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Christmas

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

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Original poster

how much do you spend on your dcs?

81 replies

jobhuntersrus · 19/10/2009 20:32

Honestly, when you add it all up, what do you spend on your dcs for christmas?

And do you spend pretty much the same on each of them?

The reason i ask is that eldest is talking about asking for quite an expensive electronic present this year (£150 to £200). He still believes in father christmas and is almost 10. I would like to get it for him as I know he would use it alot but don't normally spend that much so would have to cut back elsewhere probably meaning his younger brothers would have much less spent on them. It just feels alot of money.

I would much rather buy him something he really wants and will use but feel uneasy about spending so much. Also very aware I want it to look fair when they come down on christmas morning. If we buy ds1 an expensive present then that will be his only present (apart from family ones) where as the younger 2 will have a decent little pile of goodies as the things they like are much, much cheaper.

So how much do you spend and how do you deal with making it all fair?

OP posts:

LadyoftheBathtub · 19/10/2009 20:37

Not that much, although DS is 4 so not quite the same. It's probably £40-50-ish in total on a main present (eg lego or playmobil) and a couple of smaller ones like books. Plus maybe another £10-20 on stocking presents.

We tend to buy large purchases (eg bike, garden toys) separately from birthdays and christmas and just say they are something we need to get - so he doesn't come to expect a massive present IYSWIM. Is the big thing something you could get for the household and have smaller christmas presents for everyone?

liahgen · 19/10/2009 20:42

I have 5 dc,s

between 100 and 200 per child, although I hate doing it, just seems so little otherwise.

Obviously I don't spend that on the 2 yr old, nearer 70-100.

Eldest dd is getting flat screen this year, that's £149, plus other stuff but I do get alot from car boots and stuff so try and cut corners when I can.

norksonmywitchesbroomstick · 19/10/2009 20:44

I spend £50 maximum on each child including stocking, this year with tighter belts it will be about £30 though.

I tend to spend a bit more on birthdays.

liahgen · 19/10/2009 20:46

norks how old are your dc? And how many?

I take my hat off to you, seriously, how do you manage to keep it down to that?

jumpyjan · 19/10/2009 20:50

We have spent £50 on main pressie for DD and probably another £50 on her stocking. DS is only 6 months and it seems a waste to buy too many baby toys so have spent £22 on his main pressie and will probably spend about £30 on his stocking. I do feel a bit mean about it being unfair but its not like he is going to notice and we have loads of baby toys around anyway.

I think as long as you buy them something you know they will like and be pleased with it does not have to be exactly equal.

Original poster

jobhuntersrus · 19/10/2009 20:54

I think it gets harder as they get older. Money goes so much further on younger children.

OP posts:

optimisticmumma · 19/10/2009 21:15

jobhuntersrus I have 3 teenagers and a way round the electronic expensive present we have found is to buy it as a 'family present'. E.g last Christmas we bought a family 'Wii'. It gets round the expensive item for eldest child problem but also the problem of allowing siblings to use it. ie it's everyone's!
As they get older they get very expensive and you could end up buying laptops etc per child. If you avoid this when they are younger, believe me it's much easier and cheaper in the long run!!
HTH

reban · 19/10/2009 21:17

i have 4 dc and prob spend about £75 each on their main present and then stocking fillers and presents to each other take it up to £100 (except for youngest who is one on xmas eve and will have about £20 spent on each)

However last year when my daughter announced she really really wanted a laptop i told her that was fine but she had to save for it. She saved almost all her money from her holy communion in the summer and then asked everybody for money for xmas. I explained that she would have very little to open on xmas day .. just her christmas stocking from santa and small presents that distant relatives and friends would send. She was absolutely fine with this and it made it all the more special when she had enough and we went to pick it up! So my suggestion would be that you explain to your son that what he wants is too expensive for his christmas present but he maybe able to earn it over xmas and birthday perhaps?

lockets · 19/10/2009 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

jobhuntersrus · 19/10/2009 21:24

The joint or family present idea is a good one. Will discuss that with dh.

OP posts:

Lilyloooohhhh · 19/10/2009 21:26

The main present for my 3 were all £30 - £35 each
I will then spend probably another £70 pound on other bits and their stocking usually cost about £10 each.

About £100 each i guess.
However i ebay all their unused toys and buy new off ebay with proceeds so doesn't actually cost me as much as this iyswim.

I don't think you need to make it equal. My ds is 8 and he knows if he get's computer games etc he will get less than the girls.

Inghouls2 · 19/10/2009 21:26

I normally spend about £50-60 on their main presents but spend about £100 on their stockings. I don't tend to buy things for them the rest of the year, so I stock up on books, board games, sports kit etc that go in the stocking.
This year we've bought them a Wii, so I'll spend less on the stocking.

norksonmywitchesbroomstick · 19/10/2009 21:50

DC are 3 and 4.
I shop throughout the year for bargains, look mainly in second hand shops or on e-bay ( I now the advantage of this is their age)
Stockings are small normally colouring book, pencils, bubbles, choc, and small toy ie car or figure for the farm or a polly pocket doll.

Presents this year are for DD large selection of polly pockets, spinaroo( unused from car boot) Books from book people and PJ's from primark

DS is getting books, PJ's Lego and playmobil cars from e-bay.

My parents will buy them one new gift each as will my in-laws.

They also have £5 to but each other a gift of their choice from the toy shop

norksonmywitchesbroomstick · 19/10/2009 21:52

I do that to Lily, I made £75 e-baying their old toys this summer, so in effect will not be spending anything

muggglewump · 19/10/2009 21:55

£180 maybe for my 8ye old.
She's having two pet rats with all the bits they need, a pair of Converse (she needs new trainers anyway), and other bits and pieces.

It would be less if the rats weren't so much, or more if she wanted something more expensive and I could afford it.

startingagain · 19/10/2009 23:16

I think it is def harder when they are older....

I have tried not to go mad over the years, but there is no getting away that things are more expensive for teenagers.

I wanted to do a family wii for Christmas this year but now one of mine says its the last thing they would want!!!! So that puts an end to that!! Or i might just do it for the other two....

I try and get cheap stocking bits and pieces, pjs from primark, infact loads of stuff from primark, chocs, bubbles etc., but it all adds up when you have three. Then main presents are ALWAYS expensive...

Lilyloooohhhh · 20/10/2009 10:52

agree it does get more expensive as they get older , the computer games don't look much but are £30 each and ds wants football kit so that pretty much his budget blown.
DD's are happy with anything so they usually end up with more.

stealthsquiggle · 20/10/2009 11:05

It does depend very much on what they want/need. For example, at some point in the not-too-distant future DS will need a PC, and will probably get it for Christmas or Birthday, but there is no way we will be doing parity of spending on DD that year.

Similarly, DS wants (and DH wants to get him) a telescope for his b'day - >£100. We spent about £50 in total on DD for her birthday but she got what she wanted most in all the world (princess dress).

On average, I guess about £100 - £150 each including stockings, practical stuff like new clothes which they would have needed anyway - although I am pretty sure we didn't get close to that last year as there was nothing 'big' either of them wanted or needed. That said, they will be 7 and 3 - as they get older and more aware of relative cost it will get a lot harder.

MrsBrendanCole · 20/10/2009 13:19

well my DS is 3 and we spend £50 on him, £50 for my niece (6), £20 each on Dh and me and £170 split between the other 9 or 10 adults we buy for!

My DS will get PLENTY more presents from family etc so i begrudge spending more than £50, knowing what he will wake up to on xmas morning.

Im more than aware though that for the kids, it will only get worse as they get older, the absolute dying need for designer this and branded that...

troutpout · 20/10/2009 13:29

about 60-70 quid each
spend more on birthdays

elliepac · 20/10/2009 13:29

The only thing DS (6) has asked for this xmas is a wii. It's a bit pricey for us at the minute so both grandmas are coming in on it so that makes it much more affordable. Could you think of that?

Luckily for us DD(20m) is too young to really appreciate anything other than the occasion so she won't know that we have spent £50 on her dolly things and over £100 on her brother.

elliepac · 20/10/2009 13:31

Forgot to add will also spend £30-50 on stockings and other 'bits'.

Chickenshavenolips · 20/10/2009 13:35

Spend a total of £150 on each DS (9 and 6). That includes all gifts and stockings.

PlumpkinScaryBaps · 20/10/2009 13:56

About £100 on ds2- he'll be two in a few weeks. Ds1 is trickier- as others have said, the cash doesn't go as far on teenagers! So far he has only two things on his wish list but they total about £70, let alone stocking fillers etc. He wants an iPhone, but I think we may get out of that cos he has to get off his stage 2 report first and that's not looking too good at the moment.....

If he wanted anything really big (i.e £150-£250) we'd get it for his birthday.

Or his father will suddenly have money (unusual, as he never seems to have it for maintenance payments ) and buy him an expensive gift at some other time of the year (£600 laptop, anyone??)

lilysam · 20/10/2009 14:15

I don't spend anywhere near that, even on birthdays. Probably £50 each max.

DD's requests this year are a scooter (£10!) and a dvd...bargain!!! She will get other bits and bobs but i'm not spending for the sake of it.

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