What to spend on presents for child's birthday/christmas...

dizzyblonde82

Hi,

My son will be 5 on Christmas Eve and I am wondering how people split what they spend on Christmas and Birthday presents - do you spend the same on both or more for Birthday/Christmas.

Last year I went a bit mad as I felt guilty that he doesn't really get much the rest of the year and wanted to celebrate the days separately. DH's birthday is New Years Eve and he said that all through his live he only ever got one present to cover both Christmas/Birthday.

This year I am limiting my spending but wondering how I should split what I spend?

Thanks
Sarah

freda

I aim for £30 for a birthday, same for xmas. Although, I will be trying to aim for more like £20-£25 max this year, we're feeling the pinch!

We give also only really do one present for birthday, not lots of little ones as it is too easy to get carried away and spend too much.

Christmas is one main present and lots of little things wrapped up in a sock from father christmas (think colouring pencils, notepad, book, toothbrush, apple etc)

Mine are only 2 and 3 but we're trying to set a precedent for the years to come....

warez22

I give £30 for birthdays and £50 for xmas - I put back an amount each month so that when it comes round I can afford it.

My kids are 9 and 5 so with them its how many presents they have got that matters to them, not what they are, so I get lots of little bits and bobs.

Hope that helps.

moomoomama27

Birthdays I spend around the £100 mark, sometimes £20 more, once the party and cake and party bags are thrown in thats easily another £100 aarrgghh!!

Christmas I spend more, about £150 plus around £20-£30 on stockings (but they always include a nice warm pir of jammys for xmas evening!).

Fizzpop

I usually spend more for Birthdays than i do christmas as i see birthdays as more important x So around £100 for birthdays and £50 for christmas x

emsywoo123

I spend more at Xmas I think.......DD is an August baby and things seem tighter somehow in the summer what with trips and days out etc

I am a December baby, and typically got one gift to cover both from distant relatives, whereas sis is Feb and would get a separate Xmas and B/Day......I never forgave her :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl::rotfl: (as obviously it was her fault!!)

mirrorimage0

well just realised i spend too much lol think i may start looking into it a bot more.

i generally buy stocking filler bits in the january sales and my nieces and nephews toys as they are still babys so thier wish list wont change and i get it all real cheap then i save up each payday what i can realisticly can afford so nearer xmas i can do a couple of big shops and im done. they have to have thier lists done by november (so father christmas has time to prepare) and i dont have to stress nearer xmas . im all done and wrapped now whoop whoop

sp1987

I'd spend more on a birthday as it's a day special to the child and that's just how I've always felt. I'd say a 60%/40% split.

I'd spend what I could afford too, not any set amount. My son is a bit young at the moment for too many things to be needed (most toys for small children are cheap anyway so you could have a house full for not half the price of a larger child's toy) so I'll put some money in a savings account for him with presents to open.

dizzyblonde82

Thanks for the responses

Have ordered some of his presents tonight, just hope I have picked out the right presents - his list might as well have been the whole of the toy section in the Argos book :rotfl:

My son went to a halloween disco last week and with some of the money I gave him he bought a pen, last night he gave me the pen and said 'mummy I bought this for you as I didn't want your pen running out when you have to add things to my christmas list'

Is it normally the mum or dad who picks out presents or do most couples choose the presents together? Only asking as each year I am left to do it all on my own DH is completely useless and never has any suggestions for what to buy our son!

coco1980

my ds is 8th December and i dony spend any less than i would at any other time of year prob about 70- 100 pnd then bout 200 pnd on christmas.

my personal opinion is that I am well aware that his birthday is so close to xmas so i budget and get his pressie a few months before so that i dont struggle as much. I hate it when family members say "do you mind if we just get him a wee thing with it being so close to christmas" Its not that im greedy its just not my ds's fault he was born when he was and he sees all his cousins get more cause their b'days are more in the summer !!

sorry for rant lol

Frosti

One of my step sons was born on Boxing Day. He would usually just be given one present from most relatives to cover both Xmas and birthday, poor little mite. When he was about five, his disappointment was clear so we told him that he was special like royalty - and could have a summer birthday as well, which we celebrated on the same day as his half-brother's birthday in July: Two cakes, presents for both, a party or treat for them together; they both loved it, especially the feeling that they were both 'special' on the same day (they were close).
On Boxing Day my step son would get his cards and a token gift - if we'd managed to think that far ahead, it would be a 'clue' about the summer birthday treat (eg. a small stuffed lion preceded a trip to Longleat the next July).