How much do you spend on your kids at Christmas?

SkintGypsy

Usually about £50 for DD, then a stocking of bits from the poundshop, playing cards, colouring pencils, plus the obligatory new pants, socks and Xmas pyjamas.

Baby will be getting £20 if that!

winnie81

I have no set amount to spend on the kids (4) and I buy what I feel they will like as cheap as I can through offers through the year and they generally have good birthday pressies too (£300 for older ones less for younger).

I would think we'd spend about £6-700 on pressies between them all? Sometimes less maybe a bit over? Its always paid for in cash never through credit cards and they have nothing spent on them through the year so they do appreciate what they get as it includes clothing too.

Spend what you can easily afford and as long as everyone has a great time over the xmas it doesn't matter how big or little you spend. I will not give in to them having £1000's of pressies or for them to have every must have toy going or to compete with friends

Edited to add this year eldest has asked for a couple of things only - a lockable box for her jewellery/make up etc and a set of walkie talkies nothing else lol

natalie1974

OMG , last year I spent just under £3500 on my 3 :eek:

Sounds a lot but it did include a pedigree puppy ,iPod touch and a holiday for my eldest and pink LCD tv and DVD player for my 5 yr old .

This year it will be approximately £500 per child , I am mainly going down the clothes route this year for my 2 girls although they will have some gadgets/toys and toys for my nearly 2 yr old boy . Have got a digital camera for my 10 yr old and a doll for my 5 yr old . My eldest wants the new iPod touch so may get her that and then "repackage" the old one for the 5 yr old

They both want an iPad as they play on mine but can't justify having 3 of those so I am going to wait and see what other touch pads come out.

It really just depends as every day I see bargains online posted either on here or on Hotukdeals so am constantly saying that's it I am done and then ordering even more ,

stella2009

natalie1974 wrote: »

OMG , last year I spent just under £3500 on my 3 :eek:

Sounds a lot but it did include a pedigree puppy ,iPod touch and a holiday for my eldest and pink LCD tv and DVD player for my 5 yr old .

This year it will be approximately £500 per child , I am mainly going down the clothes route this year for my 2 girls although they will have some gadgets/toys and toys for my nearly 2 yr old boy . Have got a digital camera for my 10 yr old and a doll for my 5 yr old . My eldest wants the new iPod touch so may get her that and then "repackage" the old one for the 5 yr old

They both want an iPad as they play on mine but can't justify having 3 of those so I am going to wait and see what other touch pads come out.

It really just depends as every day I see bargains online posted either on here or on Hotukdeals so am constantly saying that's it I am done and then ordering even more ,

I have just bought our 2 kids the new iPod Touch each. I would rather them have these that they really want than try and find cheap nonsense that will end up under the bed for the rest of the year!!

As for the iPad, they are truly fantastic!

I have the MacBook Pro that cost me more than £1k and I couldn't be without it!!

Apple is the way forward LOL

when_will_it_end

i have spent alot in the past but dd is now 17 and understands that money is tight
she asked for money to buy things as a convention relatated to her college course as she will get them at cost
thats her main pressie
then its the small things, nightwear, socks, chocolate ect

i spend around 5 pounds on parents an siblings but there out of the sale mostly through out the year so cost a little more in reality

ailuro2

We will be away again for Christmas this year.

DD got her ipod Nano last year and a few little bits and pieces to open , mostly jewellery or e from the poundshop (she is 11, so I can still get away with cheap things) We bought the ipod nano when we were away in the U.S. so it was considerably cheaper than buying at home.

This year we'll be in Tenerife, so not so likely to buy her anything electronic, but I've seen a scuba diving experience that she'd love... need to price it up and make sure it's not ridiculously priced, then discuss it with DH too.;)

FatVonD

gingin wrote: »

Dd is getting a digital camera for £32, as she loves walking round the house and taking pictures with mine - she's only 6 but she'll love it. DS wants cash which I don't really like giving him so haven't decided yet. I did win an Xbox, though, so he might get lucky.

What do others do if their children ask for cash?

Other than that it's small stocking fillers that I bought in the sales

My 11-year-old stepdaughter is desperate to have a cash card as one of her friends has one so I'm hoping to 'somehow' get her to sign a bank account application so we can get the card posted to us and put some money in the account and then wrap the card up for her!

FatVonD

We spent around £150 per child last year (my own son and 3 step-children.) I try to pick up stuff during the year but I don't have nearly as much stuff this year as I usually do. I often get 'girly' bits and pieces for free at work which go into my stepdaughter's stocking, in fact she's much easier all round than the boys to find things for!

My dilemma comes with trying to make sure they all have a similar amount, if I try not to spoil my own son in front of my stepkids he then ends up a bit short changed when they then go home to a mountain of presents from their mum's very large extended family (I'm an only child so my son has no aunts or uncles and his father's family are abroad and his father is Moslem and doesn't really 'do' Christmas in the same way that we do.)

So far this year I have in my present drawer:

SIL - Top from Ebay + shopping list fridge magnets
Step daughter - Fashion designer activity book (free), I love Pugs T-shirt, 2 body sprays (BOGOF at Tesco), half a dozen nail varnishes that I'll put in a pretty bag (50p each in a sale)

Wrapping paper bought in January sales last year

*Louise*

FatVonD wrote: »

My dilemma comes with trying to make sure they all have a similar amount, if I try not to spoil my own son in front of my stepkids he then ends up a bit short changed when they then go home to a mountain of presents from their mum's very large extended family (I'm an only child so my son has no aunts or uncles and his father's family are abroad and his father is Moslem and doesn't really 'do' Christmas in the same way that we do.)

Easy solution to that would be to have a few extra 'surprise' gifts for him when the others have gone home.;)

gingin_2

FatVonD wrote: »

My 11-year-old stepdaughter is desperate to have a cash card as one of her friends has one so I'm hoping to 'somehow' get her to sign a bank account application so we can get the card posted to us and put some money in the account and then wrap the card up for her!

Lol, same here! Since posting I looked into it and didn't realise that they had to be 11 and I want to do exactly the same thing for his 11th birthday, just after christmas. Do they have to be present when they/you open the account and what do they have to sign?