Christmas

[dollypops15]

Hi guys, no hate please for already talking about Christmas. I'm a planner, so like things all sorted in advance. Just wondering if anyone has a budget for prestent for their children and if they stick to it. I have 3 children 15, 6 and 2.

We do £50. Tend to spend more like £30 on the main gift plus a few stocking bits. Three kids. We don’t do a very materialistic Christmas though, and we give suggestions to family so they get plenty of other gifts.

Get thee to the Christmas board, you're about 8 months behind most people on there 😂

I have a budget of £150 each which I normally manage to stick to...although DS was only 10 days only last year so he got about £10 spent on him.

Yes we have a budget we stick to. They get gifts from family and friends also . I’d say we also try to avoid materialistic Christmas too. Kids are 4 and 2.

My children only get at home then one of each grandparent. Thats all so I always feel like I need to make up

I don't budget as such , my Ds had an x box 2 years ago so quite an expensive year.
Last year he had a second hand electric guitar and amp. Which cost considerably less

£200 each mix of biggish and small gifts.
If there was a big present that cost more we'd buy it but there would be no nice little gifts to open and I think my two like lots of gifts rather than one big thing.

Reading this I feel like I might be spending too much. That I can't afford....

If you can't afford it, please don't spend it. It's not worth getting yourself into debt for Christmas.

Your oldest child is old enough to understand if money is tight. They don't need to worry about money of course, but they're old enough for you to manage expectations. Your youngest two are so little still that these be happy with little inexpensive things.

I know we all want our children to have everything they want, but it's one day.

Your right.... don't know why I stress so much for one day

I spend as much or as little as we can afford that year. 3 kids, this year they have a rough budget of £150 each, and then about £100-£150 for shared gifts, plus stockings. They also get small gifts (£15ish) off aunties/ uncles and grandparents. If we couldn't afford it, then I would reduce the budget a lot, as it stands we can.

Even if you can afford it, I think it’s better to spend money on nice family traditions rather than gifts. Research has shown that when you ask adults about their best Christmas memories it’s normally things they did together every year, rather than gifts, that they value long term. Things like always going to a light show, or carol singing, or watching the same film.

Thanks for all your comments. Ita making me think differently about Christmas and reducing my stress

Less so now since my dc got into their teens and could understand that sometimes one of them "needed" - or even wanted - a particular thing one particular year, and that, over a few years everything would balance out. when they were slightly younger, we definitely did. In fact when they were young, we were on a much tighter budget, so actually didn't have the money for spending £££ on gifts, anyway.

Either way - we don't spend anything like the amounts so far mentioned on here.

We dont budget for anyone, we look for something they would like.
Last year there was a huge discrepancy between bil and sil cash wise but they both loved their gift.
I've been getting bits and bobs in the summer sales and/or preloved sites.
Pretty much done except a playmobil set which we will choose closer to Christmas

DS is 4 and I have a budget of £100 which is plenty for his age. It's harder with teenagers of course but you can definitely get away with not spending that much on your 6 and 2 year olds. If I were you I would join the Christmas Bargains thread. I got the Playmobil space rocker for £15 this year (usually around £50) so that is DS' main present sorted.

rocket not rocker!

No we don’t have a set budget. Some years he gets more some he gets less. I refuse to splash large sums of cash just for the sake of it.
We tend to spend a lot on food, treats and booze though!

@Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear what fantastic advice ill take a look. Come to think of it I have £££££££ worth of toys I could sell

We have a budget that we stick to, usually about £200 each for dps older kids (as they want more expensive things) but by ne t christmas 2 will be over 18 so their budget will reduce. We have a 2 year old dd and a ds due this Christmas so hy the time ours are old enough to want expensive things like phones or games consoles, all the other 3 will be grown ups so wont be too bad. I only spend about £120 on dd atm, a wooden kitchen will be her main present this year

I didn’t buy under 3’s gifts as they had family gifts. Get them something from freecycle or charity shops. Always lots of games and puzzles for little ones.
6 years old probably spend £50 something they really want plus a few bits for stockings, favorite chocolates, new socks, game, packs of cards, even a ball of string. DS desperately wanted double sided sticky tape and post it notes!
Teens are more difficult, check out the sales, see if there’s a game swap, or give cash.

My family now give use family money and I buy panto tickets.

I've never had a set budget but I've usually aimed for about 10 gifts each plus a generous stocking. Those individual gifts could be over £200 like a console, or something for £3.

This year I'm doing things differently. We've got a higher income and I'm aiming to get them much less. This is because over lockdown I've spent a lot on books and crafts and puzzles, ones had a new bike, one had a much more expensive birthday because they needed a laptop for school work but I also wanted them to have new console games, puzzles, books, art equipment etc to keep them going at home. Now that I don't have to stockpile sale items all year round to afford Christmas, I'm less inclined to buy things just because they are a bargain so it's easier not to to overboard like I have previous years.

So I'm aiming for about 5 gifts each instead. For the 13 year old this will be a phone (I'll buy out the 5 months left of my contract and give that so it can be my Christmas present too). The 7 and 4 year old are having Kindle Fires, and I'll wait until December to find out any other cheaper, burning desires. But I do have a history for last minute buying way more than I planned so I'll see how it turns out.

One thing to bare in mind is most people are only happy to admit what they spend on here if they are frugal. Family and social media and talking to friends and my children's friends suggests this frugality at Christmas isn't as common as you'd think from reading Mumsnet posts. These posts always fascinate me though, I guess we will never really know how other people do Christmas spending.

I always think how the heck can I get a christmas so cheap. My 6 year old birthday last month cost an absolute fortune. My sons trainers he wants are £105 and that's one present

We spend what we can afford, sometimes €150, sometimes €70. We have a 9yo, he'd like an Xbox, he's not getting one cos we can't afford it. Maybe next year.

But we're not in the UK, so we don't do panto, FC steamtrains, FC visit, Christmas markets, ice skating etc. We have a 15yo fake tree, homemade decorations, I use fabric wraps and bags for gifts that after now in their 8th year of use, sink don't have to buy paper. I make five or six Christmas cards for family abroad.

He dies have a December birthday, too, add o that bumps up the price!

We swim on Christmas day (we're in Spain, not that warm!), have churros and hot chocolate, Christmas morning is pancakes, stockings on the bed, advent calendars, films, have family and friends over, spend a lot in really good food.

I'd say it depends on your budget, which can change yearly. I'm hoping to have a job to go back to in October, so just fingers crossed we can afford a Christmas stocking each this year.

£100-150 for a main present, or for cash for older teenage ds. We have had big years ie Xbox but this is a treat year and is not every year. I buy stocking gifts in the sales, so nicer pjs etc. They like the sticking gifts the most!!

I have never budgeted or 'equaled' presents is either volume or monetary value. I just buy what I think they would like. I spend a lot more than people on this thread, however 2 of mine are teenagers so the money doesn't go far.