Do you keep a stash of gifts for DC’s friends having parties?

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Tempted to buy a few I have found on offer, it’s nice arts & crafta types of gifts suitable for both genders. We have 5 bday parties to attend over the coming months and I suspext there will be more to come.
I don’t know these kids but DD does as they are frienda at reception. Do you usually buy ad hoc gifts for each child or keep a stash at home whenever you see offers?

Always a stash when they're little and getting invited to every party. It's the easiest and most cost effective way to do it.

As they get older and have a few specific friends I'd buy specific.

If I see a suitable gift at a good price, I’ll buy a few. Not loads as I don’t have the space to store it.

Asda had some Princess pamper sets before Christmas for less than £5 so I grabbed a few to put by for future presents.

I have a box of bits (blind bags/art supplies/lego sets etc) that I've picked up in sales. For random invites, I'll grab something and put £10 with it. For close friends, I'd either buy something with that particular child in mind or give more money.

If my children do something exceptionally well or school is shut due to snow etc, they get to choose something for themselves.

I keep a supply of cards, paper, gift bags and ribbon as well. Some of dc1's friends have parents who are very unorganised and a habit of throwing parties with little notice.

Sort of. We have a very, very small class so DD doesn’t go to many school parties. She has 5 good friends from outside school that we buy for but they tend to be more personalised. But I do look out for bargains. Last year got some craft kits in Hobbycraft sale about 9 months ahead which I made part of their presents, and added something more individual to.

I would definitely do it more if we had a class of 30 (but there’s only 62 in the school).

If I saw an offer when the kids were younger I did, but now it’s more individual tastes and closer friends, so tends to mean I pay more lol

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Yes; I have a cupboard with books, art stuff, stickers etc... little gifts I see on offer or are just nice. I also buy Christmas and birthday presents for people when I see them and not when I need to. I find this helps save money.

Yes definitely. Saves so much time and one less thing to think about. I have twins who were in different classes, some weekends we had 4 parties to go to!

Same generic gift for all, paper bought in bulk from Tesco, cards bought 10 at a time from card factory.

Any duplicate gifts my DC got went into the gift cupboard too as long as they were nice things I'd have been happy to give. One year they got 4 junior monopoly sets between them!

yes - i do the argos deal (3 for £20 or 2 for £15 etc) and just get miscellaneous gifts. Or if I'm going to B&M etc, I do the same and then just keep them in a big box

I didn’t but it’s a good idea if you are anticipating several parties and you see stuff on offer/at a good price

I always had a stash that I bought when I saw things on offer.

Yes, we had a present box when mine were primary aged. If I saw something specific to be me of their friends I'd buy and stash it. If I saw a good deal on quite generic gifts I'd stash those too. It saved time and meant I spent less than I would putting money in a card. Also keep a stash of cheap card factory cards in there too.

I saw this recommended on here years ago, I think it works very well in reception and year 1 when you have lots of parties, don’t really know the child and don’t want to do cash. Cash is good though especially as they get older and can combine cash gifts to get computer games and things like that.

Yes, DH is better at this kind of thing than me so he has a little cupboard that he stashes gifts he finds on offer in for all kinds of people. We do Toys on the Table every Xmas though so if we get to the end of the year and realise the stash is a bit young then we move them to the Toys in the Table box and they get used for that.

I also have a gift stash! Pick up crafty sets and bits when I see them on offer

Up to end of infants, juniors i get specific presents. I got thise smiggle pencil cases with thr calculator when they are on sale (as I think these are so cute) and put pencils etc in

I usually buy stuff on 3for2 or argos 2for£15, then keep the extra ones for the next party

When my kids were young I used to buy a few things if I saw them in the sale and put back for parties. I once got some paint your own plates then glazed over for 50p each and I bought 8.

Yes but if I bulk buy more than a couple, I occasionally panic that I gave same thing last year or gave a sibling same thing 🫣

Wow more common that I thought! Thanks everyone, I shall start doing the same!

Yes, it makes me look more generous than I am, because I often get good deals on Amazon or Argos and stock up!

I bought a bit too many for dc1's friends and still have some in the cupboard, but dc2 is starting the nursery party circuit now and they will get used up!

We are in London and I've also never seen cash gifts being given, or received it, for a child's birthday.

Cash in a card happens in London too.

Y1 child and this year I bought several packs of 12 items and give these as presents - a colour your own pencil case, a note pad and crayon set, some stickers and a couple of other bits. There's some extra stuff that goes into presents for her friends.
I had a 6 week old when we had 6 birthdays and needed something easy to manage. I'll be doing it again when they run out!

Yes I did this when dd was younger, stopped after primary school when there were fewer parties and dd wanted to choose gifts for her friends.

Yes. Stash of gifts, cards and wrapping paper/gift bags.