Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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?

OP posts:
Sagacious · 03/12/2009 18:43

Where oh where do you get hand puppets for £2 ?

Comfortableshoes · 03/12/2009 18:46

DD's (age 5) main present cost £50 (Barbie laptop) and will have lots of other little things thanks to local charity shops. (Eg I got her a lovely Minnie Mouse suitcase from Oxfam last week). She'll also get lots of stuff from family so in total I think I'll spend max of £70 on her. This includes stuff I bought earlier in the year.

I've asked friends at school and some are definitely spending around £150 band some MUCH less. I was worried that coz DD goes to private school then everyone would be going for expensive presents.

However DD has been looking through a fairtrade catalogue (Bishopston Trading) which does lovely kids and dolly clothes so she'll probably get something from there so I can feel that I'm helping someone cause its fairtrade. Yes I know its bonkers logic

TheCrackFox · 03/12/2009 18:48

I am not going to get them anything. They will thank me when they are older.

ChickandDuck · 03/12/2009 19:16

spent too much again and will have to endure the tut tuts from DP as I pull it all out on Christmas Day.

About £150-£200 on each DS1 is 3yo and DS2 is 10mo.

DS1 has a stack of Playmobil, Woody doll, scooter, Toy Story remote control car, books and stocking fillers.

DS2 has Elmo Live, FP Animal train, Brio train set, books and stocking fillers.

They have had the same spent on them again by both sets of GP's.

I'm in trouble....

SantasKinkyKnickers0nMaHead · 03/12/2009 19:18

I got the handpuppet from a carboot

muminthecity · 03/12/2009 19:18

I've spent £70 on DD (aged 4) so far - That's on a bike, a much-desired Baby Alive doll and a remote controlled Tinkerbell doll. All bought from Littlewoods in the sale and using money-off vouchers. I will spend another £10 on stocking fillers.
This is the most I've ever spent on her - last year I got her a wooden easel for £30 and a few cheap stocking fillers, year before that about £20 in total. Going by this rate of inflation, I'll be spending £1000s on her by the time she's a teenager!

TigerFeet · 03/12/2009 19:19

we've saved £500 through the year

£100 on dd1 inc new outfit & all stocking fillers
£100 each for dh & i
£100 on family & friends
pooor baby dd2, about £20, mostly for dd1's benefit as she is most concerned that santa might not realise she has a baby sister
the rest on food, booze, crackers and so forth

figrollinthehay · 03/12/2009 19:39

Mrs Jammi

About £80 each on our three. About £15-20 of that is for their stockings, each.

I seem to spend most of the year decluttering to make room for the next batch of Christmas and Birthday presents and the things they really play with are usually lego/books/DVDs/PC games/bikes and scooters.

I do remember the excitement of having a huge stocking though so I like to make sure there are some bulky items in there.

Bumpinthenight · 03/12/2009 19:43

DD turned 2 today and had a kitchen so for Christmas she is getting a kettle and the cups and saucer set from ELC (£20) all in plus her stocking of toothbrush, bath stuff etc so have spent less than £50 on her.

She won't notice and she'll be getting stuff of GPs, I'm going to take advantage of her not noticing her miserly FC pile for as long as possible!!

emmaruth · 03/12/2009 19:43

about 60 pound on each of girls and and 25pound on dd2 birthday on the 29th dec dd1 is mearly 4 and dd2 will be 2

biglips · 03/12/2009 20:11

dd1 - £30
dd1 - £5.00
DSD - £30

We are very skint (again) this Xmas so monies is tight plus im looking in charity shops for the kids stuff.

AprilMeadow · 03/12/2009 20:17

I have spent £120 on each of my 3. They are 4,2 & 10wks. The baby had mainly clothes and rattles/toys. Plus stockings which i havent worked out the cost on.

I start with a £100 budget each and then if i go over on one of them i make sure i buy something for the others to equal it out.

lilacclaire · 03/12/2009 20:33

Spent about £200 on ds and dss each.
I know it sounds loads and it is, but i've been buying stuff over the last 3/4 months to reduce the impact.
Us 2 adults will probably get £100 each spent us by the other.

sparklycheerymummy · 03/12/2009 20:34

dd gets about £100 from our house and about the same from her daddys.... excessive i know but i do know of others getting a lot lot more!!! She doesnt get expensive clothes or holidays so this is her treat.

Mishy1234 · 03/12/2009 20:36

About £40 on DS which was all spent on books.

We were going to get him a balance bike, but he's not ready for it yet (22 months) so we're going to save the money and get him that for his birthday in Feb instead.

Tbh, I should have got away with spending much less as he has far too many books anyway, but got caught out buying most of the Meg and Mog series in one go.

I think it really depends on the age of the child. Older children will always want more expensive gifts (iPods, phones etc) so do get more spent on them, while the younger ones are more than happy with something small and a satsuma!

ohdearwhathappened · 03/12/2009 20:41

about £10 so far and since we're stuck in hospital it will probably stick at that!
realised we have a birthday between now and then but with some relief I have something off e-bay I got last year just need to try and wrap it!

zebramummy · 03/12/2009 20:54

i have no idea - i never budget these things. all i can say is that ds has been getting 'christmas presents' for over a month now - terrible, but it is family from abroad sending early to avoid strikes etc. you can tell he is not v bothered now as he opens them really slowly rather than ripping the paper as quickly as poss. don't ask me what he did with the Etch-a-sketch

IsThatTheTime · 03/12/2009 21:16

I don't think it matters how much you spend, it's the number of gifts. My dd1 was 2.5 last Christmas and we took one look at the pile from grandparents, aunts, uncles etc and decided we would take most of ours back or give her them another time - she just didn't need them and wouldn't be able to appreciate them in all the melee. Any we couldn't take back or that we really wanted her to have came out gradually for good behaviour etc in the following two or three months but some we kept for her next birthday! I know we are lucky to be in this situation but I think it's easy to overwhelm kids at Christmas and end up wasting a heap of cash & good ideas.
Is there a "super-tight" emoticon I should be using here?

Northernlurker · 03/12/2009 21:18

I never add it up tbh. They get a big present - which isn't massive - max about £60 and an outfit and their stockings which generally have 10 - 12 parcels each including crayons, hair bobbles etc. This is pretty much exactly what I got as a child. Dh thinks it's the height of extravagance as they never had stockings!

nicewarmslippers · 03/12/2009 21:36

4 and 14 mo

Haven't yet ever spent more than £10 for dd at a birthday or christmas. I think they get too many presents so keep it simple. I am amazed at how much you all spend! ds is irrelevant in terms of presents still but dd loves presents but doesn't notice if expensive or not

WillowFae · 03/12/2009 21:36

I'd also say that it depends on what the child wants. DD wants a Baby Annabell and we managed to get it VERY cheap on Amazon for £25. So that is her present from us, plus there will be some stocking fillers.

SofaQueen · 03/12/2009 21:48

Nothing so far.

TBH, I feel that my kids are very fortunate and receive plenty of random presents throughout the year. Also, I believe in giving just one present each for Christmas, and the ideal present is something we all can enjoy as a family.

As our "present" I have surprise booked Christmas at a posh country hotel. DS1 adores hotels (particularly hotel breakfasts!), and will be thrilled. DS2, well...he'll just be happy to use the indoor pool and explore the gardens freely. I'll be happy as I don't have to cook or clean, and DH will be happy because he will get to relax in a nice setting.

Starbear · 03/12/2009 22:00

Ds is an 'only'
So far I've spent £14.99 on a pogo stick & 19.99 on a Hot wheels race track. They are both in very big boxes. But we will be spend alot of money on Panto tickets, skating going to visit friends and feeding lots of his friends family so he has a full house. I will get some stocking fillers for small stocking.
My mum did the big sack thing and it reminds me of one of the saddest Christmasses of my life when my little brother was very ill in hospital, mum pregnant & staying over with him, dad had disappeared and I was being looked after by neighbours downstairs (shared house) I had been told I could open my presents early I sat in my room in the dark & cried I was only 7 yrs. Lots of people and things to do for me. No big sack tho

goblincandoa5k · 03/12/2009 22:02

We will have probably spent around £200 on ds 7. We are fortunate that we can buy what he wants (minus the placky tat), and this is really the first Christmas that he has specifically requested presents

We are also very soft and he knows this!

goblincandoa5k · 03/12/2009 22:05

Ooops he's 6 !!!!

In a bit of a tizz, little man is off for an op tomorrow

Swipe left for the next trending thread