How much do you spend on your kids at Christmas?

Lalaladybird

There may already be a thread on this but I couldn't find one.... We have a 1 yr old daughter and my OH only wants to spend £50 on her for Christmas because we are really skint (and she'll get loads of pressies from other people) but I think that is too little from "Santa". What do you all spend and what do you think of that amount?

bargainbird

To be honest you should save your money now whilst she is young.......not knowing the difference....

Generally £100.00 on each of ours, but it depends on what we buy, sometimes we get lots of little bits or one big one.

Edinburghlass_2

here you go...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1134605

Amanda65

At 1 I think £50 is perfectly fine, especially as you haven't got any spare cash.

There are so many great toys and books for little ones and she won't have a clue about the cost of things or whether she gets 4 pressies or 44. I agree with bargainbird - save your money when she is young. With DD's 17 and 15 and DS of 12 oh how I wish I could do Xmas for £50 ph:rolleyes:

Incidentally DD1's first xmas (she was 7 months old) she 'unwrapped' a baby walker on camera - that she'd already been using for the previous 3 weeks :rotfl:

RedBern

When ours were little we'd include stuff like slippers, 'jamas for them to unwrap as well. Better she has a few little things to open than a lot to ignore!... and she'll only play with the wrapping paper and boxes anyway;)

Rachel83

to be honest £50 would be enough especially for a 1 year old, maybe a nice dolly and a pram as her big pressie and a few books or something. She will definatly be more interested in the wrapping paper and boxes, oh and the tree lights too
We spoilt our DD for her 1st real christmas and spent way too much she got bored of unwrapping things after 3 pressies and we were clearly more excited then she was. lol think we ended up finishing unwrapping things on boxing day

suki1964

One year old and what does she know about Christmas? Its only yourselves that want the joy of seeing her open pressies - she wouldn't care less.

Save the money. Let the reles buy the pressies if they must but personally Id ask for the money to go into a savings account.

Grandson is two this christmas and he will be opening a new outfit and a box of blocks from us. No we arent tight or mean but he has all he needs and doesnt understand christmas. And Id rather not be bankrupt next year so I can but him as and when he needs.

Hes more then happy watching the christmas lights and the christmas decorations and ripping up the paper

His auntie is five and she's a different matter - shes already got a christmas list as long as herself )

Katyag

We have a 1 year old so what hes getting for Xmas doesnt look much, but we also have a well will be 7 year old when Xmas comes and his stuff is much more. Mainly because hes 'into' stuff so we know what he will play with and what he really would like where as our 1 year old just wants to wreck the place!

DS2 is getting a few of DS1's old toys recycled! Like a ball pond DS1 got for his 1st birthday and only used once so we got a cheap paddling pool in the sales and will chuck the balls in it as his main pressie and thats cost us £2!!

I agree she will get loads of other bits from other people and while i dont find the expense of christmas too hard its finding the space afterwards for all the new stuff!!! Like another reply said, DS2 is getting new pjs and slippers just as something extra to bulk out his pile compared to DS1. He would be getting the pjs and slippers anyway so am being cheeky and giving them as pressies!!

sooty&sweep

Hi

Save your money. If you really want to "spend" more on her than £50 why not put some money into a saving account for her.

She won't know the difference (or appreciate) if you spend £50 or £100 and she'll probably spend more time playing with the boxes and wrapping paper.

blottedcopybook

It'll be £50 per child max in our house. We have a lot of family who buy for the kids but who we then have to buy for too, my contract at work has just ended so we're managing on one income and I'm not putting myself into debt this year for it. Besides, I really am starting to resent that Christmas isn't about being happy with family close and rubbish tv anymore so I'm not going to make that worse by spending money we don't have on more clutter that they don't need!

mrcow

£50 on a one year old is way too much.

I'd half it.

Chucking money at Christmas doesn't make it any more special. Don't collect stuff - collect memories.