Christmas presents does this sound rubbish?

[WeepingAngelInTheTardis]

Ds10 - oculus meta 3, oculus £50 gift card, 10 manga books, wireless headset, ps5 controller, 2 small boxes of lego. Few random small bits like notebook & pens, ps5 controller holder.

ds14 - 2 playstation 5 games, 1 PC game + the dlc pack, 10 dvds hes asked for, 1 book, watch, 2 LED lights. Few small random bits bracelets hes asked for, elastic band gun, robux gift card.

I feel so rubbish, really struggling to afford christmas this year! Do you think this will do? :(
it doesnt look like much at all but ds14 games came to £250 & ds10 oculus was around £300! they havent asked for much but worried they will be dissapointed.

That's an insane amount of presents for your kids especially if you're struggling financially. My parents were pretty wealthy but I knew not to expect more than one barbie or maybe one game for christmas each year. I certainly was not allowed to provide a list. I don't think getting kids lots of presents is necessary or even good for them. Spending the time together is much more important.

I don't understand how you can say you're struggling to afford stuff, and say you've spent £700 at the same time? Presumably you're spending even more than that on other Christmas bits?

Maybe next time spend less on tat and get less higher value items. And speak to your kids and tell them that their piles may be smaller but a) they're higher value and (b) some kids don't get anything. They'll understand.

No, we dont buy anyone else presents and xmas dinner is just sunday dinner with pigs & blankets. We dont buy presents for each other (me and dp). And decorations are just ones we have for years.

Christ, no need for the hostility. I didn’t buy tat its all things they wanted & will appericate and look after.

Oh no dont get me wrong, we spend most of the christmas hoildays playing board games. Uno, monopoly & jenga are a firm favourite in this house!

Not hostility, I just think it's a bit odd to say you are struggling, but then spend £700 at the same time! That's a hell of a lot more than lots of families can afford. I remember being chuffed at getting a CD and a set of pajamas when I was 10ish. You really don't need to worry is all I'm saying. I'm sure the kids would even understand if you said that you were going to get a little less for them so you could get each other presents! I bet they'd love to go the shops and pick something for you.

I wish they did but my eldest has a learning disability meaning he doesnt understand the concept of money & cost. My youngest does but no matter how much Ive tried with my eldest he doesnt get it. I know £6-700 is a hell of a lot of money, but this has been over the period of 12 months. Ive gone without food for myself just to be able to do this so while it sounds like I have loads of disposable income I do not.
I dont go mad on their birthdays, they get £50-70 maximum. unfortunately times change, i remember getting a barbie house one year as my only present and was chuffed but times change.

I don't understand why you would spend so much if you are struggling to afford it! kids know as you get older the pile shrinks

This has got to be a wind up

Well in the nicest possible way he's never going to get it if you keep pandering! He may have a learning disability but don't underestimate his ability to be kind and understanding. Going without food for yourself is just not okay! Spend sensibly, get some presents for yourselves, and explain to them that as you get older your pile gets smaller, and/or that you can't afford as much this year. Don't give in to strops or tantrums about it. You're creating a rod for your own back.

You go without food to spend that much at Christmas?
That is absolutely insane

Ive gone without food for myself just to be able to do this so while it sounds like I have loads of disposable income I do not.

@WeepingAngelInTheTardis

that is not good for you, too much stress.

It’s plenty. Things get much more expensive as they get older, especially if they are into gaming. I think we get more upset about the piles getting smaller than they do. Mine are a bit older than yours and they have 5 gifts each plus a stocking which will mainly contain their favourite snacks.

Why do you feel you need to spend so much? Why not limit it to £100 and a joint board game?

I do understand a little OP as my youngest has a disability and doesn’t really understand. Last Christmas she was disappointed because she didn’t get everything she wanted….but she got over it and enjoyed the gifts she did get. They usually get a bit of money from grandparents to go shopping with after Christmas. My youngest just tells me one thing she would like (main gift) and then I buy a couple small gifts to go with it. She is getting an iPad this year as her old one will no longer update, she gets PIP so some of this has been used to pay for it. She’s then getting a iPad case, a small Lego set (£12), a paint brush cleaner and a hoodie. There’s no way I would spend more than I could afford just because of pile disappointment.

Far more than I've ever spent on mine! Its plenty

@WeepingAngelInTheTardis you really shouldn't be denying yourself food to buy Christmas presents.
That's just nuts.
Sorry but it is.

What did I say OP? The competitiveness goes both ways. You've now got people being all faux confused and "how can you be poor and spend 700? +head tilt+ I simply don't understand" about your financial situation, and "I was happy with one CD/Barbie/pet rock!" and people trying to preach to you about what's actually important at Christmas. You literally can't win with stuff like this.

It's why there's no point comparing, because you'll always get someone come in to try and make you feel shite about what you've bought.

Nobody is trying to make her feel shite, this woman is not eating to spend £700 on Christmas presents for 2 children - thats absolutely nuts

JudgeBread your completely right. It is what it is, I wont be buying anymore presents. I guess I will show them the electric/gas/inernet bill and tell them thats their present. 😂

The older they get, the smaller and more expensive the presents. That's just the way it is.

Maybe get them a chocolate selection box and some amusing socks as well, and maybe a joint board game that needs several players. A daft one perhaps.

There's a middle ground which you can reach somewhere between 'starving yourself to get presents' and 'the kids get nothing'.

Honestly OP at some point it just becomes martyrdom.

Its not about competitiveness though. My DC would be devastated if they ever found out I went without food so they could have hundreds of pounds worth of presents. Not that I did BTW. I might have gone without new shoes, or a coat. But not food.

Wow this is not in any way rubbish! I like to read what people have bought for ideas but to say you are struggling, can't eat yourself but to then buy this amount of presents is crazy! Are you going into debt too to do this?
Remember Christmas is just one day. In our house if we bought a playstation that would be it for the kids and there just wouldn't be anything else. I understand you want to make it a nice day for them, but this is surely setting yourself up each year to spend more and more. I would suggest setting a budget and encouraging saving as this is an important life skill.

We had to provide a list, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. We knew we wouldn’t get everything or even the majority of things on it, but it meant we could highlight particular things we were keen on.

Money doesn’t go as far when computers/consoles start getting put on the Christmas lists.

That said, I’d say that’s a LOT of presents.