how much do you spend on your kids at christmas?

Mercenary

We have only ever spent the equivalent of £30 on each of our kids (now grown up). If there was a particular expensive gift request then contributions towards it would also be made by other members of the family instead of separate gifts.
This meant that they each chose very carefully and then cherished the gifts far more than if they were simply a small part of a huge overwhelming pile that got broken and forgotten about by the end of Boxing Day.

Kids simply do not need all the stuff that is targeted at them these days. Getting too much means that they don't feel the need to appreciate what they have or to look after it in any way....after all, there'll always be more next year, won't there? :rolleyes: And what sort of financial lesson does it teach them for the future? They'll regard overspending and debt as normal.

Christmas is about sharing a special time together with ones you love, not buying that 'love' with presents IMO :cool:

jetty

Mercenary wrote: »

We have only ever spent the equivalent of £30 on each of our kids (now grown up). If there was a particular expensive gift request then contributions towards it would also be made by other members of the family instead of separate gifts.
This meant that they each chose very carefully and then cherished the gifts far more than if they were simply a small part of a huge overwhelming pile that got broken and forgotten about by the end of Boxing Day.

Kids simply do not need all the stuff that is targeted at them these days. Getting too much means that they don't feel the need to appreciate what they have or to look after it in any way....after all, there'll always be more next year, won't there? :rolleyes: And what sort of financial lesson does it teach them for the future? They'll regard overspending and debt as normal.

Christmas is about sharing a special time together with ones you love, not buying that 'love' with presents IMO :cool:

I respect how anyone does xmas, it's each to their own imo, and i agree, xmas is about family and my kids appreciate anything they are given, but I do spend alot on mine, who knows what is going to happen in the coming year so why shouldn't i? Life is short and i want experience to be the main focus for anyone in my life

And not everyone sees it as 'buying love'

coolmumh

I spend about 150 on each of my younger children and my older ones who have now left home about 50.

dobs

We spend too much on our kiddies and everyone else as well, but until 4 yrs ago we didn't celebrate xmas and i know we do it to relieve some of our guilt feelings, altho only our 7 yr old remembers a different way of life. Each yr we say we will cut down the nxt yr but haven't yet! We are going to have to start nxt yr tho, we didn't have any money problems til we started doing birthdays and xmas lol. Also i know some of what we have got they didn't ask for i just thought they'd like it as an extra, and then forgot i'd already put some extra away in the attic for them! Defintely my new yrs resolution to cut back! Tbh my 4 yr old only wants one thing for xmas and my mums got him that, he doesn't actually want anything else, its my 7 yr old who likes stuff!We haven't got much tho for ds3 as hes not yet 2, probably spent £60 on 3 items for him. But have a birthday party for ds2 beginning january and ds3's b'day start of february so getting a little nervous at the thought of more spending!

wornoutmumoftwo

My budget is £100 on each child - including stocking and a pressie for boxing day (from the xmas tree, one of those family traditions).

Spent more last year - got a wii - but made it out to ALL of us from santa, so neither child could lay claim to it.

bergy2

My aim this year was to buy only things that people would really like and no tat that will feel like a waste - so far I can only think of 2 CD's that were a bargain i bought and then thought 'rats - who on earth wants take that and robbie williams greatest hits' lol - take that is going to a mate at work as part of his secret santa for a joke

My kids - 15 year old gets a tv refurb, guitar hero pre owned, stocking all in £150, daughter ghd, mobile and stocking all sales things £130, daughter 7 ahm 1/2 price bike, games, cheap camera £120

Agree with a mum earlier - spend all year budgeting and it's nice to treat them and feel happy all pressies will last and be used for a while and avoided all the stupid stuff made to look good on ads

Also feel for the many i work with who are on benefits or students or single parents and don't want to overdo it for their sake tbh - agree it's about the excitement of early morning waking up and unwrapping and being together

We play on the wii and do board games so got family stuff around that too

Happy Christmas all

tiptoes

This year I've spent about £200 on DD and £150 on DS both will also get present from their fathers.

DD asked for a camera as she is doing photography as a GCSE option next year, so I got her a good on and a few stocking fillers. DS is getting a DSi, which he hasnt asked for but I know he wants as he said he would buy his own with his birthday money (birthday is on the 30th) .

SammyD_2

I am genuinely suprised by the figures most posters have given. I guess in part because at one level I suppose most people on this site are interested/concerned about their finances, and also because the "expectation" seems to be that very large sums of money get spent. I am not criticising anyone, or judging anyone. But it seems my thoughts are very out of step with what seems to be the norm.

My son asked for a map of the world for his Christmas present (which he will get, along with lego).
My daughter wanted a dog, which she will not get, but will get a Sylvanian families caravan, which I thought was quite extravagant.
Apart from that, they will each get a book, and the rest are things they use (soap, new tops, drink bottles).
We are also getting a family game, and a family jigsaw.

I am also not sure where the Christmas Eve/New Years presents seems to have crept in from. I know some other cultures give presents on these days, but some posters appear to give their kids presents on those days as well as on Christmas day. Has this been round for ages and I have just missed it? Or is it like party bags, which seems to have caught on because everyone else does it?

ddtonti

I have managed to get all my xmas in for £300 this year, this includes pressies for three kids aged 5 and under, and food to does us till the new year. I have got everything the kids have wanted, includinga rocking horse for £26 off ebay!! Not a mark on it, it even has the tags still on it!! Shme to think it has been sat in someone elses house not doing anything! I bought most of the toys off ebay, a goal set and football for my middle boy and a basketball hoop for my eldest, as well as legoand other bits for them all. I have also made an art box or them all, for around £30 i have filled a box that will keep us all entertained for hours!!
To begin with i felt bad for being on such a tight budget, its my own fault though for getting myself in a mess earlier in the year. But to be honest its not been all a bad thing!! Ive sorted myself out. Bought xmas with my own money, and its made think a lot more about what to get them, and with a little xtra work they can get what they want at a fraction of the price!! As much as i wuld love to spend endless amounts of money on them,its just not possible!!

I also saved up morrisons stamps for those little extra treats we dont usually buy, £2 or £3 pounds a week that usually gets frittered has gone to good use!!

After that i saved £100 to take them out places,maybe a panto or the local carnival. and aswell as that im looking forward to movie nights at home, and making calendars for the family with the new art box!!!

Not too bad for being skint!! Heres to keeping this frame of mind in 2010 wen im debt free!

Lynn11

I have DD who is nearly 3 and I have spent £105 on her. She has got the 4 items she wants trumpet, pink piano, dolls house and playdoh plus a few more other presents and stuff in her stocking. Hopefully she will like all of these and enjoy and not waste them. I believe that I managed to get good toys for reasonable prices and hope to continue with £100 spent for christmas.

I save up every month in a regular saver for christmas so the money is there, but we have a lot of presents to buy for mostly family and some friends.

This is the 1st christmas we have some of the family over for christmas dinner but I have been buying a few bits and pieces so far and am still within my monthly grocery spend but there is still fresh veg etc to buy.