Lower budget parents (£150 ish per child) - what are you buying?

[AllYearsAround]

We tend to spend around £150 per child, not a strict budget but feels about the right amount for us.
Interested to know what others with a similar budget buy! It always seems like very much on the low side by Mumsnet standards.

Mine:
Teen - a couple of Star Wars lego sets
Jeans and a shirt
Dressing gown
An under 16s driving lesson
Stocking with sweets, toiletries etc
£20 cash

Tween - squishmallow
Beyblade set
A fitness/activity tracker
Top and trousers
Ticket to a theatre show
Sewing kit
Comic subscription
Stocking with sweets, hair bobbles, earrings

Kiddo - squishmallow
Art set
Baby doll
Board game
Ticket to a theatre show
Teddy
Dress
Book
Stocking with sweets, bath stuff

Ds1 14:
Karting vouchers
F1 merch

Ds2 11:
Smart cube (like rubiks)
Waffle maker

They'll both get around £20 worth of stocking filler stuff and a book each too. Maybe some pj's or a onesie but that won't be a wrapped present.

We stay away from giving wash stuff or fragranced stuff due to eczema.

Also they said they'd rather santa delivered potatoes or coal than socks and pants in the stocking so no useful underwear as stocking filler this year 😂.

Similar budget think I've spent £110 so far. Do most of my shopping during Amazon prime day and Black Friday. Found The Range and B&M had great stuff and Toys for a pound.

4yo boy-
Main presents-
Siku tractor and trailer
Second hand brio train farm set and second hand brio train accessories
Marvel playdoh
Second hand books

Stocking-
Monster truck
Dinosaur stencil
Chocolate coins
I spy book
Whoopee cushion
Small kinetic sand kit
Yoto card
Squishy centipede
Magic snow
Mini voice changing megaphone
Paint sticks
Christmas brownie baking kit (Asda)
Stickers
Bath bombs (B&M)
Squirty foam soap
Bath dust (The Range)
Slinky
Kids serrated scissors

We spend about the same, not a hugely strict budget either but I think they can get a good Christmas with that budget without getting spoiled.

Tween-
Squishmallow
SpongeBob and Stitch stocking fillers
Sweets and choco
Art materials
Books
Headphones

Toddler -
Doll and carriage
Books
Mini squishmallows
Headphones to stop her nicking her sisters
Some other stocking type fillers

I tend to raid B&M and The Works as you get good value stuff in there.

They also get stuff off other members of the family.

We don't do any other presents apart from other kids in the extended family.

I am ASTONISHED that £150 is considered low budget! And I consider myself to be comfortably off. We will spend about £50 at most.

Agree - that's low budget? We have one DC, comfortable (not rich by any means - average income family). We have spent about £150 on DC - more than I thought but they wanted something more than usual - and it feels like they're getting a lot.

I certainly don't spend 150 each on my kids. You don't need to spend that much

Anyway 9 year old DD is getting

• fancy pyjamas (her main want!)
• some lovely skincare stuff (ditto)
• stationery bits
• make up / perfume / skincare bits
• Sylvanians and accessories
• a mini speaker with karaoke microphones
• lots of other little bits.

Same. £50 maximum as well though I appreciate it might be more in the teen years.

I spend about £100-£150 was thinking I was spending way too much!! 11 year old DD.

I was hoping for a thread like this (also spending alot less than £150 p/child tho, more like £50-£70, this doesn't include gifts from grandparents etc
Anyway, they each usually get something to wear, a book,a game, and a toy or kit. And sometimes something extra on top. I try and get second hand where possible as my kids can't tell the difference and it means I can spend more elsewhere

Not just me then 🤣 we do up to £100 per child, because they all end up getting gifts from aunts uncles etc as well.
We buy second hand too where possible.
Anything left over we pop into their savings account - buying second hand makes it go so much further especially for stuff like Lego.

I just spent about £125 on my dd’s 10th birthday. She got

squishmallow
oodie type fleece hoodie
one brand new book and two secondhand
small box of chocolates and some jelly beans
harry potter audiobook CDs (charity shop find of my life so far) which I put onto yoto cards for her
A stand for her yoto and cards
a few pairs of clip on earrings from Claire’s sale

she was pretty chuffed! Had a party as well (today) so she got quite a bit more from her lovely friends. If we hadn’t had a party I probably would have bought her one more big thing maybe taking it more to £150-170, or given her some cash. She wanted an air up bottle but I couldn’t bear to spend that much…

7 and 3 year old. I’ve bought most things second hand to be completely honest (I’m aware they’re young enough not to care and it may change as they get older)

7 ds:
bike (£15 fb marketplace)
minecraft Lego set (new- Amazon £20)
fossil dig kit (£15 Amazon)
2x superhero figures (£3 charity shop)
guardians of the galaxy figures bundle (£6 Vinted)
Star Wars Lego mini figures set (fake- Ali express £8)
Star Wars joke book (£1 charity shop)
Star Wars 4 jigsaw set (£2 Vinted)
Star Wars pjs (£13 Asda)
Darth Vader dress up costume (£6 Vinted)

and then a small stocking with sweets, and small bits and bobs (nothing expensive at all!)

3 ds:

mud kitchen (£25 in the sale - studio online)
play food/kitchen sets - cake cutting, pizza slices, burger set and vegetable chopping kit (£10 in total - pound stretcher)
2x Mickey Mouse story books (£2 charity shop)
Zog book (£1 charity shop)
Peppa pig house, and ferris wheel (£4 charity shop)
‘Playdoh’ diner set (£3 studio sale)
bundle of 8 dressing up costumes (£10 Vinted)
stickman pjs (£10 Asda)

again a small stocking

I also want to get both boys some sort of soft toy/squishmallow (Argos has 2 small ones for £15 so may do that) but if I don’t, I do feel they have plenty without.

I never spend more than this ! If they want something bigger then it's a combo deal (uncles, aunts etc club together or birthday/xmas).
I'll probably get them some aftershave, some Xmas socks, some clothes items and maybe some chocolate or other treats

Ah the competitive under spenders have arrived, didn't take long.

Most Mumsnet threads on the subject are MUCH higher budget! I guess it's not something you really ask people in real life but on Mumsnet it seems most people have piles and piles of presents and spend £300+ per child.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4949313-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-children-at-christmas - this thread last year most answers were £250-£800

If that's what you want to spend, fine but it is surprising to see £150 described as low budget.

That's NOT low budget!! You do not need to spend these amounts on your children!

😂Maybe we've all got more time on our hands since we've got fewer presents to buy

Yeah, you’ll find that harder when they’re older than 15/16.

For little ones, £50 is easy. Older teens you don’t get much for less than £150.

It was definitely much easier when they are all 7 and under - the money goes further and the boxes are a lot bigger
If you're unlucky enough to have an older child into Lego then it doesn't go very far at all.

Agree. Stockings are a separate matter but I probably spend about £150 on main presents from us rather than Santa. I also consider us reasonably financially comfortable and think £150 is quite a lot!

It's a good amount for me - they get stockings, some clothes, an experience and a few things from their Christmas list to open.

DD14
Ice cream maker (£50)
Cowboy boots (£45)
Stocking (£30 ish)

She will get stuff from 5 other family members so she's definitely not hard done by

Ha! Age of child is very relevant when making such statements 😂