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

Andyf33

good point thorsoak

few years ago we nearly got things wrong and the eldest started to expect expensive gifts every week. soon put a stop to that. but i still strongly believe in treating them a few times a year. what is the point in working hard if you dont take time out to enjoy the rewards with your family

DaisyFlower

keys wrote: »

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 [/COLOR][/B]

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

I spend roughly the same for birthdays but that wouldn't include the cost of a party should DS want one.

Xmas I spend more but thats my choice. Hubby and I work hard, we dont smoke or drink and we save well for a rainy day. Some people choose to spend on cigarettes, latest mobile contract, full sky, regular nights out etc and some like to save and make a big deal of special occasions. I dont feel guilty as we earn the money so can choose to spend it on what we like. Like Andy, our son sees us working hard and knows any luxuries come from that so he should grow up with a great work ethic.

There will always be those who are from the polar end of things and refuse to spend money or very little of it but thats their choice. There is no right or wrong choice, its down to personal preference and circumstances. However the OP is getting jumped on for spending more than others whilst i'm sure those who spend little would not like it if the tables were reversed and they were called mean.

mrcow

Andyf33 wrote: »

mrcrow....i think im great at spending money. its just that you and i probably have different things we like spending money on.


at the end of the day its all relative. i have a balanced approach between mortgage overpayments (my only debt), savings, investments, holidays, spends and treats. nobody gets hurt and my family and i enjoy the money we have.

You may well think you have a balanced approach, but I'm left wondering if you actually do. I can't stand waste and your posts are making me very uneasy

iamana1ias

Andyf33 wrote: »

i contribute approximately 10k out of my own pocket a year to charity supporting a local childrens cancer charity, a national childrens cancer charity and also take part in numerous events across the uk to raise money for those less fortunate than myself

Thank you. If that is true then I apologise for any offence I may have caused.

iamana1ias

eklynne wrote: »

It's really hard for people without teenage kids to understand just how expensive it can be.

the OP's daughter is 4.

Andyf33

mrcrow...the balance will be different for everyone. just like everyone has different attitudes to risk, etc. i certainly dont waste money...i may just spend more on certain items because i value the quality

i also enjoy a lot of stuff that is totally free....but on the flip side i enjoy spending money. i work real hard for it so why not spend it. i pay my way, invest in my kids future, dont burden anyone, leave some to others and have fun with my loved ones along the way...is that so bad?

Andyf33

iamana1ias wrote: »

Thank you. If that is true then I apologise for any offence I may have caused.

no problem. a number of years ago we had a life changing event which reset our priorities and made us appreciate how lucky we are. spending a many months in childrens hospitals and being in and out of them since then certainly makes you re-evaluate your approach to life

mrcow

Andyf33 wrote: »

i also enjoy a lot of stuff that is totally free....but on the flip side i enjoy spending money. i work real hard for it so why not spend it. i pay my way, invest in my kids future, dont burden anyone, leave some to others and have fun with my loved ones along the way...is that so bad?

No it isn't so bad at all. I was just offering an opinion but you seem to have taken something to heart somewhere. I wasn't trying to offend.

Andyf33

mrcow wrote: »

No it isn't so bad at all. I was just offering an opinion but you seem to have taken something to heart somewhere. I wasn't trying to offend.

no problem mrcrow

globalds

Just throwing this one out to help me work out how much I spend on my kids.

If you bought something like a computer ......would you count that as part of the money for Christmas /Birthday or would it be classed as other money ..Family type money for buying say a TV set ?
It is a bit different for me now as the kids both have a pc and me and the misses get a laptop ...What about phone contracts ..are they present money or not?

My kids are in there teens now, so not quite the same as the OP ( sorry for thread stealing)