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

iamana1ias

DeeDee74 wrote: »

:eek::eek:how much on a b'day present...

i spend £50 for b'days as mine are both rite before xmas.

xmas i splash out more i normally spend about a £1000 each but i was good this year and spent less....

what are u buying her /him for £150? ( soz couldn't remember if u said in u post.)

how much??! :eek:

unless that is a typo it is absolutely obscene. _pale_

DeeDee74

no that is what i normally spend i wish it was a typo...
but i look at it it's only once a year and i am trying to cut down..

mrcow

princessl84 wrote: »

Mrcrow - If you dont want to spend that sort of money then dont but dont shoot people down who do. Or it could come down to jealousy.

Jealousy of what? I'm intrigued - please do elaborate over what assumptions you've made about me?

fyi - I've not "shot down" anyone.

wildfrog

:wave:Hello

Firstly, confession time... I haven't read all the posts yet...but will do, hope I'm not repeating anything.

Try not to get too hung up on comparing yourself to others...I know it is easier said than done and as parents we have the power to make ourselves feel guilty over pretty much anything but keep it in perspective, you love your LO and are trying to give her the best!

Best doesn't equal lots of money! We too had to make a lot of cut backs this christmas due to finances, ironically I think we enjoyed it more and felt less pressured when we lowered our expectations. We brought less this year, however next year even though I think I will probably spend the same amount as this year overall I think I will put some money into my DS (he is 2. and his bday is between christmas and new year) bank account for when he is older instead of spending it all on presents. He was overwhelmed with presents at this young age. But when he is older I hope he will appriciate having some money already saved for things he wants.

I try to make the most of my money by shopping around, looking for discount codes, using reward vouchers etc, etc. I think this also helps me buy more suitable presents as it stops me impluse buying and gets me thinking about if the gift is right for the receipient.

Just for info, I also now do £50 for birthday £50 for christmas. He hasn't had a party so far but we took him to soft play, so including refreshments that was under £10. He gets treated to a small item about once a month typically less than £5 (normally a book or a car or similar)

M_A_R_I_E

I think the main point here is to live within your means. Interesting that some people who spent little on their children have debts while some who spent more don't!!? Maybe everyone needs to think about what else people are spending their money on? Everyone priorities are different - smoking, going out, etc.

Personally I spent a reasonalbe amount on my children and enjoy this site to make my money go further. I don't have any debts other than my mortgage. My husnand and I earn our own money. I work part time. Dont' smoke. Don't go out socialising often. It's eveyones individual choice.

iamana1ias

Question for the parents who spend significantly more on Xmas than birthday presents - why? Is keeping up the myth of Santa/celebrating a dead prophet's fake birthday more important than celebrating the anniversary of the child's birth? Genuine question.

SingleSue

M_A_R_I_E wrote: »

I think the main point here is to live within your means. Interesting that some people who spent little on their children have debts while some who spent more don't!!? Maybe everyone needs to think about what else people are spending their money on? Everyone priorities are different - smoking, going out, etc.

Personally I spent a reasonalbe amount on my children and enjoy this site to make my money go further. I don't have any debts other than my mortgage. My husnand and I earn our own money. I work part time. Dont' smoke. Don't go out socialising often. It's eveyones individual choice.

I spend so little not because of debt (I don't have any), social life or bad habits (none of those either!) but because hospital travel and items connected with the boys disabilities take up an awful lot of the available finances.

I had built up a little buffer for last Christmas and was hopeful of actually spending a little more on them but an emergency week long hospital admission for youngest plus at least 2 trips a week for appointments to the hospital (not very local either) on top of more local appointments for physio etc, completely wiped out that little buffer.

To me, the trips to the hospital are priority, their treatment a priority over spending oodles on Christmas presents.

princessl84

Mrcrow - That people spend that much on their children and you cant?

gwhizz75

I wonder if people realise how ridiculous they sound when they act like people are bad parents for treating their kids at christmas and on birthdays? If someone has lots of disposable income, then why on earth shouldn't they spend hundreds, or even thousands of pounds on their kids? It doesn't mean their kids will be spoilt and won't realise the value of money at all. Kids learn this from everyday life, not from getting nice things on 2 special days a year.

I don't have kids personally, but if I did, and if I had the same amount of disposable income as I do now then I would have no problem spending over £500 on presents for them. I'm not saying that you have to spend this to give them a nice time, or that those who don't spend this are doing anything wrong. But for me personally, if I can afford it, and if I am not in debt then I can't think of a better way to spend my money than treating my family.

SingleSue

I actually feel a bad parent for not being able to spend as much as others....the kids on the other hand tell me I am not and they understand.