Single mum Christmas spend ?

[flutterby1]

I'm curious to know how much parents in a single income household spend on presents?

When I read articles about it, they say people spend an average of say £75 on each child but surely they are missing that this spend is coming from , normally, 2 parents combined income spending ?

I have just totted up my Xmas spend this year on friends and family and it's come to £550 .... agggh. Earth year I say I'll spend less but I don't . I like to spend about £6 -£8 on friends and also buy their children presents . I buy for a few neighbours.
Sometimes I look st presents and think they don't look much so I add to them... agh

What am I doing wrong ? I need some discipline ?

Tips please

About £250 max.

DS will be the bulk of that.
DNiece will probably be £25
Mum maybe £20
DSis and her husband £20
Then 4 other family members/couples I’ll spend around a tenner on something like flower seeds for the spring and a box of chocolates each.

I’m absolutely skint this year as moving, and this feels a bit unmanageable tbh, but it’s the least I can do without starting family drama.

Friends all understanding of position and we’ve agreed not to do gifts.

Honestly if you can afford it you aren't doing anything wrong. If you can't afford it then stop buying unnecessary presents.

With family and friends we always stopped buying for each other when each had kids. As for neighbours, don't buy as we aren't friends. We are friendly but that's it.

If you can’t afford it continue! But if you can’t then I would cut down the number of people you are buying for...

FWIW I probably spend similar to you, but on less people - mainly my DCs, DH and parents.

I only buy for my kids and parents (and myself). I can't even imagine buying for neighbors.

I don't buy for anyone except kids, because grown adults don't need gifts that probably go in cupboard anyway. The planet needs us to scale this nonsense back. Two kids, spend about 150 pounds on each.

I can afford more but I just don't engage with the retail pressure

I buy for my kids, my ex, token gifts for my parents and brother, money in cards for nieces and nephews, job done!

It depends really why you are buying all the presents you are - if it gives you pleasure and you can afford it then go for it! What does it matter what everyone else is doing? .... if it’s leaving you skint or making you stressed that’s a different matter .....

In all honesty, I don't know how people spend 'only' £75 per child, given the cost of things. Fair enough if your child is tiny and you can do 3 for 2 on toys and get a big pile for less money than it looks, but by the time they are teenagers, gifts are £££. A playstation game can easily be £60. I just bought ds new converse for Christmas and they were £75. I honestly wouldn't know how to cut the cost to £75 in total per child unless I just bought them one present each.

Yabu to spend on friends and their children unless you can afford to or truly want to OP. We don't buy for any other adults only our parents. I only buy for nieces and nephews and my MAX limit is €25 but it's usually €20. Adult friends don't need Christmas gifts imo.

Suggest and organise a secret Santa type arrangement with family members so that you each buy just one gift. Tell your friends you’d like to only buy for each other's DC from now on. Adults don’t need additional tat which, generally, is what everyone ends up with if the budget is a few pounds and given because everyone feels they have to buy presents. I’d hate to think friends who couldn’t really afford it felt obliged to waste money finding rubbish to give me, which I probably didn’t really want in the first place.

My total is about£500. 2 kids. 6 parents and various nieces and nephews. I budget for it. And get things throughout the year

Child gifts will amount to £120 approx. this year.Token gifts between myself and husband and some nice chocolate or cookies for a couple of close friends . Family will get cards and a phone call Xmas day.
We stopped years ago with all this nonsense of gifts to family,friends etc.

It’s not about being a single parent, do you mean families on a single income? Many married couples have only one income source.

I’m a single parent and buy want fits it with my budget without going into debt. This year max budget is around £800 but in reality likely to spend around £400. Neighbours might get a Christmas card if I remember to buy some.

Thank you everyone x