How much do you spend at Xmas on kids?

monty-doggy

As per the title, with kids toys and gadgets money just goes nowhere!

How many kids do you have and how old are they and roughly what do you spend at Xmas?

I have 3 step kids who are with us half the time. They get around £200 each and they are 8, 10 and 11.

mum2one

I only have one child, shes 1 this yr, I tend to spend £100/£150 on main presents, whether this is one bigger item or a mix, then £50 on odds and sods, such as smellies, ear-rings, socks, new pjs, pr of boots.

Previous big presents have been a 50/50 with the grandparents have included
laptop
blackberry tablet
ds ex
3d ds

I will budget throughout the year, for her presents.

- Congratulations on the impending miracle - xx

shiprob195

My 7 yr old will be getting a new bike (£70)..his 16 yr old brother will be getting the same in cash.

Solsol

My LO is 2 this year but his birthday is on Christmas Eve so we will be spending £50 on his birthday and £50 on Christmas. We did the same last year but he received so many presents from family and friends that we saved half of them and have been giving them to him throughout the year. We've found this to be a great idea as a) he wasn't completely spoiled at Christmas and b) it means he gets some extra pressies halfway through the year and isn't so long to wait for a gift (not that he's old enough to realise this yet anyway!)

This year, we're asking people to limit presents to one for either b/day or Xmas and then either give him a voucher or some money which will go towards a climbing frame we'll be buying next summer.

mum2one

Solsol - I think that is a brilliant idea re the climbing frame and clubbing together for it, - it sounds daft but a £10 here or £5 there will soon get it, and your get more pleasure from that, than a lot of little gifts.

Another thing with Lo being so young, there not going to realise the value of gifts, - I spoilt my DD rotten for her 1st Christmas, - then by her 2nd Xmas, I cut it back as by then I figured I needed to get toys etc for summer months and items to grow with, so for a couple of yrs for her birthday / Xmas I got items like Next clothes as they were her "posh outfits", xx

balletshoes

I have one child, she's 13, her budget for Christmas has always been around the £150 mark, but thats a maximum, if whats on her list doesn't cost that much, I don't stick rigidly to the budget (her first christmas I think I spent about £30, and other years its been less than £60).

I buy stuff throughout the year for surprises for christmas and birthdays, so although i may spend £150, the value of what she gets is usually a lot more.

freyasmum

It depends what she wants.

She always gets loads of pjs to last her through the year, plenty of books (or vouchers for her kindle now) and a few games. Last year she got her kindle, a couple of big boxes of lego, some barbies and associated accessories, her bike, some games for her 3ds and some stocking fillers.

I don't intend to buy so much but I buy throughout the year - whenever I see anything that she might like - and it mounts up.

MadDogWoman_2

I spend about £50 on DD who's 7. She does gets loads at Christmas as DH has a big family.

We just get her the one thing she has been asking for in the run up to Christmas - currently and Elsa Dress.

It's the same for her birthday.

Instead we buy her bits and pieces throughout the year.

Mercenary

Not nearly as much as the majority of the above posts :eek: !

I don't think it's necessary to overspend madly just because it's the Retailer's Holiday. Kids really don't NEED that much.
I've known other people spend large amounts for Xmas and then pay for it for the entire following year.

balletshoes

Mercenary wrote: »

Not nearly as much as the majority of the above posts :eek: !

I don't think it's necessary to overspend madly just because it's the Retailer's Holiday. Kids really don't NEED that much.
I've known other people spend large amounts for Xmas and then pay for it for the entire following year.

lets face it, kids don't need any of it - so as parents we must all do what we feel comfortable with.

74jax

I don't really have a set amount. Last year DD got a trip to New York as her present, with tickets to The Lion King but the year before she really got nothing anywhere near that.

It just depends if there's anything at the time I think of buying.