How much do you spend at Xmas on kids?

balletshoes

Toto wrote: »

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.

I completely agree with that.
I know how much I spend through the year because I keep a note of what I've bought when I buy it (I do the same with my nieces pressies too, buy through the year for their birthdays and christmas).

CH27

I just feel that this is a money saving website & people bragging about spending stupid amounts of money can make people who are on their uppers feel very inadequate & may make them slide from their MSE intentions.

moomoomama27

CH27 wrote: »

I just feel that this is a money saving website & people bragging about spending stupid amounts of money can make people who are on their uppers feel very inadequate & may make them slide from their MSE intentions.

It's nothing about bragging!

I am very MSE about my Christmas shop, I may spend above the average on my children at Christmas, but then we earn above an average wage, so can comfortably do this without getting into debt!

I budget, I save monthly, I maximise the amount spent by looking for good offers on the grabbit board. What I spend should have no bearing on others, unless they are very insecure.

I agree, these threads are never about factual information, as the OP intends, it's about chastising each group of 'spenders'. The ones who don't spend much are either criticised for it, or praised to the detriment of those who do spend more. The ones who spend more are criticised, judged, asked to justify and then told that their children must be unappreciative, spoilt brats, without regard for the value of money!

I couldn't care less if someone spent £100s less or more than me, it's about spending wisely, budgeting, looking for offers and not getting into debt! The value is irrelevant to anyone other than those spending it!

You can be very MSE, even when dealing with a big/ger budget!!

Buzzybee90

moomoomama27 wrote: »

It's nothing about bragging!

I am very MSE about my Christmas shop, I may spend above the average on my children at Christmad, but then we earn above an average wage, so can comfortably do this without getting into debt!

I budget, I save monthly, I maximise the amount spent by looking for good offers on the grabbit board. What I depend should gave no bearing on others, unless they are very insecure.

I agree, these threads are never about favtual information, as the OP intends, it's about chastising each group of 'spenders'. The ones who font do end much are either crisises for it, or praised to the detriment of those who do depend more. The ones who spend more are critised, judged, asked to justify and then told that their children must be unappreciative, spoilt brats, without regard for the value of money!

I couldn't care less if someone spent £100s less or more than me, it's about di ending wisely, budgeting, looking for offers and not getting into debt! The value is irrelevant to anyone other than those spending it!

You can be very MSE, even when dealing with a big/ger budget!!

But just because some people don't choose to spend a tonne at Christmas, it doesn't mean they're not "dealing with a bigger budget" - anyway it's September, Mary's only 6 months gone! :rotfl:

moomoomama27

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

But just because some people don't choose to spend a tonne at Christmas, it doesn't mean they're not "dealing with a bigger budget" - anyway it's September, Mary's only 6 months gone! :rotfl:

I meant a bigger budget, in the context of Christmas present buying, not life in general!!

FBaby

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.

For me something else does matter, and that is the culture that the more you want something, the more you want, and the less you do appreciate it in time. I could afford all my kids could dream off (or just about!), but I want them to continue to dream, and to grow up to aspire to things and appreciate that you have to work hard to get what you want.

I feel that teenagers and then young adults are more and more expectant of things whilst at the same time more and more blaze (when not depressed) and I can't help but wonder if being able to get all the possessions they dreamt of has something to do with it.

Maybe it's me, but that's how my parents raised me. They were well-off, but I certainly wasn't spoilt materially and as an adult, I'm glad they didn't because I feel that it has made me more appreciative of material things.

Top_Girl

My nine year old will be getting about £500, but this includes a £280 laptop that will be as much for the house as him as our PC is dead, a football kit at the standard £50 and a game for the XBox that will be £35ish.

I don't buy ad hoc presents that cost more than about a tenner, apart from his team's home kit when it comes out in June so he can get a full year's wear out of it, instead of waiting til Christmas or his February birthday.

Usual budget is £300 Christmas, £200 birthday. No family really, so he only really gets presents off his godmother and I.

It's what his child benefit gets put away for. He's far from spoiled and spent most of Christmas Day last year playing with a £4 blow football game

Toto

FBaby wrote: »

For me something else does matter, and that is the culture that the more you want something, the more you want, and the less you do appreciate it in time. I could afford all my kids could dream off (or just about!), but I want them to continue to dream, and to grow up to aspire to things and appreciate that you have to work hard to get what you want.

I feel that teenagers and then young adults are more and more expectant of things whilst at the same time more and more blaze (when not depressed) and I can't help but wonder if being able to get all the possessions they dreamt of has something to do with it.

Maybe it's me, but that's how my parents raised me. They were well-off, but I certainly wasn't spoilt materially and as an adult, I'm glad they didn't because I feel that it has made me more appreciative of material things.

Actually I do agree with this. I do think young people have an air of entitlement about them these days which didn't seem to be the case in my day (and I'm not that old).

skintchick

I'm astounded how much people spend! I have a 5yo DD and a newborn DS, and we usually spend around £20-50 on DD and £20 on each other and family members. I get stocking fillers throughout the year in the sales and at charity shops. I couldn't afford £200-300 a child!

Carmina-Piranha_2

Threebabes wrote: »

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.

I think that not having an army of relatives buying for your kids makes a difference. My kids get so much off other people that they don't actually need Santa! So I try to limit it, because we have such a tiny house and nowhere to put mountains of 'stuff'.

Maybe if Christmas was purely what we bought for them, I'd get more. And like you, I don't feel the need to justify what I get for them to anyone else - one year the youngest wanted a powerwing scooter at £135 and he got it. Some parents weren't impressed because he started everyone else wanting one. Those parents would probably spend £135 on something else though, just not a scooter.

If my child wasn't happy with everyone else's cast-off consoles, computers etc. then maybe I'd buy him new ones for christmases. It's the sheer amount of stuff that some people buy that doesn't sit right with me, not the cost itself. But then that's just me, fair enough if others want to do it.