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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Doesn't look much

111 replies

DeeDees1 · 11/12/2025 22:19

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?

OP posts:
KilkennyCats · 13/12/2025 12:00

winnieanddaisy · 13/12/2025 10:20

I don’t understand people who think that £250 is a lot for a teenager . The clothes are necessities which you would buy anyway . Ok you may not buy pricey names for her but I’m sure you would spend at least half of those prices so therefore your DD is only getting maybe £150 of gifts . I can understand it if you have no money but spending so little just to make a point is bonkers .

I agree with others , maybe buy her a Sephora voucher or something else to top up her gifts .

Spending more just because is equally dumb, tbh.
What point do you think people are making by not spending thousands on their teenagers, just because they can?

Blades2 · 13/12/2025 12:02

KaleidoscopeSmile · 13/12/2025 08:49

And PJs!

If I'd had either of those things in my stocking when I was a kid I would've assumed my parents had gone insane

Show quote history

Eh why? One of my best memories of Christmas is my new pyjamas and selection box on Christmas night ❤️

minipie · 13/12/2025 12:18

The clothes are necessities which you would buy anyway

Not necessarily, the DD may already have all the trainers/hoodies etc that she needs, so these are special extras. (Definitely the case in my house!!) Or she may have an allowance for clothes so parents wouldn’t ordinarily buy clothes.

MidnightMeltdown · 13/12/2025 12:22

winnieanddaisy · 13/12/2025 10:20

I don’t understand people who think that £250 is a lot for a teenager . The clothes are necessities which you would buy anyway . Ok you may not buy pricey names for her but I’m sure you would spend at least half of those prices so therefore your DD is only getting maybe £150 of gifts . I can understand it if you have no money but spending so little just to make a point is bonkers .

I agree with others , maybe buy her a Sephora voucher or something else to top up her gifts .

They are not necessities unless they actually need them. Very few people actually ‘need’ more clothes.

KilkennyCats · 13/12/2025 12:45

MidnightMeltdown · 13/12/2025 12:22

They are not necessities unless they actually need them. Very few people actually ‘need’ more clothes.

Show quote history

Well, quite.
Maybe @winnieanddaisy waits until her teens are down to a threadbare jumper between them and stocks up at Christmas.
To make the “piles” bigger…

mrsconradfisher · 13/12/2025 14:32

MidnightMeltdown · 13/12/2025 12:22

They are not necessities unless they actually need them. Very few people actually ‘need’ more clothes.

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Unless of course you are a 15 year old who is still growing! I’ve just had to replace 90% of DS2’s wardrobe as nothing fits him. But clearly people on here expect teenagers to walk around in clothes that don’t fit them!

MrsWhites · 13/12/2025 14:39

The competitive snobbery on this thread is ridiculous.

The OP asked for opinions on whether she should stretch her budget a little and therefore people have made suggestions or offered a helpful opinion.

There is no need for the competitive under spending, or the ‘my children would be aghast with the landfill plastic primark tat’.

If you don’t want or don’t have the budget to spend hundreds on your children then don’t, if you don’t like small stocking gifts then don’t buy them but stop belittling people who do!

FableLies · 13/12/2025 14:53

MrsWhites · 13/12/2025 14:39

The competitive snobbery on this thread is ridiculous.

The OP asked for opinions on whether she should stretch her budget a little and therefore people have made suggestions or offered a helpful opinion.

There is no need for the competitive under spending, or the ‘my children would be aghast with the landfill plastic primark tat’.

If you don’t want or don’t have the budget to spend hundreds on your children then don’t, if you don’t like small stocking gifts then don’t buy them but stop belittling people who do!

I think many people base their 'values' on what they read on MN. That's why you get a lot of competitive answers on threads like this.

liveforsummer · 13/12/2025 15:46

KaleidoscopeSmile · 13/12/2025 08:49

And PJs!

If I'd had either of those things in my stocking when I was a kid I would've assumed my parents had gone insane

Show quote history

Both my dc love them. They buy both with their own money - rarely a shopping trip goes by where a pair of fluffy socks doesn’t return in the bag and dd15 gets in to her pj’s/lounge wear as soon as she gets home so lives a new set 😆. Everyone is different 🤷🏼‍♀️

mrsconradfisher · 13/12/2025 17:06

MrsWhites · 13/12/2025 14:39

The competitive snobbery on this thread is ridiculous.

The OP asked for opinions on whether she should stretch her budget a little and therefore people have made suggestions or offered a helpful opinion.

There is no need for the competitive under spending, or the ‘my children would be aghast with the landfill plastic primark tat’.

If you don’t want or don’t have the budget to spend hundreds on your children then don’t, if you don’t like small stocking gifts then don’t buy them but stop belittling people who do!

Exactly the point I was trying to make earlier to the poster who seemed shocked that a teenage girl might like more than 1 gift because her middle aged adult children only ever had 1 gift…which is complete bollocks tbh!
You have worded it far far better than I did! It’s just belittling people for the sake of it and there is absolutely no need!

RebeccaRedhat · 16/12/2025 23:05

My dd is 16 and I'm sorry, but i couldn't give just 4 presents. Im not saying it needs to be 50 but I think going over budget by about £20 you could get loads of bits from b&m. Shower gel, lip balm, chocs, socks, notepad, pen etc. Just little bits she will use.

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