Ok, how much have you spent on the kids?

[Kibble29]

And did you stay within your intended budget?

I just finished ordering the gifts for my (just turned) 3 year old and is came in at about £250. This was pretty much bang on what I intended, and this also includes the stocking and that bastard Christmas Eve box that I wish I never started.

Of course the amounts will vary wildly in the thread, I’m just curious really!

Gosh! my 3 year old we only spent 100£

our baby just got a book.

i don’t want them growing up thinking they just get whatever they want no matter the cost

i do get them things through the year and know my parents will get them some more bits and pieces

We haven't counted but probably at least £300 when you add it all up. We don't have a budget really

Roughly £500 each, teen and primary school age.

I think I've got everything they wanted within this budget too and they should be pleased!

2 year old. Had spent £16 on 2 items but one was accidently found. So now have the one £8 gift. We are lucky to live in a town where there is real community spirit and lots of families pass on old toys so in addition to the toy we bought, we have a big bag of 2nd hand toys which we will pass on again in due course. DH and I are not hard up so I sometimes wonder if we are being really tight but I can't help thinking that at 2 years old, my child doesn't want or need anything.

DS13, £1200.

About £500 each on gifts for our kids who are teens and adults. We will give them some cash as well.

One ds is getting a cinema pass and the other a gym membership, so those things will be paid over the course of the year. Then another 50-100 each on things to open on the day. Both are young adults. I also buy for their partners, although some gifts are joint.

£300 ish each

they are 18 and 16

Probably around £250 -£300 each all told. I haven't really set a budget as such but I knew this year wouldn't involve any expensive tech - and none if them asked for much. (DD asked for a colouring book and some pens!! that's it) I've basically gone on a roughly equal number of gifts with a range of prices for each of them. Most expensive being £70. They are 20,17 & 12.

Where on earth has anyone said that they get whatever they want no matter the cost? You don't have to justify you're own minimal spend by snarking at others.

About £150 each for the older ones (they're getting a long awaited Switch to share) and £50 for the little one. Including stockings. We could spend more, but they don't tend to want or ask for much (yet).

Older three kids £200 presents, younger two kids £96, and £16.00 each on their stockings.

I was aiming for £150 for older kids, £80 younger kids and £20 stocking each, I could have stayed at my budget but I had some spare money and chose to spend more. Nit that it goes very far these days with teens.

LOL you think so. I hae a 5 year old DS and all he loves is cars. "What do you want from Santa"...."cars". We have hundreds and have now added to it as he'd be disappointed if he didn't get any!

This is fascinating! I have "done" the whole of Christmas for less than some stocking gifts! Presents ( no adult needs a present for the sake of having something to open) & food. We don't do a traditional Xmas dinner.
It's not a budget thing , it's a that's an unnecessary thing.

£100 each for four children aged between 9 and 21. They will also get a chocolate orange and chocolate coins each but I haven't bought those yet.

In your opinion.

4 year old

Around £200 when I just added it up, with a further £20 or so on stocking bits - more than I was intending but within what we could afford if that makes sense? I was previously on a thread saying it would come in about £100 - £150 max, but I've seen some things I just knew she'd love since then. Previous years have been less.

I think I started a bit early this year, so more time to keep adding, plus there was no one obvious 'big present' so we've done smaller things and my brain kept saying 'oh I'll just add that other smaller thing' on until we ended up here!

That said, they've all been quite thought out, I don't tend to just grab stuff and it's things that I know will be loved and will get a lot of use based on what she enjoys and how she generally likes to play. There's quite a bit of stuff that was thrifted/ second hand too. We've also just had an absolutely mammoth clear out of clothes, toys and books to be donated or passed on, so at least we've made space!

We have a really big extended family who all buy for her too, although when we see them will be spaced out so not all on one day. I am actually worried about it getting overwhelming, so when I eventually lay it all out to wrap, I might decide to put some away for her birthday next year - we'll see. All she's actually asked for is a Frozen water bottle bless her.

Sorry - a lot of rambling there in response to a simple question!

About £80. Ds is 18 and has literally only asked for an Oodie and a specific shirt that he wanted. No point at all buying him anything he hasn't asked for as it won't get used. He's very bah humbug about the whole festive season anyway and doesn't really like surprises

(Although if I manage to get Guns n Roses tickets this week, that spend will go up and it's a surprise gift that I know he'll appreciate!)

My "apologies" yes in my opinion , I did not realise that I needed to add that to my comment because all comments are opinions surely?

I budgeted about £350 each. Then got a gift each from Santa that was an extra £50 odd between them. Then stocking things came to about £50. So spent about £400 each on them.

Older two adult DC stockings about £40 each and £200 cash each
DD 14 stocking about £20 and £600 on presents

About £100 altogether for the 3 year old but were quite boring and stocking fillers include things like pants, vests and socks that he would have needed anyway! About £30 for the baby.

I find it so interesting how everyone’s Christmases differ!

We’ve spent £200 on DD - 8months. Clothes, soft play blocks, books, bath toys etc.

We are also doing Panto, Light trails, Christmas Eve boxes - but these are things we did before her (not the Christmas Eve box, but we would have done if we spent Christmas Eve at home!).

Christmas is a big event for our family, so it does cost a lot. But we plan for it.

I guess it depends. We did big ticket stuff at that age for DD1, stuff like toy kitchen, balance bike, toy shop and play food, dolls house. Stuff that is still all played with three years later and by DD2 now and well worth the money we spent on it. If their enjoyment of stuff like that coincides with an upcoming Christmas or birthday then we just get it for that occasion. Otherwise we would get that stuff in the course of the year anyway as that's kind of normal toddler toy stuff.

Around £700 on DD11. That includes my half of a £700 laptop but split with her dad (my ExH). She's my only and I can afford it.
it's not actually huge piles of stuff though. By the time she's had a laptop, a white fix tracksuit, some make up, and a few bits it's hit that. So not piles of tat. Much wanted gifts.