How much do you spend at Xmas on kids?

moomoomama27

FBaby wrote: »

To all of them? My kids don't have a laptop yet . They use mine of their dads when they need it (not that often). They have access to the internet via wi-fi on their cheap tablets. My 14yo (turning 15 by then) might ask for a laptop this year and if she does, it will probably be her present this year as I can understand it would really help for GCSE work.

Yes all of them. At my children's senior school they need to take them in with them once a week, it can be a notebook or laptop, you can hire them from the school but they have to stay there if you take that option. My eldest is now at college so we've recently upgraded hers and my youngest has old old one as we had it refurbished, my middle child got hers for her birthday in March in readiness.

We do have our own laptops because my hubby uses his for work (it's a work one!), and I do my uni work on mine so I don't want anyone else using it as it has important downloads, documents and private/confidential documents for work on it.

joe_mcclaine

When they are over 18 they get a gift worth about £30 each Christmas.

Up to then, about £100.

SingleSue

£30 per child (they are 16,17 and 20), £5 per niece or nephew (6 of them), £5 for a sibling couple (2 of them), £10 per parent (just my mum and dad)...I also buy a small present for ex mum in law.

The boy's amount may be pushed up at times to £40 but no more than that.

Any games sytems they have to save up for, laptop is shared but this has been made easier as youngest saved his pocket money/sold stuff etc to build his own gaming PC...he's got the best one in the house by a long shot!

I refuse to get into debt for Christmas, hence the more suitable for MY budget (everyone has different levels of income) amounts.

tibawo

Mine are allowed to write ten things on their list to Father Christmas. This is then vetted by me as Santa might not be able to source something's. This is code for if it is too expensive forget it!

From the list I may ask aunts and my parents to get some of it.

I aim to spend £100 on each but always get bits for them as well. They also know sometimes things won't be brand new.

The lists are made up of what they really want and can have some cheaper things on. One child had felt tips, chalk, colouring book, notebook and wordsearch book!

Threebabes

We spend a lot on ours. I will not justify it we both work, DH has a good job, we do not have debt. They arent spoilt brats

No one buys for ours apart from ourselves.

We have spent anything from between £650-£800 on each on them previously, Ive got saved about £650-£700 this year for each of the 3 of them. By Christmas they will be 19, 14 and 11. Included is pjs, slippers etc. One wants an iphone and another ipad and the oldest is a struggling student so will get mostly cash. Rather than be the exception, its the norm with my kids and their friends, getting quite a lot spent on them. Some get even more if their being bought from separated parents.

We don't often go on holiday, through choice and also we have recently moved home. I love to buy my kids nice things and have a nice home.

pmlindyloo

Am I alone in hating this kind of thread?

Personally I ban the C word until December.

Is this some kind of competition about who spends what?

Surely you spend what you can afford.

This kind of thread, IMHO, only makes some people feel guilty that they aren't spending enough or are spending too much.

marleyboy

Generally (though not as a rule) we spend between £300-400 on our Son for Christmas, this being said, we buy the gifts throughout the Year and hide them away in preparation.

pickledonionspaceraider

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Am I alone in hating this kind of thread?

Personally I ban the C word until December.

Is this some kind of competition about who spends what?

Surely you spend what you can afford.

This kind of thread, IMHO, only makes some people feel guilty that they aren't spending enough or are spending too much.

No you aren't alone in disliking threads like this. I think you are completely right.

balletshoes

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

No you aren't alone in disliking threads like this. I think you are completely right.

yep, every year this thread subject tends to end up being a judgemental one.

Toto

I read these threads every year and always feel I'm doing something wrong because I have absolutely no idea what I spend. I buy things all through the year so by December I sometimes spend nothing much at all. Of course I have spent on the kids but I'm not sure how much and some bits get given for birthdays, some as the odd treat here and there.


What I will say is that certainly for the older ones they get what I would ordinarily have to buy them, such as clothing (which they ask for being girls). The oldest will probably ask for a new look gift card to buy in the sales this year as her main gift. So that at least is an amount I can quantify.


Ultimately it makes no difference if you spend £1 or £100,000. If you can afford it, are happy to spend it, and your child appreciates the gift/s nothing else matters surely.