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Christmas

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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:
Starbear · 03/12/2009 22:09

goblincandoa5k What is he going in for? And how old is he? I would be in a tizz too & some

serinBrightside · 03/12/2009 22:10

I have no idea, have been ordering bits online but not really kept count

DD has got a silk screen and printing inks,
perfume, hoodie and etch a sketch.

DS's have got the playmobil hospital to share, bits of clothes etc.

goblincandoa5k · 03/12/2009 22:12

He's 6 starbear and having 7 teeth removed Just packing his favourite jammies and some Dr Who magazines

Quattrocento · 03/12/2009 22:14

I haven't bought anything yet! Blimey but you lot are all so well-organised.

They will get stockings which will cost around £50 to fill with little things and maybe books and stuff.

I'm going to adopt a tiger for DD - who was born in the year of the tiger.

Plus she wants a screen for her laptop - the one she wants is quite pricey, I think.

Then some money and some books.

So around £300. She is 11.

I haven't thought about DS yet...

spookycharlotte121 · 03/12/2009 22:15

this year I have spent about £100 between the two of them.... to be honest I couldnt afford much more.
They are 18 months and 2 1/2 so dnt fully understand christmas so will enjoy opening prezzies regardless of the contents. My family will fill in the gaps.
Most of their prezzies are clothes and other practicle things with a main prezzie of £15 (thanks to some great bargain hunting.)

I think with younger children christmas is what you make it not what you buy for them..... the build up and excitement of the lights and music etc is really stimulating to little ones and I think sometimes far more exciting than the prezzies.

I have spent a few quid on some really tacky decorations from wilkinsons for the kids bedroom and some fairy lights as well and i know they will really love them! so im hoping although i havent spent a vast amount of money that i hae spent it well

Starbear · 03/12/2009 22:18

goblincandoa5k My sister had that when she was about the same age. She has lovely front teeth now (don't talk about the back)>
Must order on-line a ginger bread house cut out now before I miss another year!

CardyMow · 03/12/2009 22:45

I didn't think I was that excessive!! I save up around £85 a month from the child benefit to do Xmas with for the kids, and it all gets spent between the 3 of them! works out to about £1,000 split equally, way I see it, I have £70 a month from the ChB for their clothes and clubs, £30 a month for their birthdays (they get a lot less presents but they get a party)the rest is for Xmas. DD (11yo)this year seems to have realised the value of money, the only thing she actually has asked for is a pink mini fridge (bit obscure but hey ho), DS2 (6yo)has only just had his birthday, so has asked for 2 DS games that he hasn't got, DS1 (7yo) though...his list is running to 25 DS games, 6 Wii games and a globe??!! Obviously DD and DS2 will get more than they've asked for, DS1 will get (a lot) less. EEEP at how much I spend

Trizelda · 03/12/2009 22:45

About £150 each (which came as a bit of a surprise when I added up all the little bits)but this includes p js and slippers so that makes me feel a bit better!

PeachyDrapedInSparklyTinsel · 03/12/2009 23:19

Loudlass you're not excessive,this thread comes up each year and most people kmnow to avoid it if they spend very much at all.

truth is, if you're happy with what you spend then it is fine. If you get into debt over it, its not ofcurse, but otherwiseaslong as the billsarepaid why on earth not?Weall do things duifferntly, forme Christmas is a massive ting (yes from my childhood,raised by a Dad who was 45th of 16 kids and made up for what he didnt get in what he gave to us).

With ds3, these years are the best he is likely to have (bloody SN). I will make them count. Saving every penny won't help him, it willnever be enough to help but would be taken away to pay for care. It goes on memories,and one of those will be his face when he sees what he has got this year.

MissMoopy · 03/12/2009 23:23

About £150, dd is 5.

TeenyTinyToria · 03/12/2009 23:32

Ds (2.9) is getting a policeman's helmet, a couple of books, a knitted postman hedgehog and some little cars.

Dd (5 months) is getting a rattle/teether thingy and maybe a soft toy if I have time to knit one.

Total cost about £5 from charity shops. I don't treat Christmas as a big commercial thing, for me it's about a couple of presents that they will love rather than being overwhelmed by loads of stuff.

Sakura · 03/12/2009 23:45

I agree LilyBolero, I don't think you need to measure what you spend on each child. Although mine are still small, and as they get older I suppose I might have to make sure the "pile" is roughly the same size.
I don't get them anything all through the year but I do like to splash out at Christmas, because I think the thrill of knowing Father christmas has been is like nothing else on earth for a little child, and I want to exaggerate that as much as possible.
I also agree with the person who said we tend to try to re-create the Christmas we had as a child. My mother was a total spendthrift, so we had loads. I disagree with the way she did this now, on principle (we hardly ever ate proper food the rest of the year!). But I do try to get lots of things to unwrap to add to the excitement.
So, about 80 quid for DD's pile, plus extras for her stocking. DS is 5 months, so he's going to get a rattle and a jumper!
I'm not against spending more than that on both as they get older, finances permitting.

AandO · 03/12/2009 23:51

I think I have spent around 100 - 120 euro on ds (age 3).

Santa present (farm and animals) - 45 euro
Main present from us (puppet theatre and finger puppets) - 30 euro
Then books, a stuffed animal and stocking fillers.

For his birthday I spend 50 euro.

He does not get anything outside birthdays and christmas. I have a very large family though and he will end up with a lot of other presents, I can think of 13 people who will probably get him a present!

carciofi · 04/12/2009 00:08

I have spent about £150 on DD (19 mths). Dh thinks it is excessive but the main toy is the ELC kitchen and pushes the total up, however, I know she will love it. She probably won't get many presents apart from those from us.

racmac · 04/12/2009 06:41

About £80.00 on each of the 3 ds - they are 2.5, 4 & 9 and dh thinks i have spent way too much. I think they had 1 present each whereas i was only child and mum used to save all year and make it special by giving me quite a few things.

LoveBeingAMummyKissingSanta · 04/12/2009 06:53

I have spent £100 on DD (20mths) I ahve also just order three books from amazon (about £7) and 101/2 dalmantions (about a tenner)

I have stopped myself from buying loads of stuuf.

My budget was £100 so may give her the other stuff before hand so I can say I stuck to it

I know my mum has bought loads more than me, in money and quanity.

Oh and nicking someones xmas tradition i will be getting some new pjs for xmas eve

TinselinaBumsquash · 04/12/2009 07:21

About £300 on each 5 and 3, same on DP he will probably spend about £200 possibly a bit more onme, same every year.

Knownowt · 04/12/2009 07:28

More than I intended- I keep seeing little things that I know one would like then having to find something for the other to keep their presents even. Maybe £100-150 per child which I think is a lot given their ages (1 and 3).

My worry is less the expense and more whether we'll fit everything in the car to get to my parents' house (I have visions of trying to stuff presents everywhere- glove compartment, driver's footwell etc- while my husband huffs about the amount of plastic tat soon to be cluttering our house, not without cause.

mumwhereareyou · 04/12/2009 07:30

About £150 on DDs 8 and 5 and £100 on DS 6 but he has autism and there is only so many cars that i can buy him.

I buy presents throughout the year to help keep costs down and we only have a aunt and one set of grandparents that buy presents for them and that is one each for them.

The girls have got the go go hamsters each and Ds has got some more cars and a pick up truck that he asked for.

We don't buy them anything during the year so like to spoil them at Christmas.

mumof2000 · 04/12/2009 07:39

I am about the same i think ,
so far ....DD 9 100 although got few more stocking fillers to get ...
DS 7 same although have got his main one in that price to .

im shocked at how much things are costing ...i really cant find a stocking preasent for under a 10 , if i do its usually a pile of shite ...and at there age hard to find little things .

any ideas welcome ?

Knownowt · 04/12/2009 07:42

Hawkins Bazaar is good for cheap stocking fillers. Not sure whether they have much for 7 and 9yos (my children are much younger) but worth a look.

ShowOfHands · 04/12/2009 08:00

I've only bought stocking fillers. DD will get presents from other people so won't miss out. I am building her a toy shop out of cardboard/glitter as she'd love one but I can't afford it.

DD's stocking will have a flannel, toothbrush, chocolate coins, small trumpet, bubble bath, glow in the dark stars, mini puzzles, foam aeroplane, a whistle. Plus a satsuma.

She's 2 and a half.

PandaG · 04/12/2009 08:14

we've spent around £60 on main present for each child (camera plus case, memory card and batteries)

stockings have worked out quite expensive this year, but are full of useful stuff that I would have bought anyway, and have just waited until Christmas to buy - pants, socks, toothbrushes, tights

and a pile of books - again, I buy these throughout the year when I see the offers, and keep them until Christmas.

figrollinthehay · 04/12/2009 08:44

Knownowt - some of the Hawkins Bazaar stuff is quite good for older children - I have got DC1's stocking from there. It always surprises me that they manage to come up with new stuff each year.

skinsl · 04/12/2009 08:53

oh dear, I've spent about £100 so far, and the list is about another £100 and he is only 2.
In my defence, he doesn't have a clue about Xmas,so I have used it as an excuse to buy what he needs.
On his birthday he opened every present and wanted to read the book/ or play with the toy...and he said thank you with kisses. I was so proud.
The day he asks where the next pressie is, I will hide them all