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Christmas

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

Original poster

How much will you spend on your DC's?

113 replies

d1156075795531b003508 · 13/10/2008 10:44

Completely nosy question, I know .
I tend to pick up bits in the sales and things which catch my eye throughout the year. I think of this is being 'sensible'. However, have just mentally totted it up and have spent £250 (including a bike) on DD. This seems ridiculous. Am going to probably hold some back until her birthday. However, she doesn't have presents / toys outside of birthdays and xmas. What does everyone else do / spend? How much is too much?

OP posts:
Nemoandthefishes · 13/10/2008 20:02

DS is just 5 and have spent about £60 on him with everything.
DD1 will be 3 the week before and have bought her a balance bike from ebay[£27] and a puppy in my pocket house from home bargains for £6 and a few puppies and bits so she has probably had about £45 on her.
DD1 is 2 week after christmas and will be getting a doll[£10] and bought teletubbies home hill at carboot for £7 then a few little bits which will add up to about £30

Dh wants a couple of dvds so around £30 on him..lol

heartmummy · 13/10/2008 20:04

must say i dont know what to think i spent on dd(2)last christmas £300!!!!!! and thought that was the amount was fine
she also has her 3rd birthday in november and then i will spend about £100.
do you think this is to much ?

Nemoandthefishes · 13/10/2008 20:12

oh meant to say mine are all winter babies.
Ds birthday was last week and he was 5 so he got a used ds lite[my mums] so was free and we bought a couple of games and some ben 10 figures so spent about £30,DD1 is week before xmas and have bought her a dora vanity table for £30 and dd2 is week after xmas but will get it from sales..lol

verylapsedrunner · 13/10/2008 20:17

I am truely shocked at the ammounts here, I only have one DS(6) and no way would I spend more than 30 pounds for a main present and then about 10-15 pounds on stocking stuff. He get so many other presents from family (and we are a small family).

scorpio1 · 13/10/2008 20:18

£100 for each child - 4.

bobsyouruncle · 13/10/2008 20:22

Aiming for £50 each for ds and dd, but will probably be slightly over. They do have september and november birthdays though. Planning about £30-40 on a main present each & then a visit to the pound shop for a few stocking fillers.

lunavix · 13/10/2008 20:24

Does the amount of presents your dc's get from others affect what you buy or how much you spend?

After splitting up with their dad, apart from presents from me, and one or two small gift from friends of mine, they won't receive anything else at home. They get presents from their dad and his family too, but they are kept at their houses and they aren't allowed to bring them home.

So as I found out last christmas, the tree looked pretty bare underneath with just a few gifts from me

Which even though I know they don't need excessive amounts, and we don't have the room, and I don't have the money blah blah blah, it will break my heart if they wake up christmas morning and one or two presents each under an empty tree is all they have. Daft, I know.

lunavix · 13/10/2008 20:24

And plus on a far more selfish note... it will make me feel awful if theres a few gifts under our tree and they go to their grannys and there's hundreds.

dollyk · 13/10/2008 20:40

omg, I spend far to much I am going to cut back this year though.

StewieGriffinsMom · 13/10/2008 20:51

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Hulababy · 13/10/2008 20:52

This year we will spend quite a lot of money on DD's present probably, a lot more than norma (which is normally between £100-150). We are planning on buying her a digital piano, to start lessons on in the new year. Wouldn't normally spend this amount but looking it as a long term investment, rather than just a Christmas gift.

Bloodystumperlicious · 13/10/2008 20:52

Um, let's see...
A second hand tape player £5
A buggy - donated by SIL
Some books, don't know where they were from, I probably bought them at an NCT sale and had stashed them somewhere

But then DD is only going to be 18mo. She is going to be far more interested in the Christmas tree, and no doubt my mum will spoil her and make her sick on chocolate buttons!

Am at some of the amounts on here! Great if you can afford it, and I can understand wanting to buy your DCs lovely stuff, but I hope you aren't getting into horrible debt for it. I hope DD grows up not expecting too much in the way of presents as she gets older.

Bikes and things are different as they are usually one off purchases that will last years.

traceybath · 13/10/2008 20:52

i think it does make a difference if your children get lots of other presents from family/friends.

herbietea · 13/10/2008 20:56

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madrose · 13/10/2008 21:01

we've spent £60 on three things that dd (3) has been begging for all year. Might get one or two small things. One will be from F/C plus the stocking, which will be bits and piece - £10 - £15. We also do presents from baby jesus on christmas eve - this will be PJs, a game, clothes, christmas tree decos, and a craft thing that she can do christmas eve.
She'll get pressies from family and friends and we'll open these over the holiday with the last presents being opened new years day (mainly to conincide with the visiting of family and friends, so they can enjoy her opening their gift. Otherwise it is a paper feast and it's all over too quickly.

morocco · 13/10/2008 21:03

we spend loads. i'm a total skinflint the rest of the year, kids don't get any expensive toys, bdays are not such a big deal either

but I love Xmas. always have. really big xmas stockings (well pillowcases), games, toys, chocs, the works. until this year we did a lot of stuff from carboots but they'd probably notice this year so will have to buy from shops.

I just love buying all the presents. I start in january and hide away little nicknacks from museum trips etc. loads of the stuff they get is practical as well though - pj.s, slippers, clothes, hats etc

tigger32 · 13/10/2008 21:04

I'm really cutting back this year, (we haven't got room) they both have so much stuff already and will get loads from friends and family so will fill a stocking for each of them with little bits and spend about £30 - £40 on other bits, still adds up though!

bellavita · 13/10/2008 21:10

Mine rarely get much through out the year so I do not mind spending at christmas (providing funds are there).

Soprana · 13/10/2008 23:33

I don't intend to spend more than £30 on dd's present. She has more stuff than she can play with in one day anyway, and I don't want her getting used to too much extravagance. Not good for children, or adults, for that matter.

mumwhereareyou · 14/10/2008 07:25

We aim to spend no more than £75 per child including stockings. But i buy throughout the year and get some good bargains if i can.

They don't get a lot else from our small family and agree i hate to see the christmas tree looking bare.

We also make the opening of presents last a long time in fact we normally keep a few back till after lunch.

Eldest is getting a new scooter and some games for DS lite and maybe a electric keyboard if i see a cheap one on ebay.

Middley wants just vehicles of any kind he will not play with anything else (SN) so am going to buy him a big bruder truck.

Youngest wants anything big sis gets plus a new baby doll.

DH wants a new running top and running shoes so he will have to wait till sales for that.

I have been saving with the post office christmas club each week and it has amounted up without me really missing the money.

Chocolateteapot · 14/10/2008 07:56

DD's is costing £130 and £80 for DS, including stocking. Then a further £30 between them on advent calendars (Lego and playmobil). DD is getting a wii fit which we will all use which is why hers is more.

I save £50 a month for Christmas and buy a lot in the January sales.

TheBlonde · 14/10/2008 08:06

I will probably end up spending £50 per child

They have spring birthdays so if the Xmas present pile looks too big then some will be held back

Flamesparrow · 14/10/2008 08:10

Spending about £100 for the family - so £25 each. Struggling to find that tbh.

I am lucky, they get spoilt rotten by the rest of the family, so we can afford to be very tight.

My biggest worry this year is buying for non-family

shinyshoes · 14/10/2008 08:18

My boys are getting a Wii and Wii fit between them and a couple of games. There is a package in Tesco for £249.00 I will probably get that. I will get various things as stocking fillers.

Baby (9 months) has had £50.00 spent on her, she dosen't need anything else so I will probably stop there. Her birthday is Jan 7th so she'll get loads then.

Neice and nephews £20.00 each.

DP £50.00, that's the ilmit we spend every year on eachother I am low on Clarins creams at that point as well .

Mil and Pil £20.00 each.

My mum £20.00 cash

GrapefruitMoon · 14/10/2008 10:23

Hopefully no more than £50 per child (including stockings!) Sometimes it's a bit more. They don't get things during the year either (apart from birthdays) though dh tends to buy things like Playstations for himself which they then "have" by default.

I was around someone's house on Christmas Day last year - I knew she bought quite a lot for her dcs as they don't have much in the way of extended family - but I was pretty gobsmacked at the huge piles of (still unopened) presents. If the kids were too bored with presents to open them all by the evening....