind of a budget are people going to have when their children are older? Let's be honest if they've had £300+ spent on them at Christmas since they were scarcely more than toddlers they're not going to be content with a couple of hundred as a teen.

CornishGem1975 · 09/09/2023 19:13

But if you have a kid who wants some big ticket item, I dunno, like a Nintendo Switch or something, so £250 + they're going to need games which are £40 a pop, do you just say no? And they can never have it? Or are they expected to save for it? (Which if it was my children, it would come out of my pocket anyway so swings and roundabouts). Stuff is expensive these days.