How much do you *really* spend on your kids for Christmas?

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Looking at some of the threads about Christmas recently, I think I'm a bit of a tightwad re Christmas presents. How much do you spend in total (i.e. including stocking presents) on:

a) your own children?
b) other special children e.g. nieces/nephews?

I really am genuinely interested - I've been living abroad and feel out of touch with what is the norm.

TIA

I don't know what the norm is, but I spend less than a fiver each on each of mine. They're 5 and 2, so don't know the difference between a 30p toy and a £300 one, and I can't afford to waste money on things they don't need. They also get tons of presents from other people, so there is plenty to unwrap. I also don't want them to see Christmas as a greed-fest.

As they get older, I will probably be pressurised into spending more, but will certainly resist the pressure to spend more than I can afford.

I know I spend too much on my kids at Christmas and this year is going to be different. It was totally stupid how much they got last year. As for nieces and nephews I'm on the Christmas hunt all year round when there's a sale etc. I have a year round Xmas box and I'm pleased to say I've nearly finished this years shop. Yay

this will be beans first xmas and i'm not planning on buying him anything really, he'll be too little to notice.

i still get a stocking from my mum, just little things probably £30ish, then one big pressie, about £100, and a couple of other little things.

this year i've asked for a kitchen aid mixer but don't think i'll be getting it!

ds is 2.5yrs and i'm the only one who buys him presents all the year round. Alot come from charity shops, we treat ourselves to toys, books and games, then take them to the local hospital or back to the charity shop when it is time. So, at christmas I tend to sit back knowing that he will be well and truly spoiled by friends and relatives. I will be there for the bedtime stories, splashes in the bath and walks on the beach and in january when it's all over i shouldn't be worrying about paying off debts. I hope?

It's Steven's first xmas so not very much - I think it will be a case of getting what I would have got for him anyway toywise, but presenting it as a Xmas present. Agree completely with Caligula re:greed fest. I think it is so sad when people get into debt spending lots of money on Xmas presents that they can't afford.

I buy my dds things through the year so it doesnt cost so much in December.
So far I have got a Graco Buggy and Cot Set for a doll £5 reduced from £25 in Woolies.
Same Mona the Vampire Books Brand New off Ebay cost £6 for 8 books.
Some baby Born sets all £2 each in the sales, were £10.
Pyjamas-£2.50 each were £7.50
and a load of other bits all under £2 for stockings and small pressies.
I brought a job lot of 24 jigsaws for £11 from Ebay and I will be giving them to dd for her birthday and also as Birthday/Xmas gifts for her friends.
I tend to spend about £60 each on them but because I buy it cheap they end up with LOADS.
I resent paying full price for plastic crap that just gets throw in the bottom of the toy box.

um - not sure - but probably no more than £30 each (they are only 3 and 1).

Nephews etc - about £10 (unless we have agreed a pact not to get pressies with parents).

OK so by the sounds of it I'm actually not so far out of line (would spend £20-£25 on big present and about £5-£10 on stockings. Nieces/nephews £15).

Thanks all!

For friends' kids I spend about £10. On my own it really depends on what it is. For instance, dd wants a stereo/cd player (as well as a laptop - which she probably won't get just yet) so may end up spending about £100 on each of them. I always buy them Xmas pj's for xmas eve and an xmas film to watch on xmas eve too.

jampot, i LOVE the idea of new 'jamas for Xmas Eve - thats a tradition i'm going to start

dd has a £50 main present, but will also get some small stocking fillers. Nephews/ nieces get a maximum of £10 each, which mounts up, as there are 10 of them at last count.

my dd is three last year I spent about £30 got an easel from IKea and some books. AS other people said I buy here things all year , as Christians I do not want her to think Christmas is just about presents. The moeny tends to go on things like food as that is for everyone. Also lots of people buy her presents so no need for me to be extravagent when others do it so well.

I do the jammys thing so they look decent in the photos, after a couple of years of too short well faded jimjams Xmas photos!!!

I too buy DD things all year - mainly books as she is addicted but gets bored with old ones - we have almost exhausted the library too! Grandma is always scouring the charity shops for goodies. We left her baby Annabell on the plane coming back from holiday, so I have bought a new one for Christmas. She hasn't realised yet though, as she has about 8 other dolls (mainly charity shop ones) so perhaps I shouldn't have bothered. I will spend £60 in total. Last year she had far too many things. We put some in the attic and these will be brought down for this year!

My brother goes crazy spending on my niece and nephew (8 and 11). In the past he has bought a full size snooker table, quad bikes, fully furnished dolls house, huge train set, scalextric. This year a pub juke box and an arcade 'air Hockey' table are on the list (over £1000 !!!) They will get £20 from me - scrooge like ginger aunt that I am

Last year I bought small presents for DS (now 3) and DD (now 5.5) from Sept to Xmas each time I went shopping. When I came to wrap them I was quite shocked as I totted up roughly what I had spent - DD £145 and DS £65. This year I am cutting back a bit but will probably spend about £70 on each with about £10 each on nieces and nephews. I haven't the faintest idea what to buy for my children this year which is unusual - I am off to hunt down the threads with the bright ideas!

Too much. I probably spend about 400 - 500 pounds, just on the kids in the family (and close friends.)

£10 max for other children. Depends what my own want really, but within reason! Main present this year - ds wants a micro scooter, so not a lot really and dd has her heart set on sparkle fairies - so also reasonable - that plus a few nik-naks for their stockings will probably come to £100 or so. Am buying what I can in sales though and off ebay and here(!) and putting it away and I feel a little better organised financially this year!

About £100 - 150max

Neices/nephews and other relatives about £20.

when they were babies very little - whats the point?
when they were small - usually the 'in' gift like a Star Wars ship they'd be about £30 back then and stocking fillers.

when they were teenagers about £100 each

when they were grown about £50 each

now - we have Secret Santa - each person buys only one (adult) gift to the value of £50.

Grandchildren up to about £50 each

I think gift buying has got out of hand - we've all forgotten what Christmas is about. Half of us can't afford what we're buying anyway the other half don't like the gift you've bought them and we all end up stressed.

The only winners are the retailers!

yeah! I know - bah humbug!!

We do jammies on Christmas Eve too! It was always a tradition in my family and we've just carried it on. Does make nicer Christmas morning pics too.

We'll spend around £100 on DS this year and spend about £10 each on children of friends and a bit more on nieces and nephews.

Trying not to spend too much!

Have bought a few things as I've gone along - a couple of things in the ELC sale at the end of the summer, some little cars/planes that are cheap in Tesco, some books and a couple of jigsaws.

Between older 2 ds's (3.5 and 2) I've got a Black and Decker Workbench - that was £40 and their main, shared present.

Probably totted up they've got about £50 each - I think that's still too much actually so thanks for bringing it to mind, I'll stop now!!

Spend up to £20 on my neice (big of a bugger cos ds2, neice, nana, and dh all have birthday Nov/Dec too!)

OOOh i do the xmas eve pj thing too

I spend far too much on my kids really but then again they don't get toys throughout the year at all really.

I have tried to cut back this year and dish alot of their wish list out to family who don't know what to buy them.

Their birthdays are 11/11, 6/12 and 12/12 so i am always broke this time of year.

Dd's are having bikes for their birthdays and one other little pressie and then they are having two xmas pressies each and a big one to share.
Ds is having one big pressie and a few small. Total will be about 450 - 600 pounds on them and then about another 200 on family and friends

Message withdrawn

£20 on each, they will be 3 and 1. Have got some stuff from the NCT sale, I always seem to get lots for my money there.