For xmas how much to spend on a 4 year old

Rachie_B

Chocmonster7 wrote:

Lots if you use your imagination. It's something which people don't do these days, we're blinded by the adverts on TV for fancy toys and think the kids will hate us if we dont buy them. Think of the stuff which small kids love playing with and/or need lots of like clothing. Any item will be exciting as it's something new to them!

Pens/pencils/colouring books - Wilko sell colouring pencils for 25p a pack
Play Doh/Plastercine/craft items
Primark/Asda, etc for items of clothing (socks/tshirts/pj's that kind of stuff)
Hair accessories/rings/necklaces are always cheaply available or belts for boys
Bath products, there are always specials at this time of year on character items, even the empty bottle can then be used as a toy.
Jigsaws/games - something you can spend time doing with them.
Balls/skipping ropes/frisbees, etc.
Slippers - everyone needs a pair of slippers to keep them warm in the winter!
If of school age how about a new lunchbox if they use one?
How about some shaped cookie cutters and an IOU for a morning baking?
A mini gardening set, packet of seeds (something like cress is good) and pots to plant them in.
Books, never to young to have books to read and look at.
Add in stuff like sweets (get a large packet of lollipops and wrap them in "bunches")

That lot is just ideas off the top of my head!

Wrap them up in interesting ways. One idea - big box, present on bottom (can be wrapped or not if trying to save more cash), scrunched up newspaper, then another present, layered to the top then wrap the outside. By the end of it you'll have a smiling kid with a pile of new presents and a big pile of stuff to recycle!

It's all about putting a little more thought into it than getting the Argos catalogue out. At worst you could go to a £1shop and buy 20 items including the wrapping paper!

PS. There was a paint your own piggy bank in Wilko for £2.49 - a 4 year old could have great fun with that.

i have a good imagination thanks :rotfl:

most the above i already do, but for their stockings ! not "proper" presents

£20 wouldnt buy much in the terms of larger "proper" (for want of a better word) gifts

like someone said if you you can afford it ie dont get into debt because of the amount you spend then each to their own ?

We would never get into debt to provide what we do for the boys @ xmas so we are happy with what we spend

victory

but are you not setting them up to be spoilt? What if one year you lost your job or was not so financially happy for whatever reason would they understand or expect their usual truck load?

Rachie_B

victory wrote:

but are you not setting them up to be spoilt? What if one year you lost your job or was not so financially happy for whatever reason would they understand or expect their usual truck load?

I dont know if you are referring directly to me ?

my kids are anything but spoilt,the eldest is very careful ( to the point of stingy :rotfl: ) with money ,he gets pocket money and knows not to "waste " it.If he wants something bigger like a DVD,CD ,game etc he saves for it.

they dont get a great deal of "stuff" throughout the year

i dont think spending £200 on them @ xmas = to them being spoilt ?

i know some kids who get 1k spent on them !!! not that they need it as have everything going ,that IMO is spoiling a child !
they dont ask for lots of things,if they were the type of kids who did then i wouldnt buy it ! lol

but the fact they are good kids ,and yes of course its nice to be able to buy what they like and see their faces light up !

we are lucky that hubby has a good,well paid ,stable job
we live my our means,if our income was less then of course our xmas budget would be less too

so no i dont think it will make them "spoilt" and no they wouldnt "expect " a "truckload" ,they would be happy whatever we could afford to buy them

Edinburghlass_2

I agree Rachie, traditionally I always buy a new board game, this year it will probably be Deal or No Deal at £18 or thereabouts

Obviously it depends on the age but with teenagers it does become more expensive although I only recently admitted to the fact that two years ago I got a bargain misprice mobile with cd player from Woolies for only £30

Not sure what the "main" present will be this year but I have already have lots of smellies stashed away and always keep an eye on what Boots will do for us in the way of bargains this year. I usually buy gift sets of say bubble bath then open the pack and pop them individually in stockings. Also last year Marks did a good range of reasonable 3 for 2 with bath bombs, nail polish etc and Tesco is great for their gift range which is also 3 for 2.

I don't borrow but I do of course pay for anything big on my credit card mainly for the security, cashback or for Tesco points

Zziggi

All the big grand presents are from relatives (or bought by me on behalf of the relatives at knock down prices)

For our main celebration this year our kids have got:

DS (aged 4)=
2x trousers, 2x jumpers, 6 t-shirts & underwear - £8 after coupons -tesco
A children DVD bought with coupons from asda - total paid 90p
Dressing gown la redoute "freebie" - £1.50
A bookstart box of books - free
3x books bought from asda with coupons- total paid 89p
sticker book & first writing book - £2ish from wilko
crayons, 2 colouring books, pencil case, pencil sharpener etc-£3ish from wilko

DD (aged just turned 3)=
2 dresses, 2 skirts, tights, socks, t-shirts, 2 jumpers - £7.50 after coupons-tesco
a children DVD bought with coupons from asda - total paid £1ish
dressing gown freebie form la redoute £1.50
a bookstart box of books - free
fridge magnet set for learning the days/months/year/weather - £1.50ish
crayons, 2 colouring books, pencil case, pencil sharpener etc-£3ish from wilko

joint presents - operation, twister, bukaroo & pack of dominoes (for our one evening a week minimum where we play games as a family) as per the recent tesco loop hole - £10ish

Call me tight if you wish.....

Edinburghlass_2

Zziggi wrote:

Call me tight if you wish.....

Wouldn't dream of calling you tight or anyone extravagant come to that, each to their own depending on their budget.

Neither would I suggest that someone who spends more is spoiling their child nor would I think that a child is made "greedy" simply because their present cost more than £50 especially as the question was about 4 year olds although I did digress myself.

My own memories of Christmas were always of sitting on the floor reading my annual and eating my way through a box of sweets

Sarahsaver

Something crazy has happened in this bizarre society of ours, where many adults think it is Ok to spend over £100 on a handheld games console and that it is OK for a child to expect and even demand this. Who is in charge here? Not long ago it was alright to say to your children 'that costs too much' 'we will have to save up' or 'we just cannot afford it' Or just plain NO!
I can hear the cry of 'everyone else has got one' when in reality not everyone has.
Somehow theres a perverted sense of letting kids have everything at the expense of revealing to them the realities of life.
I am not an old fart either I am 36, and I am glad I have been straight with my kids, they have realistic expectations. I think as long as your children have realistic expectations and a true concept of the value of money then theres no problem. But how does this happen when I believe it is the norm for children to have tv, dvd, pc, stereo, console etc in their bedrooms? Even if I was in a financial position for my kids to 'have it all' I would still ask 'do you NEED it'. (the same standards I live by personally;))

*Louise*

I think last year we spent around £300 for DS1(6) and £150 on DS2(6mths)

They always get one 'big' present (eg bike, game boy etc) then smaller items.

I have 5 neices/nephews of varying ages and spend £20 each on them.

I would never get into debt for Christmas, though - if I couldn't afford as much, I would cut back.

I don't consider my children spoiled - if a child has 10 parcels they will appreciate the parcels themselves rather than the cost, whether they all contain £1 items or £10 items.

They never get anything expensive during the year - DS1 has been after a new game boy game, so he has done chores and saved his money for 3 months...he has gone to bed chuffed to bits that we are taking him out tomorrow so he can get his game.:D

chelle333

I love xmas and love to see living room covered in parcels for my two children one is 5 and one is 8,we havent got a budget but its normaly in excess of £400 each

themaccas

We are having a frugel xmas this year (£30 on each of the kids) having spent £100's on the children over the last few years. When I have asked them what they would like - their answer was 'mum to be at home for the day'. My workplace means I work shifts and we have to provide cover 24/7 all year round, I had last xmas day off so will have to work this one. We don't care about the presents this year, instead we are going to make sure when I have finished work we enjoy the rest of the day. Instead of the big money we normally spend at xmas we have booked a 10 day trip to NY in March - bought and paid for with no credit cards or increse to our debt.