How much will you spend on your children at Christmas?

ruthyjo

It seems a bit strange to me to buy up to a budget for your children. I've always bought throughout the year and tried to buy only things I think my kids might appreciate and not just things that will clutter up my house for the sake of the children having things to open. I have a habit of giving my kids stuff for Xmas that they would have had to have anyway e.g. my sons will need cricket jumpers in the summer term at school so those have been bought in this summer's sales, stashed to be opened on xmas morning and won't be worn until next summer. I also buy games from play.com etc whenever thay are in the sale and store up some books from Redhouse and the Book People as I go along.

I've got a dolls house that I bought from Blooming Marvellous earlier in the year for my little girl (reduced from £100 to £29.99). To me that will represent quite a big present although it didn't cost a lot and she will only get bits of clothes and books to go alongside so she might come in under about £150 this year.

Think the boys will want psps this year so with bits I'll end up spending more on them than their sister but the pleasure will be the same for each child so I won't feel I've short changed her.

Hardest thing I find is that my three kids have their birthdays late November, early December and early January respectively so we have to do birthday pressies, xmas and pay for three birthday parties in a very short space of time. Makes it much harder to come up with stuff they genuinely want as well as pretty expensive. Could have been worse - November baby was three weeks early and January baby a week late - they should all be in December!

My biggest tip is don't give them annuals for xmas. My boys aren't big shopping fans but they have an yearly gloat when they stock up on every variation of the Beano and Dandy (Dennis the Menace, Bash St Kids, revisit the 50s/60s/70s etc) in Waterstones the week after xmas for 99p each.

finc

ruthyjo wrote:

Could have been worse - November baby was three weeks early and January baby a week late - they should all be in December!

What event have you got in March then? :rotfl:

I've never set a budget before but this year we have no choice financially. It's a doddle for my 2yo but my 8yo is another story. Even the stocking filler type pressies are expensive. I've been buying loads in Asda as they seem to be having a clear out but I know she's going to want some expensive [STRIKE]rubbish[/STRIKE] gifts.

Rachie_B

swizzle wrote:

We spend £25 each for birthday and £80 each at xmas. I have 2 older step daughters and my hubbie wanted to spend so much I would have spent less!

How ever what age is a child no longer a child? Hubbie has told oldest now 18, not to expect £80 at xmas as she is now an adult and xmas is for children. Not sure hoe much he is going to give this year I think £40. She said he was tight!!
Her mum spent over £200 on her last xmas, I think that is too much.

Our kids get the £80, but last year spent £30 on youngest then 3 1/2 and put rest in bank-so he can put it towards an expensive prezzie when he`s older.

myself and hubby are 27 and my parents spend £100 on us at xmas

Katinkka

How ever what age is a child no longer a child? Hubbie has told oldest now 18, not to expect £80 at xmas as she is now an adult and xmas is for children. Not sure hoe much he is going to give this year I think £40. She said he was tight!!

Well my dad has been giving me £100 for birthday and christmas since I was about 15. Im 28 this year and this year might be the end of it since he gave me 10k last month to pay off my credit card. Oh well.

ruthyjo

finc wrote:

What event have you got in March then? :rotfl:

Absolutely none - I wanted last baby for a while and it was only in the March of year two that I got lucky! Midwife told me that it's very common for families to have all their children at the same time of year as if there is a time of year when you're most likely to conceive.

Anyway now the family is complete I'll be staying away from oh throughout the month of March.

ginger_nuts

My SIL told us her nephew said Santa would bring anything they wanted so long as it didnt cost more than £15 in Argos .

Lillibet_2

swizzle wrote:

How ever what age is a child no longer a child? Hubbie has told oldest now 18, not to expect £80 at xmas as she is now an adult and xmas is for children. Not sure hoe much he is going to give this year I think £40. She said he was tight!!

My parents spent as much on me as they could afford from childhood up, they only cut back last year as my dad retired. In fact, as they could afford more as I got older they spent more on me in the last 10 years, not less, usually my main present was a lovely peice of jewellery which was my mum's influence : she always says good jewellery holds it's value:D As a result I have some beautiful jewellerywhich I coudl never have afforded on my own, plus could always ask them for things I needed instead, first Christmas in my own house they bought me a bathroom door! Toa large degree I think ti si easier to spend more as a child gets older, tehy can tell you what they need (if indeed they are of the need not want mind) and it isn't wasted money.

Alikay

About £40-£50 each on a main present, bit and bobs for the stockings are about £15 each and a new book so they can retreat to their rooms and read when they've had too much family time! We always get a new board game as a "family present" too.

november

swizzle wrote:

How ever what age is a child no longer a child?

Depends on circumstances I think. I had a word with my eldest last year (20 at the time) and asked him if it was OK to just buy him a small present. He said no problem as he doesn't need anything anyway - he works, buys what he needs, plus has an ISA. I ended up getting him nothing for his 21st as well about which I felt guilty but he couldn't think of a single thing and neither could I

At 18 I still considered him a 'child' present wise as I will his sister as both were/will be in education then and didn't have much spare money so really appreciated/needed gifts.

How much do I spend? Well it was just under £30 on the eldest last year and £100 each on the 2 teenagers still at home (plus they still have 'stockings' with bits in so that was probably another £20 each). About £100 on OH (and I plan for him spending the same on me )

Family - about £20. The family has an agreement not to buy for anyone with children - we buy for just the children. So we buy for 4 nephews and nieces, 2 great neph/niece but not their parents, OH's brother, but not his sis nor my sisters. Plus buy for my and OH's parents. Plus I have 2 friends I exchange small gifts with.

My parents have bought me smaller gifts since I became financially independant (many many years ago). So I suppose I am following in their tracks but it makes sense to me. My son now has more 'spare' money than I do. As for my parents - I think they spent enough on me bringing me up and once I was independant I think it was their turn to spend it on themselves