How much do you spend on birthday presents for your kids friends?

Bumpmakesfour

Just wondering if you have a certain amount you spend on presents for your kids to take to parties?I usually do about £10 on the present plus a card and paper and am HEAVILY criticised by some friends for over spending but that's what we've always done.A best mate actually came shopping with me and physically forced me to put the £2 card back and buy a 70p one :rotfl:
Haven't seen it as an issue till today.Went to tescos and picked up a popular toy that my son loves and was on offer from £12 to £8,grabbed a card,some paper..job done.Got to the party and handed it over to the birthday child who shouted "is that another (enter toy name here) I've got millions of them" and handed it to the mum and walked off :eek: Now I know kids are kids but it made me think.I could literally have spent say £3 or £30 and the child wouldn't have been happy if it was something they specifically wanted.Tbh(and don't tell my friends this!!!)I kind of felt a bit daft
I wish I was more crafty/practical and could make personalised gifts like a few of my very clever mummy friends who make beautiful named bracelets/keyrings etc but I'm rubbish at things like that really.
So what do you do for presents?I'm not sure I can honestly stick to my ten poundsish rule after the shock of today so very interested to hear what others do

balletshoes

I go with as close to £5 as I can, always have, and buy cards in the Card Factory when they are 10 for £1 (they are perfectly fine for kids birthdays).

When they are little, you can pick up various bits of gawdy plastic for £5, or little art/craft sets etc. When they are older (I'm talking girls here, have no experience of boys parties after age 6) costume jewellery, goth shop bits, trinket boxes etc can be got for around the same price. From the time she was 3 until about 7, I had a birthday box at home with pressies in I'd picked up when I saw them on sale etc, and DD just picked from that when she got a birthday party invitation.

I don't like giving money in a card, but lots of folk do, and again, its usually £5 among my DD's friends.

CH27

I have a limit of £10 per child.

BitterAndTwisted

For a kid's party I'd spend a fiver, tops. They get heaps of things so no-one will remember or care what exactly it is that you bought. Most kids get too much any way.

TeamLowe

I don't have kids but for the small folk in my family to be honest i never spend very much, somewhere between £5-10 because of the nature of children there's no telling which presents they'll adore and what presents they'll never play with, so i get them something fairly cheap so that if it's rejected i don't mind x x

cleggie

I spend no more than £7 including card and wrapping paper.

victory

It used to be £10 and now because there is so many, all the time it is more like £5, I find those tins of sweets that they bring out for xmas a very well recieved present, the kids have always loved them and those huge cadburys choc bars, poundland is very usefull as is charity shops and car boot sales (brand new stuff obviously) I also have a present/xmas cupboard and fill it from the boots 75% off sale buying presents for all ages, you can always make presents look more than you actually paid for them.:D

gingin_2

£5 if it's not a close friend going up to £10 for a more personal present if it's one of her best mates and a well thought out, small party. I get dd to make her cards and put cheapie paper and put a cheap bow on top.

It seems to be amazon vouchers for ds and his 11 year old friends. I give a tenner ( too much in my opinion but I'm a sheep) but some give £20.

FatVonD

£5 at primary school, £10 thereafter and the cheapest card I can find!

kingfisherblue

I spend no more than a fiver, because I can't afford more. My godchildren, niece and nephew, have between £5 and £15 spent on them - an agreed amount between us, as parents.

Gifts for £5 or less that are usually popular include
* colouring, painting, play-doh type things
* craft kits (from about 50p in Wilkinsons, slightly more in Argos). Home Bargains and Dunelm Mill also have these quite cheaply.
* books - try https://www.thebookpeople for sets that can be split. I usually have a decent set of non-fiction and a decent set of poetry or fiction to make up suitable gifts
* Jigsaws - try Dunelm Mill for some inexpensive ones ssuitable for younger children. There isn't a vast choice, but there are a couple. I picked one up last week for £1.49
* Tshirts from George at Asda
* DVDs - I buy them for £2.99 at Morrisons.

I also look in sales and keep a small stock in all year round.

For cards, buy a pack from Tesco, Next, or several other retailers. They can work out as little as 20p a card.
*

victory

In Clinton cards today I bought 10 cards for £1 can't argue with that, I buy blue and pink ones, all occasion ones and never have to get caught out or begrudge the money because at the end of the day the cards go in the bin, I remember one of my friends fiancee at the time bought a card costing exactly £10:eek: how can there ever be a card costing that much:rotfl::rotfl:

All the big supermarkets do 75% like sainsburys the other day had loads of paints/colouring pens/books/pva glue,pencil cases,blank coloured paper that type of thing excellent to put in a hamper, to add to a present, stocking filler, always useful