What does everyone spend on kids

[Flower2025]

Hey, just out of curiosity what does everyone spend on their children at Christmas and what type of things do you tend to get?

Mine are 7 and 4, they don’t need anything big this year, we have electronics, bikes, etc. so I’m aiming to spend £50-75 each, probably up to £100 counting stockings, advent calendar etc.

They are very much in the plastic toy stage, which I happily buy secondhand! I’ll probably buy 3-4 toys, a couple of books, something crafty and some clothes.

Ours are 7 and 10; we'll spend about £150 each. They don't get bought things at any other time of year apart from birthdays really.

We let them ask Santa for 3 things (1 big thing and a couple of smaller things); usually it's a Lego set that they've seen, or something like Sylvanian Families or a Mario set or something like that. As they're writing their list we listen for the things they decide not to ask for, and usually get them a couple of those things too.

They also get things like slippers, underwear, drawing paper (just printer paper), colouring pencils/felt tips, a board game, a DVD and a set of books to pad out the stocking.

We buy what we can second hand; especially the Lego sets as they're usually fairly easy to come by on EBay. A few years ago I got them bikes for about £20 each (rather than £100 each) by searching Facebook Marketplace. Usually we budget about £50-£70 for the main present, then a couple of things at about £20-£30 each, and then about £30 for the rest.

It depends what they want/need. We are lucky that they have generous wider families, so our bit is relatively minor. It will likely be about £100 each (or £150 if you include the fact both need new walking boots)

I will probably spend 75-100 on dd aged 14 and another 25 on a stocking. I don't go wild at Christmas/birthday but will buy things like theatre tickets etc during the year which others might include as presents

16 &12, roughly £300, as they get older it tends to get a bit more pricey, when they were younger it was £100-£150. Argos sale came in handy back then, now it’s prime day deals I’m searching through 🤭

Usually about €400 each

Anywhere between £300 - £500

I spend about £150 on my 4 year old and about £200 on my 11 year old

It varies depending on age. Older two will get about £500 spent age but their main gifts are an iPad and a VR Headset (£300 and £360 respectively). They will have less of a gift pile.
6 year old- about £250 (main gift is a £130 dolls house)
4 year old- about £200 (main gift is a bike which I got for £45 in the sales)
1 year old- likely around £100 (main gift is a £35 little people set).

I find the smaller they are- the less I spend as their gifts are much cheaper in general

I’ve spent more in the past but we have a weekend away booked as a kind of Christmas present and they’re only little (2&4) so I’m trying to stick to under £100 each. It is hard though! I’m trying to still have a physically bigger item as their ‘main’ present then some books and some smaller toys but their main item is probably £40-50, the books £10, really not left with much to get some toys so it’s not going to look all that much at all! I wanted a wooden role play shop for my eldest but if I was to get that I’d have to buy the food to go in it and I’d be way over £100! I’ve found one on marketplace and it’s open to offers so hoping I can get it for £40-50

It depends what they're wanted and how old they were. Under 3 years old, we spent £100-£200 on each.

As they got older it was usually £500 ish each.

Now they're teens +, they get £1k each, divided between gifts and cash depending on what they want.

I’ve nearly finished shopping for DD3 and have spent about £350 including bits for her advent calendar.

I have one 18 year old dd and reckon all in I spend around £500 on her, maybe a bit less.

When she was younger it was a lot less though.

I'll spend £300-£400 on DD14, but I'm the only one buying for her so it doesn't go as far as you'd think. As a child it was more like £150-£200.

I'd say about £150-175 this year - including main, stocking and advent.

Mum to two teenagers (19 and 16). They get the same basics every year (new pyjamas, socks, stocking bits) , some cash (usually £30 each) . This year they are getting a second hand Nintendo switch. So far I've spent about £200 . Money gifts from their dad and grandad.

Our 3 are teenagers (well 20/17/15)and we can afford to go to 500 this year

last year was 350

years prior 150

the oldest 2 have sometimes combined part so they can get a bigger item to share

My daughter is only two, she is getting approx £60 this year so far I've found some absolutely bargains and am pretty done for her. As Christmas is a way off I won't be surprised if it increases a little as I'll see a cute little teddy or something equivalent. Husband doesn't like clothes for her gifts though as hated it as a child so I don't include these.
She will get a few gifts from family but not piles.

Way less than everyone else. Probably about £50 per child? I’ve been snapping up bargains via Vinted all year (Lego etc) and stashing them away. They just don’t need anything, we have so much stuff already. They’ll have about 10 presents up unwrap including toys, books and clothes. Plus a stocking. And they’ll get presents from relatives too. They are 2 and 5. Really struggling to even think of a toy present for the (will be by Christmas) 3 year old boy? Nothing big due to space constraints but ideas welcome!
Am I awful? Future years will be more expensive I assume.

My kids are primary age and I am starting to dislike having so much crap in the house! I'll spend probably £80-100 each. I don't count clothes as gifts, that is a necessity.

We are also going on a Christmas holiday so I'll be watching what I spend. Will be looking for bargains, as I really think its a waste. The holiday is the gift of memories that they'll remember more in their life than a toy that will be quickly forgotten! But I love the magic of Christmas and we have a big tree, naught elf etc.

Will be 18mo and 3.5yo. £75 each.

Main present £25-30 each.
Smaller gifts from "each other" £10 each
Stocking fillers £20-25 each (I try not to spend more than £3 per item)
Advent calendar £2.50 each (refillable ones)

I bought some second hand toys off Vinted: about £50 new but picked up for less than £10.

DC1 will probably end up with some cheaper parcels because I've bought him a new coat (was supposed to be a present but he opened the parcel when it arrived).

Probably about £300 each which seems obscene (they are 6 and 4).

Weve already got them both scooters and yoto Mini which was about £200 each combined, and will get pjs and slippers, stocking fillers, books, a game and some other smaller toys which will probably add up to another £50-£100.

Around £100 on 9 year old: game, switch game, books, a t-shirt they asked for
Around £75 on 3 year old: tonies, books, some toys

we are going abroad for Christmas to stay with family who live in a holiday destination so I am sure they will get more bits and bobs there.

I think it’ll end up at around £150 for my DD who is 7. I have a bad habit of ‘just picking up one more thing’. No individual gift has cost more than £25 currently. She hasn’t asked for anything expensive. Some stuff is second hand from Vinted. Her birthday is in February though so if I have over bought I keep some stuff back for her birthday. This way she doesn’t get too much at Christmas and I feel better about my lack of self control!

We don’t really monitor spends, but it varies. Some christmases have been done more cheaply (bargain/charity shop toys, well under £100) and others have been more spendy (iPad when she was 9)
I anticipate it getting more expensive as she gets older, she’s already eyeing up a White Fox hoodie!