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Christmas

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

Original poster

how much have you spent on presents per kid?

208 replies

JaceyBee · 02/12/2009 21:33

am going through finances with dh and he was to learn I have spent £300 on presents for the kids, we have 2 so is roughly £150 each, this includes all presents from 'santa' and under tree presents from us. this will be it now though!

Does this sound v excessive to you? How much do you roughly spend per dc?

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4littlelions · 03/12/2009 13:01

My eldest boy (nearly 17) is going into the army next year so I've treated him to a few extra bits for his last Christmas at home. The other 3 are 3,2 & 6months old so don't need much but we're making a big deal of stockings and the trees etc. The Christmas dinner is more important this year, all being together as a family as by next Christmas the eldest won't be a boy anymore!

maxybrown · 03/12/2009 13:02

Even if NO ONE else bought our Ds anything, he would still have same amount spent on him, certainly at this age. But even if we had more money, we just don't believe in it personally - spending loads and loads I mean!

MunchMummy · 03/12/2009 13:02

Darcymum - I challenge you to the tightest mum award

maxybrown · 03/12/2009 13:03

Munchmummy you sound like us. Ds's things are second hand. he is getting a little bike this year - like brand new and cost 99p! As he gets older I will explain things to him.

paddingtonbear1 · 03/12/2009 13:05

If I add it all up, around £120. We have 1 dd (6).

LilyBolero · 03/12/2009 13:09

I really don't like the idea that each child needs an'amount' spent on them - what we tend to do is if we see something they would really like, get it, (within reason, I wouldn't get anything v expensive), even if it only costs 50p.

We also try not to get 'big' presents for christmas - I hate the idea of Christmas being about 'what am I going to get?' and then possibly being disappointed because it's 'not the right one'. So for big things, we tend to buy them as and when they need them, and then they can help choose, Christmas tends to be smaller fun things.

Indith · 03/12/2009 13:10

ds- main present £0 (spotted the prefect thing on freecycle a while ago and was lucky enough to get it), stocking maybe £5. Might add a satsuma and a small bag of sweets to that.

dd- main present £20, stocking about £2.

boodleboot · 03/12/2009 13:16

i have spent about £200 on each of my kids....and £100 on DSD....

its a lot actually when i think about it

PrincessToadstool · 03/12/2009 13:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjammi · 03/12/2009 13:26

This reply has been deleted

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Bonsoir · 03/12/2009 13:31

A lot. But we don't buy frivolities - we buy things like clothing and furniture.

selby · 03/12/2009 13:33

Up to £100 each for our 6 & nearly 3 yr old including stockings. Under budget so far for both thanks to supermarket toy sales.

bumpsoon · 03/12/2009 13:36

Bonsior youve just reminded me of my worst christmas ever as a child ,i got a chest of and draws and a bedside table and i really wanted a pony

Megatron · 03/12/2009 13:39

About £150 on each of them (DS almost 6 and DD is 3).

SE13Mummy · 03/12/2009 13:40

I've probably spent a total of £50 between my two DDs and that's only because I've bought the littlest one (aged 6 months) a particularly funky winter Grobag albeit from eBay.

The 5-year-old had her birthday a week ago and we gave her a bike for that (eBay again). I see very little point in overloading her with things - it was lovely to see her genuine joy and excitement at opening the gifts she received for her birthday, even the socks delighted her! Until last Christmas we always wrapped up some of the toys she already owned and put them under the tree. She was disappointed that we hadn't done that last year so got some wrapping paper out of the recycling bin and did it herself! We'll be 'shopping' in the loft for pressies for her little sister.

Father Christmas will be bringing goodies such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, blutak/glue (not for the baby!), bibs (not for the 5-year-old!) and other things they need. He's particularly good at choosing sparkly varieties of toothpaste etc. that we don't normally buy during the rest of the year.

madhairissneeped · 03/12/2009 13:40

Have 2 dc, 9 and 6, havbe spent about £50 each plus £10 ish on stocking bits each. Have spend £25 in the past but as they get bigger seem to get more expensive.
£150 doesn't sound OTT to me, if you can afford it. I know of someone who spends £1000 each on her 2 dcs

Bonsoir · 03/12/2009 13:44

LOL.

DD is terribly excited to be getting a wardrobe for Christmas so that she can tidy her room properly!

It takes all sorts...

Original poster
JaceyBee · 03/12/2009 13:45

mamas12 that is genius! I may have to nick that idea for next year.

colditz I probably have spent more on ds (the eldest), yes. I don't know if it's because I have a better idea of what he's into and can picture things I think he would like. DD only wants a baby doll, she already has 2!

At least I haven't got into debt I suppose, all bought with debit card with our wages rather than credit cards (dh won't let me have a credit card!!!)

We are not bin-raidingly poor, but not well off by any means, I work part-time for the NHS and dh is self-employed.

OP posts:
Original poster
JaceyBee · 03/12/2009 13:49

Bloody hell this is discussion of the day!

my cherry has been popped!

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Flame · 03/12/2009 13:50

So far.... £5 on the two big ones.

Should I start shopping soon?

Flame · 03/12/2009 13:53

(I plan on about £20 each max btw) My family are very generous and they get spoilt rotten by them.

DD2 will get a token gift.

ChickensHaveNoTinsel · 03/12/2009 13:53

About the same as you, OP. Mine are 9 and 6.

traceybath · 03/12/2009 13:55

DS1 about £300 but majority of that on a new bike which we would have bought anyway as DH and DS1 very keen bikers. It will also do 3 children.

DS2 about £150 but that includes his birthday presents - his birthday is on boxing day.

DD1 whose only 4 months - about £50. To be honest only bought her stuff so eldest doesn't question why father christmas hasn't bought her any presents.

Their presents also include pjs/dressing gowns/slippers which I would have bought anyway.

We don't have big families so I tend to buy them quite a bit but don't buy stuff through out the year.

Meglet · 03/12/2009 13:58

£20 each on 3yo DS and 1yo DD. Most of that was second hand from NCT sale.

I am so thrifty

Original poster
JaceyBee · 03/12/2009 13:59

mrsjammi I know what you mean, I think it is tempting to want to replicate the christmas's you had as a child.

I really don't want them to become spoilt, they probably are a bit already though.

Maybe when they are too old to believe in santa the presents will reduce dramatically and their big sacks will be replaced with 2 of dh's socks!

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