How much do you spend on your kids at Christmas?

minerva_windsong

Feel free to class this as irrelevant as my two sisters and I are 'adult children', but my parents normally spend £100-150 on each of us at Christmas, which is usually one main present, a few smaller presents like books and CDs and our stockings. We write 'wish lists', mainly to inform grandparents and other relatives what we'd like, but they are things we would like to have rather than things we expect to have.

I also have a three year old nephew and my sister spends about £100-120 on him; again it's normally a main present, some little ones and his stocking. Other nephew will be four months old this Christmas and sis will probably spend £30-40 on him as whilst there isn't anything he really 'wants' she'll still get him a toy of some kind and a few other little bits.

I don't have kids to buy for, but my planning normally starts now - I have a few ideas of what I might get for people and have started to squirrel away money and vouchers from survey winnings, but won't buy anything until the beginning of December (normally a block order from Amazon apart from any bits I can't get over the internet). Usual budget is £10-15 each on parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, older nephew and each set of grandparents, £20 on boyfriend and £5 on baby nephew, although now I have a proper job and no real expenses I feel a bit guilty and that I should be spending more on people.

As others have said though, it's entirely up to you what you want to/can afford to spend and you shouldn't feel pressured into blowing the budget.

FatVonD

gingin wrote: »

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?

Good point, I hadn't thought about that. I opened one recently for my son but he was with me, I took along his passport too which they photocopied but I've no idea whether they'd have done it if he hadn't been there.

FatVonD

*Louise* wrote: »

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

Aha, but then I feel guilty/embarrassed in front of my OH, it's a bloomin' minefield!

Bonny1

So glad to have found this thread... I'm going to have to watch what I'm doing this year...

I have two kids, one aged 9 other aged 6, absolute treasures, and I wish I could give them everything, but's it's just not always possible. So I'm going to go with the, lots of small little parcels trick, and not overspend, or get into debt. I think they just adore the opening of parcels kids don't they.. If I can afford too, I will try and have one larger spend for each, but if not, well, small and cheerfully cheap it will have ot be...

After finding this thread, I don't feel so guilty now..

Bonny x

LilacPixie

I am a grabbit lurker. Spend about £150 so far and i'm pretty much done barring stockings