How much do you spend on your kids at xmas?

SingleSue

kittiej wrote: »

Thanks for the more normal replies

There seems to be a lot of people who also buy for nieces and nephews and other family members, I don't have to do this.

SingleSue, I would love for my 2 to grow up knowing the 'value' of something and I think that if they have to save for so long to get what they want then they will appreciate it more.

I am now at a bit of a loggerheads because I am thinking to myself do I really need to spend £200 on each child - answer is no I don't.

This is more than one months shopping bill for me (£150) so I shall probably go with this figure. Well for the moment


Edit - SS I just noticed your sons have hypermobility, my eldest DS has this too, he keeps telling me his feet are very long and flat as well - which is nice lol

We all have the hypermobility gene.....it can be fun in this house when we all show off what we can do! :rotfl:

My amounts are not through choice though, I don't have that much spare pennies and I feel tremendous guilt at not being able to buy them more expensive presents or treat them like other parents do with the latest games and clothes etc, so their saving up for the games consoles is a needs be rather than a lifestyle lesson.

Im my previous married and both of us working days, we generally spent around £60-£100 per child, around £40-£50 per parent, £10-£15 for a niece or nephew and a similar amount for siblings but for each other, boy we used to go to town.....usually in the region of £200-£300 each.

It is all relative and to what you can afford, if you can afford that amount, then do it, if you can't, then don't. Don't worry so much what others are spending, you can only spend what you can afford, it doesn't make you a bad parent if you can't.

Your children will not think less of you if you explain (my children never throw what little I can give them at Christmas back at me, they appreciate everything I buy them).

As an example, to some parents, £200 per child is a hell of a lot of money, to others were earnings are greater, it is small fry...neither parent is wrong or right, or a good or bad parent just because of how much they spend.

red_devil

Morgan_Ree wrote: »

This year we'll probably spend about £250ish on DS. The last couple of years we didn't spend that much purely because he was too young. Didn't really understand what was going on.
This year however he's well aware! He's already excited about Santa coming!

Personally I don't see anything wrong with spoiling them at xmas (obviously if it's within your budget). It's once a year. It's not going to turn them into spoilt brats.

its not once a year no doubt some kids get a lot more spent on them at birthdays too. Some kids do really well now if they have separated parents etc also?

no need to go mad its just jesus's birthday after all.

galvanizersbaby

red_devil wrote: »

its not once a year no doubt some kids get a lot more spent on them at birthdays too. Some kids do really well now if they have separated parents etc also?

no need to go mad its just jesus's birthday after all.

Christmas was once a year last time I checked

I don't get why so many folks seem to feel the need to dictate what people do and don't spend their money on?

Im very much of the opinion on Christmas and birthdays that I spend what I can afford - it's up to others what they do and what they want to 'go mad' about

red_devil

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

Christmas was once a year last time I checked

I don't get why so many folks seem to feel the need to dictate what people do and don't spend their money on?

Im very much of the opinion on Christmas and birthdays that I spend what I can afford - it's up to others what they do and what they want to 'go mad' about

i know its once a year but kids have birthdays too.

supa-girl

Well, we have 5 to buy for and money is tight so we've agreed to spend £75 ish on the older kids and £30 - £50 on the younger ones.

To be honest, even if we could afford more, we probably wouldn't spend it as they have most of the big things such as bikes, scooters, digital cameras etc and we have a wii with loads of games. Also I've had a nightmare this year trying to get them to take care of their stuff - may sound old fashioned but I think they just have so many toys that they really don't care if one gets broken, bits go missing etc as they'll just play with something else. :mad:

I'm in the process of having a good sort out and thin down of their toys, to teach them to value what they have a bit more, and don't want to undo all that hard work by going overboard at Christmas iyswim?

It may sound a bit cheesy, but I honestly think that since we've been on a tighter budget, xmas has been so much better because we've had to try harder to make it special rather than just putting a whole pile of shiny new "stuff" under the tree and watching their eyes light up? Some of the traditions and things a lack of money has inspired I will definitely keep in the future, even if by some miracle I became a millionaire overnight!

I do wish ads on kids tv programmes would be banned though - already I am getting "I want that!" "Can I have that for xmas" .....etc from the kids - I think they don't even know what half of it is anyway!!!!!

SG

galvanizersbaby

red_devil wrote: »

i know its once a year but kids have birthdays too.

Yes also once a year - as I said in my opinion I think it's up to individual parents what they spend on either occasion.

red_devil

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

Yes also once a year - as I said in my opinion I think it's up to individual parents what they spend on either occasion.

YES AND MINE IS ALOT OF KIDS GET TO MUCH THIS IS A DISCUSSION AFTER ALL.

bet most kids cant even remember what they had for xmas last year!!

jtr2803

I am another one who LOVES christmas, I always have done. My mum was shockingly poor but we always had a great Christmas, we would play games, eat loads of food and just have a really good time. Mum would also buy peanuts and branded crisps that we never had through the year and after opening presents we were allowed to rifle through her bedroom to find them :rotfl:.

I absoluteky love giving my loved one's gifts and seeing their faces when they open them and unfortunately I do tend to go overboard and in the past have spent well beyond my means . Last year I cut down a lot as my family is very small but we still had a good time, Christmas is more about family, food and laughter to me than it is about presents.

Waffling aside, I think I spent about £120 on DD last year, she was 9 at the time. This year I would be very surprised if it is more than £100. You should see the amount of stuff I can buy for £100 though , I am very savvy with sales and I do surveys to get Amazon vouchers which all goes towards Xmas. I already have some bits squirreled away and we are going to Centre Parcs for a week in Feb which is my gift to DD and my mum so I wont be buying much at all.

As long as what you are spending is relevant to your budget then I don't see a problem

DeeDee74

i'l spend way to much again, i normaly spend about a thousand each i do look at cutting that down every year...
but i have a new job and more money so if i got it im gona spend it. i wont let myself spend money i havent got.

Penny-Pincher!!

I've been saving up my Nectar points this year and a Gift card to pay towards DD's Blackberry she would like, so I will have to put about £30 towards it. She sold her laptop a few weeks back and put it towards an Ipad with money she had also saved and her nan gave her some.
Have also got a few items off Hotdeals for her:

Dr Marten boots in yellow-£19 (usually £95)
Designer perfume-£8 (usually £31)
Disney Blu-Ray-£6 (usually £19)
Skull Candy headphones-£12 (usually £120)
Art stuff-£20 (usually would cost over £100)
La Senza PJ's in box-£9 (usually £28)

Then I have saved £1 a week for a £50 TKMaxx giftcard for her.

So about £125 in total but over £600 worth of gifts. My parents will give her a lot too.

PP
xx