How much do you spend on your DC's at xmas?

[CharlieBoo]

Just interested as am having a nightmare with my two. My ds is 5.8 and is having a ds and lego police station, both of which cost over £200.00, this is before a game has been bought for the ds or any stocking stuff...or the little bits and pieces. All a lot of money, but in terms of wrapping up it looks sod all. Compare this to 18 month old dd who has big boxes, dolly's, buggy's, coupe car and it looks loads but has actually cost me half as much!

How do others of you do it with your dc's? I don't want it to look like dd has got loads more than ds and for that to register with him, but tbh he has had loads spent on him but he isn't old enough to realise and thinks he can ask Santa for what he wants...

We definitely don't try and spend equal amounts on the kids (the DSDs are twins) - this year one only wanted clothes/accessories but the other got a dictaphone, books and DVDs.

This is the first year DD has lots of presents (all v cheap though!) and they've both got their first stocking.

I would really like to spread the present opening out, stockings first thing, then the rest gradually throughout the day.

DD is 3. I have spent £11 on her. 6 presents. All second hand. We just can't afford more. Feel like a right witch now.

Dc are getting an expensive main present from me this year (are each getting a kiddizoom)so that was £35 each. Then a board game each and then stockings are probably about £35 each (but do include toothbrushes and bubble bath etc). Have spent too much really.

Show don't feel bad-last year mine got a £14 present between them (plus stockings)

About 80 pounds each for 15 and 13 year old dds.

DD1 - probably a camera or a cd player plus some make up and books.

DD2 - art stuff and music stuff; no idea about a 'big' present. She wants a keyboard but that alone would be more than 80 pounds.

Their stockings will cost about 15 pounds each (from the budget above) and will include a DVD each, some chocolate, some shampoo, bubble bath, body spray etc.

Dp and I probably spend about 60 pounds each on each other.

@ SixtyFootBall You need to spend at least 250 quid to get a good stunt BMX, the 150 quid ones are too heavy.

I only judge people for how much they spend IF they go into debt to fund it. Otherwise, you spend whatever you like .

We are not skint but I "only" spend 60-80 quid all in per child, because I don't feel that DC need anything, and I am uncomfortable with spending just for the sake of spending. They also tend to find frequent moments when they drive me so batty that I lose the will to be generous. They receive mostly spending cash (their choice)... so we have to make it (seemingly) transparent how much each one gets (about the same).

I actually banned most of the relatives from sending gifts, it was getting ridiculous and DC weren't in the least grateful or didn't even like a lot of it.

"They don't really want anything but by the time i have bought vouchers, electrical items, pj's, slippers, clothes, toys. it all seems to add up"

To me all that sounds optional, you don't have to include it; slippers + clothes are utility items, I wouldn't include them as part of my budget per child normally.

We've been offered a clock radio/IPod docking station for a tenner that costs 50 quid new... I am toying with whether to get it for DS-11... but technically he doesn't need it and won't even know what one is... so am unsure.

Ds (4) is getting imaginext stuff which comes to £50, £30 worth of books, and a buckaroo game. So probably around £90 which tbh is more that I had planned.

Dd is getting a bear that lights up and plays tunes £6, and some rattles and clothes maybe costing £15 but she will only be 3 months and its more just so ds doesnt ask why Santa didnt bring her anything!

I usually spend about £150-£200 a child. Have been feeling a bit guilty about it, as I thought it was a bit much, but pleased to see I'm not alone!

My problem is I get too excited about things I see, and think "Oooh, DD1 would love that...and that would be great for ds" etc etc.

They are 6,5 and 3, and although I don't spend the same on each of them, I try to make sure they have the same number of parcels, even if some of the parcels are from the pound shop. I get so much pleasure from seeing them open them all. The problem is they now know from previous years that they get a big pile of parcels from santa, so I think if I scaled it down they might think that they'd somehow displeased St Nick this year. Once they are older, I expect the gifts they want will be more expensive, but by then they will be aware of costs etc.

I do often get things second hand too. Want to get DD1 a nintendo ds for her birthday, but will be buying it second hand, as I'm not sure how much she will actually use it

show dont feel bad, not at all, you can afford what you can afford, Im pissed off with myself for going slightly over budget but I just havent had time to look for things second hand as had dd recently.

I don't know if I do feel bad. Generally not because dd won't care. She'll love what we've got and I've worked bloody hard to source Shrek Dominoes on ebay (she wanted dominoes, she loves Shrek, it's a good present honest) and put a lot of time and effort into trawling second hand shops to find things she'll love. And she's 3.7. She'll never know they aren't new.

But sometimes when she says 'are these expensive?' whilst gazing adoringly at a Sylvanian Families catalogue and then just accepts that 'yes they are' means 'they're not for you', I feel wretched. It's good that she knows this really. And my parents never had money and I had the best Christmases. It doesn't matter. But sometimes I have a pang.

She has grandparents though and I'm sure there'll be all sorts of spoiling going on when I'm not looking. Lovely.

My DD is 3. We bought her a pink train set from e-bay for £20 and a wonderful Peter Pan book from the book people for £7 as her main present. Then i have probably spent about £40 on bits from the man in red...hair bobbles, craft kits, games and books mostly. I have been getting stuff in dribs and drabs since I spotted Peppa Pig sticker books on offer last January.
DH and I usually get each other a book and a box of chocs.

DH and I don't buy for each other. DD is making him a pen holder (jam jar decorated with shells) and we'll make fudge to put in it on Christmas Eve. I am taking bets as to whether he will put it on his desk at work.

Show ds knows that too. he knows some things cost 'too many pennies' and he has to save if he wants the imaginext boat he has seen. Its the way it should be.

about £25 for christmas and more for her birthday about £35 as its beginning of december
for xmas kiddy trike with parent handle down to £15 new on ebay bargin as cheapest in argos is £45, 6 books, wooden bricks to make town, touch feely book on nativity

birthday soft play balls, 2 pumpkin patch outfits bought in sale finger paints bubbles, small indoor football, wooden train with stacking carriages (NCT sale) grandparents getting ball pit duplo from my sisters more toys she has stacks of clothes as my neice is just 11 months older.

generally dont count clothes as presents as you need them anyway... but as older might get extras as presents like if want a certain type opf trainer etc. could afford more but no point 99p toys keep her just as happy anyhow no point in just spending extra, was always made to save up for big stuff as child and my parents were not rich just told too dear and got something else

altogether with relatives presents etc will get about £100 spent on her in grand total for christmas

ABIP if your budget for a bike is £50-£60 have a look on ebay!

So many bikes that are hardly used go for under £50. You could get a really top quality bike for that amount - Dawes, Scott, as well as Raleigh. A good go with the furniture polish, scrub the tyres, and it would sparkle like anything.

One nearly 3 year old to buy for.
I don't really do anything exceptional for Christmas as I buy him things all year round.
He will be getting a Ferrari F1 electric car, a wooden easel and some pastels (around £600).

I am at spending £600 on a 3 year old, this must be a wind up.

I've spent about £200 on my 4 year old and my DP will spend the same amount on my dsd.

But last year i spent about £50.. I'm of the thiking that I want to get her something she likes and wants, last year it was kid sized washing machine and a disney princess dress, this year its a Dsi. If I couldnt afford it, she wouldnt have it.

I am often shocked at people who I know to be on extremely low incomes buying their kids heaps for christmas, credit i'm guessing... I'd rather get them less and have them not witness stressed mummy on January credit card statement day!

Arabicabean's post probably isnt a wind up but hilarious that it is writen in such a matter of fact way when it is quite clearly not the norm!

Normaly spend about £120 main present on each child, then about £20 on a couple of extras for under the tree for each of them such as books and games and then £30-40 for each stocking. so prob in total about £180 per child. We have a DD 13, DS1 6 and DS2 19 months.

When DD was little up until DS1 came along I spent loads on her one Xmas she had all the baby born stuff, she was only 4 and i spent about £400 on her!!

I too am totally at how much some of you spend!! I'd guess we spend £15-20 per stocking (socks, sweets, satsuma, couple of cheapie throwaway toys, toothbrush and a magazine) then £30-50 on: 1 main pressie (lego/playmobile etc), then 1 other smaller thing like a book, clothes, a board game etc

When we put all pressies under the tree from 2 sets of grandparents, x 4 aunts & uncles, various friends, neighbours, sibling etc we can barely get in the room so whilst we could afford to spend more we actively limit the amount we give them!
LCN

Mine dont ask for particular things so I get what I can in sales etc.

I managed to get £600 worth of toys for less than £200 in the Sainsbury's sale. I had a lot of nectar points saved. It involved a week of sleepless nights worrying about missing it (they dont advertise until the last minute).

I know it sounds daft but we dont have a lot of money and it means I can go a bit nuts. I do massively overcompensate at Christmas. It helps me get through without DD. I dont buy stuff during the year though.

Older kids are tricky because everything is so expensive.

But then toys seem to be very expensive alltogether. Nothing seems to be under £20.

Even thought the little ones have now got lots I know I will dash about buying more,worrying they havnt got enough. This is the only time I am like this. We are not materialistic really. I just got a bit nuts at Christmas.

can't believe what some of you can spend! I'm not a tight mum but have 57 kids to buy for as we have a large family ( only 50 mine ha ha)and I limit my three to about £25 each and the rest of the family get £5 limit. I have to buy all year so get some really good sale items so always on look out for bargain.
What really matters is the time you spend with them.

Each to their own.

I value the time I spend with my kids, probably more than most unfortunately.

But I still gt mad at Christmas