Doesn't look much

[DeeDees1]

I had set myself a budget of £250 for the eldest but realising that for DD 15 that doesn't go very far.

Iets frans joggers £50
Adanola hoodie £60
New balance trainers £80
Miss Dior £50

Those with similar age girls, how much have you spent and does it not look much as well?

DD knows the price of most things so will understand but keep thinking maybe I need to forget about budgets now she is older or just go for cheaper things?

Hell's bells! It is much! TOO much!

I think she’ll be happy with those as her main presents! Because it’s Christmas I’d get some little bits too, chocolate, socks, little face masks, couple of books etc so she has lots of cute bits too.

You have £10 to buy a few stocking fillers i would go over budget its honestly enough stuff and also things she will get good use out of

Those are lovely gifts but I know what you mean, it doesn’t look much once you’re out of the cheap toy phase. My DS12 has one gift, it’s a particular piece of tech and not cheap. I’ll buy some stocking bits and pieces but we’ve already had the “that will be your gift” conversation and he understands he won’t have a pile of presents. I’d talk to her about it beforehand - that the budget doesn’t go as far when you’re buying brand names and not worry too much. Hopefully she’s mature enough to understand.

£250 is a chunk of money ,spend the last tenner on chocs etc.
I'm sure she'll be delighted with what you've bought.
Have a good Xmas.

I also don’t see the point in padding out with stuff - unless you know she’ll use it, it’s just clutter you’ll end up binning in 6 months time.

It’s a good pile, I would also buy 3 “very good” second hand books on WoB (3 for 2 offer).

Or give her the tenner to spend in the Xmas sales!

Home bargains have lots of nice 2.99ish stocking filler bits. although I think that sounds plenty, she will know the price of the items at her age x

I can’t believe that parents are spending £250 on their kids and saying, the pile isn’t big enough. This is what makes kids ungrateful and entitled. The first time we spent that on our son was when he was in his 20s and wanted a couple of golf clubs, he offered to go halves with us.

I know what you mean, each gift costs more but the stack amount isn't as high as you'd expect. It depends on your girl, mine loves quality over quantity now she is a teen but when younger definitely wanted a big amount.
I would go over the budget personally because money is there to be enjoyed and shared and to give me freedom not to stress me out. Id still get things that she wants or will be useful though like nice pens, lipbalms, earrings, fluffy socks, phone case, books, stickers (fancy ones), if she likes matcha then stuff to make it and so on.

Surely it depends on the family, in some families £250 is like £25.

Isn't there an age when a big pile of stuff you don't particularly want is no longer welcome? I should think this happens sometime in the teens. One of two good presents is much better.

I agree with a PP that a pile of 'tat' is actually quite a childish thing that you do for someone who doesn't understand prices and still values quantity. Moving to a more grown up model of gift giving is saying to her that you understand that she is now older and more mature which I'm sure she would prefer. Sure, wrap up some chocolate etc but please don't buy a lot of bits that are unlikely to get used and will probably be binned relatively quickly.

It's plenty. I spend about £100 on DD18. It's what I can afford - and I have always got one or two big and wanted gifts, rather than lots of tat.

Occasionally other family members have contributed to something bigger e.g. tickets for her favourite singer. Occasionally she has chosen to skip a birthday present for a few months so can get a bigger xmas present I.e. a budget of £200 instead of £100.

She knows that the size or cost of the present reflects what I can afford, not how much I love her.

Just a handful of useful stocking fillers now i think where you might go above the budget a bit.

To add, she knows that i spend quite a lot on her hobby/sport every month! And would rather that than having more in presents.

I would add another £50 to your buget for extra bits if you can just because she's only a few years of being a kid left.

If she reads you could do the asda 2 for £7
Boots have 2 for 3 I got 3 bubble/byoma sets for £25 but you could do 3 at £10 too save £5.
Primark accessories hair bands, clips, hat, socks maybe a set of basics from there.
Also the poundshop/home bargains for face masks, body cream, bubble bath. They have some knock off Sol De Janeiro for £2 that's a set of 3 in a little bag

I think even older kids like a big pile and it's achievable for not a huge amount of money.

I usually wrap up some of the treats I’d be buying for Christmas anyway when I reach the end of the budget and need to pad out the presents! So my dc will be unwrapping pebbles, tesco popcorn etc! It’s only them who would be eating it anyway and it makes the pile of gifts more substantial!

Exactly.

There’s no point padding it out with lots of cheap plasticky tat. Think of the environment .

I would buy things you’d be buying anyway in the next couple of months: shower gel; body lotion; shampoo; conditioner; new underwear; socks etc. it might take you over budget but your just bringing forward the spending on those items and she has a few more things to open.

I actually think you’ve spent a very generous amount on your children.

People obviously have very different budgets for Christmas, if your child is aware of that then they should understand why their present pile may look different to their siblings.

if you did want to bulk it out, spending an extra £10 you can get cheaper items in shops or second hand. For example pound shops often have bath/hair stuff for a £1. You can pick up books cheap in charity shops. Buy nice bar of chocolate etc.

A good tip for the future is to buy over the year when you see things on offer, as that helps to keep the costs down.

Hope you manage to find a solution that works for you, and that you all enjoy Christmas. Am sure your teen will be delighted with her gifts.

DDs are 20 and 16 and I set them each a budget of £200. DD1 chose a lot of smaller things, DD1 a smaller number of more expensive things. I also buy them a few extra stocking fillers and DH gives them money so they can also go off on a shopping trip or save up for something else.

I did say to DD2 that she may not have so many things to open and she is fine with it. Though what I might do is wrap some DD1's things together so that they do have the same number. But that's just me being picky, rather than them.

It’s fine, op, honestly. Ignore the suggestions of “a stocking full of cheap stuff” 🙄
Who the hell wants a stocking full of random crap?

I think it's fine. And the reality is that these things cost money and money isn't unlimited. Its good for her to understand this anyway. You could always fill it out with some smaller gifts e.g. cheap jewellery, hot chocolate set, a scarf etc etc.

By the time I was a teen I would mostly just get one present because what I was asking for was expensive, I understood this and didn't mind one but - because I had got what I really wanted. My mum tended to ask for multiple small things, so Christmas morning was mainly everyone watching my mum unwrap her presents.

My mum would sometimes buy me a chocolate bar and some socks as well, but nothing more than that.