How much to spend on your kids Xmas presents

[Kissesandcakes23]

I know this is probably asked every year but I am wondering what people's plans are now with the cost of living crisis.

Last year I went overboard and I really don't want to do that but I also don't want to be stingy. I know my kids aged 4 and 7 will be happy no matter what but the mum guilt of giving them likely less this year is hard to accept.

If that’s all their getting I agree but if there lots of presents from other family members I think that’s fine .
There’s two things I think and the first is why pile presents to the ceiling when kids need far more money as they get older so I’d split my budget half to gifts and half to savings .
The other thing I think is awful is some kids getting literally nothing . Why can’t their parents make something or buy second hand . It seems some are so wrapped up in their own problems the kids are forgotten .

I think it will be around £250-300 this year, I've already started. Dd has a decent stocking (maybe 10-12 gifts, e.g a book, pens, cuddly, game etc.) and then 2-3 main presents under the tree. We say all of this is from FC, then she gets gifts from grandparents and a few other family members. Some years it has been more if the main is something specific, some years less, like when I made her a dolls house aged 3. There isn't one right way, it's what works for your family.

We do stockings for small presents. Generally 12 gifts in a stocking, including new undies/socks, a savoury snack like jerky or unusual crisps, sweets or chocolate, an unusual drink (e.g. Mexican coke, butterbeer), a book, shower/bath stuff. This year we are going away after Christmas so I will put the shower stuff in a new wash bag. Plus some fun bits like card games/magic tricks/fidget toys/art pens etc. All things they will use.

Main presents are under the tree: always some new clothes and shoes (for dd this used to be beautiful little sparkly shoes from monsoon, now she is older it is much more likely to be ugg-style boots or similar. I miss the sparkles!), plus one or two big ticket items that they really want (depending on price), and a new family board game (or expansion pack to an existing much-loved game) to play over the holidays.

But i don't see it as other peoples responsibility to provide Christmas for my child and I don't put other peoples presents to kids in with ours or santa to bulk it out they know where their presents come from. Christmas morning is just us so the thought off them walking down the stairs to 4 presents just seems shitty. They understand as they get older things cost more so their piles will get smaller but that pile will still be bigger then a single book and 1 item of clothing. Christmas is the same day every year its not a surprise parents need to plan for that. Christmas as a child is important

When our kids were small enough for Santa, they chose what they wanted (within reason and budget). One present from Santa. Then stocking with book, chocolate, apple, tangerine, a small puzzle/game. That was morning and kept thrm happy and busy. Family presents were separate (small family, not many presents but children also made or bought) after lunch enabling exchange and thank yous and to separate Santa/family. Always a new family game to play. We prepped Christmas throughout December - baking, crafts, games, drawings, present buying and everyone chipped in with meal prep as soon as old enough.

We do Secret Santa now, they're all adults and earning. We've stopped the traditional stocking but still buy a family game. The kids quite often prep the meal together, it's lovely. And we put cash in an envelope for them so that they can treat themselves.

Other family members had mountains of presents. It's not my thing but all kids - now adults - seem fine so I don't think it matters. If you want thrm to have more toys and have room to store them, spend what you can afford without stretching yourself.

£4/500 each. They are older though, used to be more but once they got their gaming pcs I cut it down.

I didn't have a stocking as a child. I didn't have siblings, so what was under the tree was just one person's presents. I also lived with mum and grandparents from about 3yrs til 9yrs, so all my grandparents gifts (not that many) were under the tree for me as well. I got less than all my cousins, who all had siblings so "double toys" that they could nose through, and I always remember when all my cousins would descend on Boxing Day, each bringing a couple of much better toys and things than I had to show my grandparents what they'd got. Then they'd open their gifts from my grandparents. While I sat with nothing because I'd opened mine the day before, feeling left out as the only person not opening anything. Looking back I wonder why on earth they didn't wait and give me mine at the same time as everyone else, it made me feel really low, as they tore into things excitedly as a big group, and I wasn't part of that. I never really got excited at Christmas, because I'd have few presents and they were things I didn't want that my mother thought made her look more middle class. Didn't matter if I wanted a yapping dog toy or a neon bum bag. I'd get a book of learn to play classical piano tunes. We were middle to upper class I suppose, and the level of snobbery was shit.

It's hard to describe, it sounds all so trivial when trying to summarise, but feeling sad, then it being compounded by seeing every other child in the family being so excited and happy, is a feeling I will never forget. I hid it very well, and my mother would tell you what wonderful childhood Christmases I had. But I think there is an intrinsic link to presents and a young child's excitement and the magic of it all.

I think a small child should wake up on Christmas morning, and gasp when they see "he's been." My eldest always remembers the year I filled the living room with red, and gold balloons, and that was the "wow" moment as he ruched downstairs. There's only a few years they believe. And I think it's really important to create that magic, and the feeling it generates in that little person on Christmas morning.

Not trivial at all. Life in general is crappy and hard especially as an adult. Every kid deserves these moments and memories. Its one day a year and it matters.

How big their stocking?
My kids are sock shaped.
Mine was an actual white school girl sock

I but throughout the year (the Bargain threads are helpful!) and never go into debt for it. DD's birthday is early Autumn, and approach in the the same way, though I generally won't decide which is which until her birthday. This year, I am mostly done for her already! It's easier that her interests are consistent, though, and some kids aren't like that!

It's a little bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' questions, though. Some families buy a lot during the year, some only buy at xmas/birthdays. I wouldn't go into debt for it.

It also helps that, in our house, santa only brings stocking of small things and we buy any other gifts.

I’ve found this thread really interesting. I have 4 dcs from 15 to 7, boys and girls. I found it a lot easier when they were all younger! We do secret Santa for our family of 6, they use their pocket money, max £10 - we set it up as a lucky dip and do it in the afternoon. £200 budget per child -includes stocking, Father Christmas gift and book and our presents to them (normally about 8 each). Dcs think the best bit is the stocking so I spend more proportionally. I buy a lot in charity shops, bargain threads etc probably controversial but have a no tech for Christmas rule so don’t buy computers phones computer games etc. I love making a hamper or packing in a huge box as it looks like more! Dcs don’t get much from other people, apart from my parents who buy them a nice present but capped at £50. Mil tells them she’s going to send them £25 but often doesn’t because she is tight so I budget to cover that so the kids aren’t disappointed. What crushes my budget is all the school trips, fairs and extra gifts (teachers/neighbours etc) plus hosting so am using Monzo pots to budget for that separately this year.

Small kids go by the size of the pile, not the price tag.

Honestly,I spend anywhere from 500-700 (probably more tbh)on each of them BUT I do not buy toys or gifts (unless it’s clothes that are needed) throughout the year. Only birthdays and Christmas. I have never bought my children into a toy shop at any other time of the year and said pick out something. They are 11 and 13 now so toys are pretty much on the way out. 11yr old still loves squishys and Lego though.
11yr old got a Nintendo switch for his birthday. I have no idea what he will ask for at Christmas. He does need a new bike but I HATE getting bikes at Christmas as I would prefer better weather tbh.
13yr old is going to a concert in November as a part of her gifts.
I don’t do stockings either…

If you are willing to buy 2nd hand toys it can be very cheap at these ages! Piles of presents is a bad idea tbh, it makes it too materalistic and loses a bit of magic. It can also be really overwhelming for younger kids! 5 or 6 wrapped presents each is loads and they can be any price! Charity shops have cheap games and puzzles (check contents before giving), soft toys and books are anything from 50p-£2 as well. Maybe buy a couple of brand new items you know they would like and leave something fun unwrapped like a larger item/musical/light up toy or something fun. This can also be cheap eg. Those penguins which go up the slope to music. If your kids need bikes the bike club do a monthly plan where you can get a brand new bike delivered and pay a subscription. I did this for my youngest. When they outgrow it you can swap it. I always do stocking as well because they are fun, I usually spend about 15 each on stocking and 70-100 on little kids (mine are getting older now, 10 and 12 but i dont buy tech/gadgets so probably max 150). Remember its just a day so half what you give them ends up hanging around in piles and not played with if you overdo it! Take the stress out of it (and the guilt) kids are happy with very little.

It depends what their main present is. Last year they both haf electrical so over 300 each in total. Hoping for more like 200 or less this year.

Market research? A lot of these posts recently where OP posts a question about family finances and then disappears.

No set budget, when they were young and money was tight it'd have second hand purchases in the mix, they'd know no difference. They are teens now and more materialistic. I try to keep it under £300 each though as money is still tight.

We don’t set a budget, DCs get to choose 4 things for their Santa list and ask us for an additional 4. This year due to our finances they have just done Santa lists, these can vary wildly each year but we always make sure they get their Santa list, we manage expectations when they write it, I.e no phones, pets etc… We have no problems buying from charity shops or second hand, some of our biggest hits have been charity shops or second hand purchases.

This year 2 have done their lists which are:
DD2 Squishies, 2 CDs, & Robux
DD3 Squishies, art supplies, Robux & more play food for her kitchen

Come Christmas Day they will have what they have asked for plus what ever I’ve picked up, usually using the Christmas bargain thread.

DD3 gifts this year (including hiding places)
Penguin -£2 - case
Purple plush -£2 - case
Karaoke machine - £7.99 - case
Hello Kitty Earrings - £1.50
Fluffy jacket £20 - case
Bling it kit - £8.99
Cuddle cushion - £6.99 - wardrobe
Weighted blanket - £10 - wardrobe
Play food - £6.50 - wardrobe
Pencils - draw
Still need Squishies, more art stuff, Robux, pjs & slippers.

DD1 who hasn’t done a list because she’s getting ski stuff has got
Pandora candy cain charm - under bed - £23
Hollister jumper - case - £19
Hollister vest - case - £4
Ski suit
Ski Boots
Skipping rope - case
Headband skiing
Face/neck scarf
PLT - 2 piece - case - £21.15
Hot diamonds necklace - £23.25
Luella Grey Bag - case - £39.99
Hairbrushes - - case - £5.99
Body scrub & brush - £5.99 - case
Benefits bronzer - £18
Cuddle cushion - £11 - wardrobe
Needs PJs & slippers

DD1 has more expensive tastes but DD3 will get other things throughout the year that will even up the spending.

The younger they are, the less I would spend.

Do they get tech other times off year or just don't have tech at all. My kids get tech at Christmas if thats what they want i wouldn't just randomly buy them an ipad outside birthday or Christmas

Ours are still quite young but as a general rule the stockings have a book, a pair of socks, a new toothbrush, something edible, and a toy (so a slight variation on the want/need/read/wear poem).

Under the tree (from us) presents it depends, perhaps £100 each, but as they're young we get them what they'd like rather than monetary value as they don't really know the difference. I do try to make sure they get the same amount (roughly). The key thing though is that while I've started keeping a list of ideas I don't buy anything until December so I'm not spending bits here and there.

They don’t have much- my eldest saved up and built himself a pc over the last 2 years, we bought him some bits towards that for his birthday the last couple of years. The money mostly came from odd jobs like washing people’s cars, building other people’s computers etc. The older ones had a phone when they started high school, under £100 Motorola one. They don’t have individual computers apart from that but we have old tech- Wii, game cube, very old Xbox etc, old Nintendo off we’ve been given or freecycle/cex. Second eldest is saving for an iPad from cex. I did buy my eldest a record player for Christmas last year but I don’t consider that tech, but I suppose some people might think it is.

When I was a child some friends got piles of presents, some got a few, some received everything from FC, others were only given a stocking from FC.
My family didn’t do stockings at all, just a pile of gifts large and small.
Your stocking and one gift might have been your standard but it’s unlikely to be the norm.

It varies year by year depending on our budget
I do start buying little bits quite early in in the year to spread the cost

Both dc need new phones this year as one can't hold a charge for half a day and the other was second hand already and the screen is smashed to pieces now but they will only be getting slightly better than budget models maybe £150 max each and have £50/60 spent on them including stockings
I would class this as a very expensive year as usually I would spend about £100 per child but with some wiggle room depending on if something was a longed for bargain

I think what is interesting is whether you have others to buy for and also whether your own kids get gifts from others.
For us we have a small family, therefore we perhaps need to spend/buy more as we don't have family to do this.
Likewise as we don't have a big family we can spend the Christmas budget on our kids. We don't tend to buy each other anything big and with our own parents they tend to just ask for a small token gift as they would rather we kept the money for ourselves/know they don't need anything.