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?

I must be missing something because I don’t see any of the suggestions people have made for stocking fillers as being ‘cheap yay’ or ‘plastic landfill’.

Almost all of the suggestions are practical things that teens and young adults use?

If she’s old enough to ask for that stuff then surely she’s old enough to know how much it costs? If so then she’s presumably chosen to spend your budget on a few nice things rather than loads of cheap stuff.

My 15 year old has asked for books,Lego, chocolate and an art set. With that, an Xbox game and some other bits and bobs, I've spent about £150. Perhaps just pad it out with little novelty gifts or nail polish/lip gloss etc.

I think it’s lovely as it is, at her age it’s more about brands than volume and I’m sure she understands that, but if you wanted to “bulk” it up without breaking the bank and with stuff she’ll actually use, here’s a few ideas:

-Pyjamas (Primark is always a winner for these)
-Knickers and socks (again, Primark, sounds like a boring present but she absolutely will use them)
-Zara perfume (about £15, very good and very popular for use as a ‘daily’ perfume I.e want to smell nice but not going somewhere you’d want to use up expensive ones on)
-Chocolate
-Books if she’s a reader, there are so many authors you can buy new for 3 quid a pop on Amazon
-Face masks, hair masks, whatever else
-If she suffers at all with her periods, my mum got me a hot water bottle in a cover you can strap round your belly last Xmas. It cost £8 and has been used beyond belief.

I reckon she'll be thrilled with that list. I'd spend the final £10 on a book and a bar of Tony's chocolate.

As a family I think we are very different to you @DeeDees1

My kids (now adults) would have got one of those things plus a couple of small gifts.

Even though we were and are very comfortably off, we never splurged at Xmas.

Our budget was more like £100 , if that.

And even now I tell my adult kids not to spend more than £25 on me.

It sounds lovely and no doubt she primed you to get exactly what she wanted. Spend the tenner on some jelly beans or chocolate and stick to your budget. Its very generous in the first place ❤️

We spend more and it looks more in the pile as they don't tend to ask for anything of huge value. They know if they ask for higher priced items the pile will be smaller. The pile is always padded out with shower gels, smellies, undies, make up etc they will need anyway.

I spend £100

I think presents are generally most enjoyed when they haven’t got a mountain of crap. These are thoughtful and very generous. Why not promote being thankful for that.

All lovely stuff, I’d add some chocolates and call it a day.

She’s 15. Surely she understands how much the things she’s asked for cost?

Op, what you’ve bought sounds great to me, and plenty. I usually budget about £150 each for my dc to spend on things that they want. I’ll then top it up with things that they need and wrap them up too. For example if they need trainers I’ll maybe spend a bit more than I normally would on a nicer pair, then wrap them for Xmas.

There have been years when I’ve spent much more on a main present (eg DD’s Apple Watch) and haven’t bought anything else. They’ve been so happy with their main gift, it hasn’t bothered them at all

When i was a teen in the 90s i got a £100 budget. I knew that and i chose things that were in that budget. If you’ve got things she wants then surely that’s fine. She is old enough to understand that surely. Maybe a selection box etc to open but don’t increase the budget much more.

It’s a nice amount and importantly things she wants. So it will be magical. You have a tenner left to get her a book, or some fluffy socks or chocolates, etc.

If your budgeting because you have now spare money that I would just go to home bargains with the remaining 10 and but some stocking fillers. If you have got money spare but trying to not overspend then I would get a few more nice filler bits

Better to get her what she wants than a load of cheap/nasty knockoff stuff that she doesn't. It doesn't really matter what it looks like unless you are an Instagram obsessive in which case just wrap up some empty boxes for the photos.

Do 15 year olds find books magical?

That wasn’t what she said.

Lovely gifts op, she’s old enough to appreciate them and understand how much they cost. Some right miseries on this thread though!

I never understand why people buy huge long lists of stuff for their kids. Don't your children have grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents and family friends? Add in all those people and there's a mountain of presents. I spent decades - and a fortune- on presents for my godchildren and friends' children - I still have all the thank you letters!

@Cynic17 actually I think many children maybe do not have those.
Mine has nobody apart from me, and never have. There is no family left alive, hasn’t been for decades, no godparents and my one friend lives in another country. This can’t be as uncommon as it feels when people make thoughtless comments…I wish it was different for my children but I can’t magic up people who care. So my list would maybe seem longer than someone else’s, but I hope you can understand why this could be easily be the case now.

My DC are 12 and 15 and I struggle buying them clothes and trainers as Christmas presents. To me clothes are things they need so aren't really presents but then what else is there 🤷🏻‍♀️

I miss the days of Father Christmas leaving the toys under the tree 😢

Blankscreen I draw a distinction in my mind between basic clothes which they need, vs more expensive branded stuff which they don’t need but want. So to me £80 trainers are worthy of being a present, as they only ‘need’ £40 less fashionable ones. I guess the present is the brand… depressing as that is!

Have you done her a stocking? If not, you could some cheap fun things to go in one. Lip balm, chocolate, a notebook, Christmas socks, a pen?