Is anyone buying dc less (although big necessarily spending less)?

[pinkponie]

Our budget isn’t going down this year but I have always gone big at Christmas as I didn’t get much when I was a kid. However, I’m now sick of buying gifts for the sake of making piles look bigger. We have a small house as it is and I don’t have the space for much more (will obviously declutter before). Is anyone else buying less things/really thinking about things before buying? I was going to buy dc1 some kpop fond updated but actually she’s not really into it anymore, so even though they were on said they weren’t a good deal- this is the mindset I need!

I’m planning on this as well, currently feeling overwhelmed by the toy sales as want to make the most of the deals but don’t want to buy stuff for the sake of it. Also sick of all the toys in my small house so want to buy less but things my children will be very excited about

Yes!!
I love the Christmas bargain thread and have followed it for years, picking up all sorts of bargains! But last year and this year already I am being more conscious of what I am buying.
My sons first few Christmas’ I went completely overboard and a lot of presents ended up going to the charity shop as he just wasn’t interested. Once I really thought about it though (after years of buying too much) I realised I was buying piles and piles of stuff for the sake of it because my gran did the same to me. Three pairs of slippers, multiple kids make up sets, lots of unnecessary duplicates.
I am trying to just buy gifts that I know he will be interested in, he’s neurodiverse though and only really has one interest which makes it difficult to buy for him.
I am the same as you, small house with not a lot of storage.

Not less as such - but I am trying to be clever and not waste money. Less is hard to quantify because what is more between a single huge expensive present or lots of tiny tiny presents? Is it more to buy my son a playstation, or to buy him loads of tiny LEGO men (which is actually what he wants this year).

One thing I do though, which I know is a bit crazy, is I have a Christmas spreadsheet with the presents I buy him each year. I start it about this time, note down the things he has asked for and liked, and then after he writes his list I'll start buying things.

But the best thing is that its recorded then, so this year, I'm now looking back at last year (and I did the same the year before) and I can note down what actually worked... what got played with all year.. what failed and was ignored etc. To try and make sure that I don't keep buying him useless things.

Not crazy at all - I love a spreadsheet and have got Christmas ones dating back to 2009! Its quite interesting to look back and see what they had back then - they are all adults now but that year had dolls, dolls clothes, stationery, books and DVD's - total spend £75-80.
I find it use it to note down ideas and budgets and then check off when I have actually bought them. I also include other people I buy for on the list also.
I definitely scaled back volume in more recent years as they just accumulate so much stuff - once they were older teens we just got them 1 main thing they were really after and then a few useful things. Got a lot more expensive though!

For the last few years I have tried hard not to buy what won't be used. This has naturally reduced the pile but also means I currently have no idea what to buy my daughter for her birthday or xmas. All she cares about is squishies and her Ipad 😒

Yes I am doing the same. They will get to ask for one present each and then we will get them another four. And of those, some will be “add ons” to what they already have. So a new Sylvanian set to go with the existing Sylvanian families. This way I focus just on what they enjoy playing with and also doesn’t require more storage or a big sort out.

I definitely want to do this, we have a small house which is full to bursting. My two will be 9 and 11 at Christmas this year and don't really play with toys much anymore, it feels like the right time to start scaling things back a bit. I hate the idea of them being disappointed though.
Oldest is getting Olivia Rodrigo tickets, which cost £550 (one of them is for me I guess...) so I don't want to spend a whole lot more on her.

Yes same here. I’m basically not shopping for my DC until late November/ early December so that I do it all in one go and it doesn’t all keep adding up.

Yes, mine are 10 & 13 this Christmas, so naturally cutting back as toys are not really on the list. But 12 yeR old wants- money. Full stop. No idea what else to get or hiw much money!

Yes we are doing the same! An activity in the first week of our advent calendar is a clear out too so hoping that makes space for all the tat they'll get from relatives

I’m changing my approach this year. I usually buy online starting around October. I find it hard to remember how much I have and then DH starts buying them stuff in December so they end up with loads. This year we’re going to go to the toy shop with a budget per kid and get everything on one day and be done with it. I think this is the best way to make sure we’re not buying too much

I'm definitely cutting back this year. Last year I went a bit overboard due to dh being seriously ill. Everyone will be getting 3-4 things each, along with selection boxes.

No, because I have never bought big piles of stuff. As they get older, though, it’s very normal to have fewer things that are more expensive and more considered.

Yes. I did it last year and dc were a bit like "oh" till they actually opened what they had and reliezed it was more expensive and they were happy with that. I can't be doing with massive piles of stuff anymore, they never touched half of it!

Every year I try and every year I fail lol 😆 partly because I buy throughout the year so it all adds up. That said I think the older they are the easier it is to reign in.

I kind of don't mind going 'overboard' for my 6 year old dd as it wont be long before she's out of the toy phase and I'll miss that when she's all about girly stuff and fads/fashion.

My son is 13 so I feel I am being a lot more intentional about his gifts as he has specific interests and ideas plus he understands about budget at his age.

Yes we have always done this because as a child we had piles and piles of stuff and I just ripped the paper off and don’t even look at the gifts. We do want, need, wear, read so they have four presents under the tree each and a full stocking, I’m not militant about it but I do find it focuses my gift buying

No. We don’t buy much (we use the much hated poem) but we don’t have a budget.

I’m doing one present from each of us to each of us under the tree, plus small stockings. We have no extended family so that’s it. The children get to choose what they want to buy/make as gifts for us all and then put some pocket money towards it (I’m maxing the cost of the presents to siblings at £30 each and they have to put in £10). I’ll do as much secondhand as possible. We’re going to also have a night away in a hotel to go to the panto.

I already pared Christmas back a bit last year, and we all had a really lovely day…the things that have been talked about most fondly all year by my 7 and 9 year olds is their Christmas Eve hot chocolate and cherryade with their Christmas Lunch!

Yes, DC are teens now and think I spend more time chucking things I thought were funny or cute years ago away than is normal. I am getting them piercings with the more expensive ring/studs each, a book each in hardback that I hope one day they will be bored enough to read, one loves chess so a special chess set and the other is very into music so expensive headphones. Prob about £200 each and much less to chuck in the years to come! I also don't really decorate the house any more - we do a small tree and wreath on the door, tinsel on the stairs and that is it!

A smart watch and cash.
We're having a long weekend in Barcelona for his late-November birthday.
He's 15.
There'll be chocolate, funky cans if fizzy drink (watermelon Fanta type stuff) and the crisps he loves from France that I got when I was there last month - he has no idea and will love them.
I think I'm ditching the stockings this year, they're just crap.

We started being more mindful of this a few years ago as our kids are easily overwhelmed with gifts. MIL Isn’t really getting it. I normally starting making lists now but don’t actually buy the gifts until December.

LO is 5 and I’d really like to cut down. We were much more reserved last year as LO has 4 sets of grandparents to buy for him as well as aunties and uncles so will get a lot of toys regardless.

Im looking forward to him being old enough to enjoy an experience as a present as our house is going to burst soon it’s so full.

I spent a year as an au pair for a middle class family in Spain and was quite blown away by how few presents the children got (and I saw what their friends got too, so it wasn't just that one family). I'm talking like, 3 or 4 presents each, TOTAL (with one of them being quite a "big" present, and then a handful of smaller presents). This really reset my expectations. My kids get more than 4 presents, but they certainly don't have an enormous pile. It's better that way. If they get too many presents, they don't even appreciate them, so what's the point?

I’m trying to be less impulsive and practical with my buying. We’ve always gone with matching pile sizes over value but it dose get harder as some DCs get older and their wants come in smaller packages, the wow factor Christmas morning is important for me to keep up, especially with still having a believer in the family.

Ive kept a list the last few years, I have item, cost and where I hide it, I have history for loosing things!