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Is £150 enough to spend for christmas...

145 replies

YummyorSlummy · 09/10/2009 11:51

For a one year old? We were thinking of spending £150 on ds's xmas presents and the same for his birthday which is on the 23rd but I don't really feel like this is going to get him very much.Dh was even questioning if we could afford that (he's a bit tight thrifty)What do people think??

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shonaspurtle · 09/10/2009 12:36

A one year old will be overwhelmed by too many presents. Personally I would get him one thing which could cost whatever it costs (ds got a Wheelybug so around £50). Remember he'll get other presents from people.

Why put a monetary value on it? It's not a symbol of how much you love him. You couldn't put a price on that.

shonaspurtle · 09/10/2009 12:40

Also, buy him something that he'll enjoy now (or soon). It's really tempting to go for the big christmas present toy like a bike or a fancy train set (well, you know what I mean) but a bit rubbish for the one year old if he's too little to actually enjoy it at Christmas and it ends up getting ignored for a year.

This happened to my friend - her parents bought a bike for her one year old. A proper bike! Madness...It's still in the garage and he's almost 3!

ChilloHippi · 09/10/2009 12:40

Shona is spot on. One or two gifts is the right amount.

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star6 · 09/10/2009 12:42

Agree with Shona

seaglass · 09/10/2009 12:44

We have a limit of £40 each on our DC's Christmas and birthday pressies - £150 sounds a little excessive IMO

SmokingKnickers0nMahead · 09/10/2009 12:45

op, do you mean £150 for birthday and xmas or £300 all together? I know alot of people go mad at xmas. Spending more than they can afford etc. Like other posters have said, you can drop on some decent things at a charity shop or car boot.

lucykate · 09/10/2009 12:52

£150 is a lot imo. we spend about £50 on each of the dc's at christmas, and about £20 for birthdays. tbh, neither of ours actually got anything for their first christmas from us or father christmas . they are too young to know what's going on at that age and there were plenty of presents from grandparents etc.

cripesalorky · 09/10/2009 12:56

Too much! Too much! How many little wooden jigsaws / board books can a baby need? My dd had a stocking from us which she was beside herself about. It cost no more than £20. Anything you get a baby will be defunct before long. Please don't spend that much.

TwoSilverBalloons · 09/10/2009 13:02

As everyone else has said it is way too much. For the first few years of my ds's lives I didn't get more than a couple of very, very little pressies for their birthdays etc as the rest of the year I would buy them toys that I thought they'd enjoy at the time.

The things they played with most were the cotton reel sets from elc and the tomy hide and squeak eggs

I also realised that if I bought them tons of stuff then when they visited other kids' houses they wouldn't be excited by seeing new and different toys. I used to go out and buy a toy if my ds had loved it at another house but I stopped this for the same reason. When they're older there will be much more pressure to buy a lot so resist and enjoy the lack of greed in a one year old!!

EldonAve · 09/10/2009 13:06

You will drown in toys

I would suggest 1 or 2 items max
DS got a $10 phone for his first Xmas

LittleSilver · 09/10/2009 21:41

Troll

Knickers0nMahead · 09/10/2009 22:37

littlesilver.

LauraIngallsWilder · 09/10/2009 22:40

£50 on a one year old would be my upper limit

moondog · 09/10/2009 22:41

£150!!!!
Jesus Christ.
I'll spend about £60 each on my 5 year old and 8 year old. If that.

neenz · 09/10/2009 22:44

We spent £12 on first birthday and about the same at Christmas (can't even remember what we got them).

Will be same this year for 2nd christmas.

They don't even know it's Christmas/birthday.

Is this a joke

nancy75 · 09/10/2009 22:45

spend what you want and what you can afford. dont feel pressured into spending more than you can afford by others, but equally if you want and can spend this much don't let people make you feel bad about that either.

cory · 10/10/2009 16:03

To me it would be about spending money if you could afford it and if there was something you thought your ds would want/need that would actually cost that much. Not spending sum X just because you feel you should.

The most I have ever spent on a birthday present was £80 on dd. That was a lot of money to us. But it was for a doll's house that dd still plays with 9 years later and will probably be used for her children. I would not have spent a big sum of money just for the sake of it.

Tortington · 10/10/2009 16:04

what can a one yer old poaaisbly want that is more exciting than a cardboard box

spend your money on beer fgs

hercules1 · 10/10/2009 16:09

For a one year old, it has to be maximum £20. How much will you spend when they're 10??

BabyDubsEverywhere · 10/10/2009 16:30

I am doing £100.00 for birthdays each, and £100 - £200 for Christmas for me DH DS 2yrs and DD 1yr. Only 2 other people buy our kids anything at all so it dosent seem alot really. If we had more I'd spend more, but then I do love Christmas!

nimbs · 10/10/2009 16:31

this thread is begining to remind me of that you were lucky sketch from monty python

fwiw our twin dd's will be one next month - haven't added up how much we've spent - prob £100 between them for bday and christmas - find we do stockings etc for them - even did one last year and they were only 7 weeks old as our older children thought that FC should visit them - luckily he brought useful things such as baby toothpaste,wipes etc

PoisonToadstool · 10/10/2009 16:33

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charitygirl · 10/10/2009 16:34

Oh for heaven's sake - no wonder the country's fucked with debt, if people would really consider spending £300 on presents for a one year old.

What on earth would you buy?

DuelingFANGo · 10/10/2009 16:39

it's all relative. If the OP is rich then the amount she's suggesting probably is a drop in the ocean but for some people it's a months food!

BabyDubsEverywhere · 10/10/2009 16:42

I dont see why its obscene. The OP didnt mention getting into debt to supply these presents.