How much do you spend and what do you get for your childrens Birthday presents???

keys_2

Hello all I have been thinking alot recently about what to get my going to be 4yr old little girl for her birthday in March , I normally spend what my friends say too much on them , so this year ive decided to spend alot less and decided to start this thread to find out and see , what you do and also for ideas on what to buy for presents :

How much do you normally spend on your childrens birthdays and xmas presents ? Do you normally budget for these and plan throughout the year what you get or do you just buy nearer the time ?
Do you organise a party or outings ?
Do you spend more or less depending on there age being younger and special ages?
What items do you buy ?
Do you make your own gifts ?
Do you have any pictures of the special day then please post

I will start off ....

• Birthdays £ 150.00 this includes day trips and wrappings / presents Xmas : 200.00/ 350.00 { which includes money off ex partner also }
• I budget and buy through the year but alot more always gets added on when I see things on sale etc nearer the time
  
• I have a few friends and family round for a few hours on birthdays and I provide food and drinks . Also I take dd out to zoo , fun bal centere and alike on the birthday week
• I buy a mixture of toys and clothing that dd sometimes picks and I buy as a suprise . And I never forget the balloons and banners that she plays with the most on the day
  
• I am currently lookin gfor ideas to make presents myself to save on money and make it more personal for when she is older .

I look forward to reading your replies and hopefully see some money saving ideas

iamana1ias

keys wrote: »

Hello all I have been thinking alot recently about what to get my going to be 4yr old little girl for her birthday in March , I normally spend what my friends say too much on them , so this year ive decided to spend alot less and decided to start this thread to find out and see , what you do and also for ideas on what to buy for presents :



I will start off ....

• Birthdays £ 150.00 this includes day trips and wrappings / presents Xmas : 200.00/ 350.00 { which includes money off ex partner also }

How much??!! :eek:

Unless you are the only person in the world that buys her anything, I'd have thought £50 for xmas and £75-100 for her birthday would be more than adequate!

mintymoneysaver

I have just spent £150 on my daughter's birthday present, but that was because she was 16! At 4 I would probably have spent about £50 max!

InaPickle

I don't (yet) have any children, but I have lots of neices, nephews and godchildren. Children of the age of your daughter don't understand the value of a present, they just know how many they get, but I imagine that a young child who gets many presents would expect to get just as many when they get older, the only thing being that they will start to ask for more and more expensive ones, making it harder for parents to be able to afford their wishes. Most people I know buy one present from mummy and daddy for birthday, then one from each of their siblings and by the time their friends get them something, they've got a lot already, without expecting it all to come from mummy and daddy. For Christmas, most children I know get one main (good/expensive) present, then other little 'bits' (cheaper toys they really want or some clothes etc.). (If you aren't with her dad any more then the whole mummy and daddy joint present won't be the same, and will mean that she gets yet another present.) Essentially, get her things she would enjoy, but don't make a rod for your own back: imagine when she is ten or so and wants a Wii AND a pair of Ugg boots (or whatever is fashionable by the time she gets to that age) AND some cool watch she's seen AND a TV for her bedroom cos she's used to getting loads and loads of presents. Only a millionaire could keep up with that!

keys_2

Thankyou for your reply . ..I was looking for a general idea of what people spent . Yes my friends do tell me off for this . and now this year I really cant afford to spend that and also she does have enough to fill a toy store in her bedroom now . And im trying to get trid of some of it .But some of my other friends spend more than this , so I thought I would ask on here . So I am looking for new ideas really .
My main problem is I enjoy shopping which really doesnt help .But aim to definately control it .
I usually buy her one big present and lots of small ones ., as there is only 2 other people that buy her something really as i have a deal with friends that we just buy our own childrens things for birthdays unless they are a special bithday like there 1st / 18 th etc .And I have a very small family which is mainly children under 16 themselves , so it is mainly down to just what I buy really .

InaPickle

keys wrote: »

Thankyou for your reply . ..I was looking for a general idea of what people spent . Yes my friends do tell me off for this . and now this year I really cant afford to spend that and also she does have enough to fill a toy store in her bedroom now . And im trying to get trid of some of it .But some of my other friends spend more than this , so I thought I would ask on here . So I am looking for new ideas really .
My main problem is I enjoy shopping which really doesnt help .But aim to definately control it .
I usually buy her one big present and lots of small ones ., as there is only 2 other people that buy her something really as i have a deal with friends that we just buy our own childrens things for birthdays unless they are a special bithday like there 1st / 18 th etc .And I have a very small family which is mainly children under 16 themselves , so it is mainly down to just what I buy really .

Perhaps if you decide what to buy her as the 'biggie', it could all be in relation to that? Say, for example, you buy her an educational computer that costs £30 or something, as opposed to a slide set for the garden which might cost £60 or more, you could get her more little things? Fifty sounds reasonable to me (but hey, what do I know - I'm just looking at other people doing it! ), unless you were getting her something really useful and long-lasting like the slide set that she could use in the garden for the whole summer etc.

keys_2

Inapickle Yes I agree also and I have realised that also which is something I really dont want to get into. And with her age I have explained to my friends that have pointed this out to ne in the past { more I think about it ..it was probably my excuse } that if one of my friends bought there child a games console and a few games this would mount upto around £200 im guessing , so I used to explain that my dd having a mountain full was the same costs as she is easily pleased and wit hher age presents are cheaper than the cost of a console game £40 i could get 4 or 5 prezzies for that .
Im rather embarassed now though and do not want a spoilt child when she is older for the reasons you have said .

chivers1977

We have a 4 year old and last year he had a trampoline that was £12.50 in Argos together with a few other bits. probably totalled less than £50. We don't do the trips etc especially for his birthday as would do weekend trips anyway. This year he wants something like this http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0802648/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CToys+and+games%7C14417629/c_2/3%7C15701456%7CBikes%2C+ride-ons%2C+trikes+and+scooters%7C14417767/c_3/4%7Ccat_14417767%7CBattery+and+pedal+powered+vehicles%7C14417772.htm for his 5th birthday so we will shop around to find it for arond the £50 mark. Otherwise he will get something different.

He has grandparents on both sides and uncles so will get lego etc from them.

We will do his first party this year. I have decided to do it at home so that shouldn't break the bank as would do it OS!

We spent around £100 on presents and stocking for Christmas but that was loads of bargains

Andyf33

I have 4 kids between baby and 9 years.

For birthdays average about £150 on presents and £200 on a party. As they get older the presents get more expensive but the partys get cheaper. My 4 year old had a magician/entertainer for 2 hours where as my eldest is happy with an hours football at sports centre with his mates then off to pizza hut.

For christmas we spend about £1500 between my 4 little angels. Baby had very little (say £100), eldest had bike, xbox games, football shirts etc which soon adds up.

I generally put money aside each month for christmas and birthdays and then dont have to worry about big outlay in one month.

keys_2

chivers1977 wrote: »

We have a 4 year old and last year he had a trampoline that was £12.50 in Argos together with a few other bits. probably totalled less than £50. We don't do the trips etc especially for his birthday as would do weekend trips anyway. This year he wants something like this http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0802648/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CToys+and+games%7C14417629/c_2/3%7C15701456%7CBikes%2C+ride-ons%2C+trikes+and+scooters%7C14417767/c_3/4%7Ccat_14417767%7CBattery+and+pedal+powered+vehicles%7C14417772.htm for his 5th birthday so we will shop around to find it for arond the £50 mark. Otherwise he will get something different.

That looks good Hopefully there will be an argos discount code that comes your way soon .
thanks for your response

iamana1ias

Andyf33 wrote: »

I have 4 kids between baby and 9 years.

For birthdays average about £150 on presents and £200 on a party. As they get older the presents get more expensive but the partys get cheaper. My 4 year old had a magician/entertainer for 2 hours where as my eldest is happy with an hours football at sports centre with his mates then off to pizza hut.

For christmas we spend about £1500 between my 4 little angels. Baby had very little (say £100), eldest had bike, xbox games, football shirts etc which soon adds up.

I generally put money aside each month for christmas and birthdays and then dont have to worry about big outlay in one month.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Way to set them up for a lifetime of disappointment!!