Do you have a budget for your DC?

[butlerk93]

Just out of interest really, do you set a budget for Christmas spending on your DC? How old are they? Has this changed throughout the years?

I have one daughter who is 14 months old so Christmas last year was low key and this year will be the same. However, we were in Smyths yesterday spending a birthday voucher and I could totally see how someone could get carried away with spending a fortune!

I am at the lower end of mumsnet Christmas spends.

I spend approx £50 per child but maximise that where I can. I.e in a local book give away there as a pristine book my child would like, so I picked it up and put it away for Xmas so the at doesn’t come out the £50, a Vinted skirt was £1.40 for DD.

most kids have too much stuff, too much plastic and play with a fraction of it. If anyone asks me what to get my kids I respond with vouchers for days out - especially if it is then one of the places that turns it into an annual pass for the fee of the first visit.

No, no set budget. It really depends on ages, what they want/need etc (we have several kids of differing ages).

At your DD's age, we probably spent around £100 including a stocking. With teens it's probably somewhere between £200-300 each (or more if someone needs a laptop or phone etc). You really can't get a lot for your money these days! A pair of trainers for my DS with size 13 feet is normally around £130!

I'm not in the habit of racing to the bottom though, I love Christmas and shopping and gift giving, and I'm not buying secondhand for Christmas presents. (Don't mind rest of year but not for birthday or Christmas).

We have 4 kids (now all teens/adults).
I train set a budget for about £100 per child.

Ninety percent of the stuff we get issecond hand. As little kids this meant they got loads. Can be a bit trickier now. I hate buying more shit for the sake of it and can get such bargains from charity shops and car boots.

When they were really little, we used to sometimes wrap up their favorite toys, and they would love that more than a new toy!

Now they are really old, we tend to buy token gifts and then use the money for fun activities or towards a holiday that we wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. They always choose holidays over stuff.

Our budget is £300-£350 per child but they are older and the things they want are more expensive

No, we tend to do one big present and two or three smaller presents. We don't do stocking fillers. "Big" present is really priced on their interests, last year for DS1 it was a Lego set that was about £70 I think, whereas DS2 had a role play coffee set that was about £20. I wouldn't mind spending more on their big thing, but I do limit the actual physical number of things as they have a very generous extended family!

No. We have a plan of stocking, 1 gift from Santa, 1-2 from us. But if they need any clothes around then or if we find good toys/books second hand then those get wrapped too. This year Santa will probably get us a Nintendo as a family gift so it will be expensive (and second hand).because our kids are 3&5 Santa will probably also make or buy them a small thing each.

When dc were small we spent very little and often second hand especially on things like Brio etc. As they got older we had big years so lap top, games consoles etc but we did not spend that much every year. Now older teens we do £150 for main gift/ cash and then some stocking bits like smellies, chocolate some socks fun things so probably about £200 each.

No set budget. Some years we spend very little, some years we splurge. For me, it’s about finding the perfect gift. If that is done cheaply, I don’t spend any more money just to get to a certain price point. That way next year if the perfect gift is expensive I feel no guilt.

Three children. Around £700 per child plus £150 stocking. I can afford it, so why not.

Yes, I have set a tighter budget this year, mostly because the kids don't really need or want anything.

£50 on the younger ones each. £100 cash for the older ones and some token gifts. All will get stockings around £20 each.

I've made use of stacking codes, discounts and cashback and have some really lovely, decent quality presents.

I usually do about £100-150 max on main presents...more on stockings probably because all the little bits add up. Seems frugal compared to some I've seen on here but personally I think it's plenty. They are teens.

I only have one. I don't set a budget as such but I have a general idea of what a reasonable amount is if there isn't a specific big item. This year DD has asked for a Switch, which will cost more than I usually spend, so I have discussed with her that it would mean no extra presents, just some sweets etc in a stocking. By contrast, last year I got her a few things as she didn't ask for anything specific, but didn't spend more than £150.

How old are your children?

We've never done a budget and never will. Didn't do budgets growing up either, I think they really ruin things to be honest.

Children choose their main gift (when old enough) and we choose the rest. If one child chooses something more expensive, so be it. It's not all about money and I'd hate to make it that way.

I also never, ever give cash as a gift.

Budget and spreadsheet for each child to keep it fair and to keep a lid on it. God knows this year, but min £300 each as things are expensive and we don't buy throughout the year.

£75 per child including stocking children are 3 and 6.

Yes we can afford more but choose not to I find Christmas a bit ridiculous and they have way too much stuff.

About £500, £50 for stocking bits/new pjs and a Christmas Eve book which we do every year.
12 year old but everything they seem to want at this age is stupidly expensive.

That’s obviously not a problem for you financially which is great but many people simply cannot do that.

suggesting a budget ruins Christmas buying/preparations is quite crass

My two kids are adults. They still have a generous budget - £250 - for whatever they want as their main present/s. It’s usually a main item of clothing like a good coat or money for something like a festival ticket. Plus a stocking which is a real mixed bag - one or two higher-end make up bits plus some little bits like a handbag hairbrush, chocolate, nice bubble bath etc

My advice to you re ANYTHING to do with Christmas is to keep it ALL as low-key, affordable, effort-free and simple as possible. If you do something once it’s immediately ‘A Tradition’ and Christmas becomes a monster that needs feeding.

Eg, one main and two smaller presents under the tree to open one of which is PJs or dressing gown or slippers that you’d be buying anyway. Get quite a small stocking - half a dozen little bits in, including vests, pants, socks that you’d be buying anyway.

I would not, personally, get involved with the elf.

Keep what you do as easy as possible for YOU. Eg Christmas Eve go out to Pizza Ex for lunch (one meal you don’t have to cook) then to church to see a children’s service then home for an easy tea - cheese cubes, sausage rolls and cut up veggies then bath, stories bed. You’ll honestly thank yourself in years to come.

£75 each plus the same for their spouses.
It normally £50 for the grandchildren

£150. I spend more around birthdays. Although I have gone over at times just to add to the excitement DD had her last Christmas as a child was 17 so got a new iphone was like watching her as a little child opening the present with a shocked face

I find telling your children they have £x amount to spend for Christmas crass, we all have our own values. I appreciate if things are tight you might need to do things differently but I don't like things like Christmas to revolve around money.

£120 per child

Personally I think a kid having to pick out their own present 'ruins' things.

Surely the entire point is the surprise (and surely you should know your kids well enough to KNOW what they love without them needing to tell you and pick out their own present).

9, 11 and 13