How much do you spend at Xmas on kids?

Mercenary

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

£2500 :eek:

<snip> I feel a bit of a tight !!!! now!

Don't worry, here are other tight !!!!s about

My extended family give/exchange an agreed limited amount of about £30 (either in actual goods, or in cash towards something bigger or to use in the Sales) to each person on our very short lists - which contain only close family members and most of which are now adults.
Even when my kids were younger, if they absolutely desired something bigger then they received a sum of money from everyone towards it, plus a few little fun things to open. They appreciated their gifts much more than some of their friends who knew that if they broke their toys/items it didn't matter as they'd easily get replacements.

It's a token gift, as anything that is really needed during the year, i.e. a motorcycle helmet etc, is helped with anyway. The main event is simply the Christmas get-together and a good meal or two

Carmina-Piranha_2

Spendless wrote: »

My kids have had wildly varying amounts spent on them by us as Christmas presents as I explained in a previous post. They haven't even noticed! They've never asked for an expensive present 'just because' the other years were more extravagant. I might ask them for ideas, if I'm unsure what to get them, if it was out of budget then that'd be told it was out of the question. Probably the only year eldest knew how much our present to him cost, was the year he had the trip because he knew how much I'd told his friends parents it would cost if they wanted to go and how much individual tickets were. He's not asked for it replicating since and he's a teen, not an oblivious tot to how much things cost.

I also think it makes a difference if they are receiving presents from other people. I worked out yesterday that 9 different households buy presents for my kids at Christmastime. For several years we reduced the quantity of presents we bought them for this reason.

My kids have 13 families buying for them, not including me/santa. And two of those families (both sets of grandparents) buy more than one gift. They really don't need Santa!

Last year the 8 year old still believed, so he got a main gift from Santa and smaller gifts from us. The teenagers just got a computer monitor and a stocking containing a book or two, a t-shirt, favourite chocolate etc.

As long as they get things tailored to their likes, such as a book about owls, meerkat socks, dark chocolate if it's their favourite, etc. then they will feel that they've been thought about, and won't care about the cost, even as teenagers.

owen_money

We spend about £200 on our daughter and about £50 on our son as we don't like him as much as her

pleasedelete

owen_money wrote: »

We spend about £200 on our daughter and about £50 on our son as we don't like him as much as her

In that case you should make him give you £50- not the other way round;)

owen_money

pleasedelete wrote: »

In that case you should make him give you £50- not the other way round;)

We dont totally dislike him, just like him less than our daughter. He's only ten but he has to learn life isn't fair. Me and the wife always chuckle to ourselves when he cry's on Christmas day when realises he has less presents than his sister. Comedy gold

pleasedelete

I am bemused that people are surprised that spending varies. Income varies- thats life. The cars that everyone has are not the same- the houses are not the same- why should people spend the same amount at Christmas- and why should they feel that they can criticise what other people spend.

Each to their own. Some people like to spend a lot on a night out, some people drink, some smoke, others may save all year and then go on an expensive holiday etc etc. They are all valid lifestyle choices- wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same?

pleasedelete

owen_money wrote: »

We dont totally dislike him, just like him less than our daughter. He's only ten but he has to learn life isn't fair. Me and the wife always chuckle to ourselves when he cry's on Christmas day when realises he has less presents than his sister. Comedy gold

Still I bet doing the washing up and cleaning the house before crying himself to sleep in his attic bedroom keeps him occupied.

moomoomama27

pleasedelete wrote: »

I am bemused that people are surprised that spending varies. Income varies- thats life. The cars that everyone has are not the same- the houses are not the same- why should people spend the same amount at Christmas- and why should they feel that they can criticise what other people spend.

Each to their own. Some people like to spend a lot on a night out, some people drink, some smoke, others may save all year and then go on an expensive holiday etc etc. They are all valid lifestyle choices- wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same?

Totally agree!

Yet people feel the need to question both ends of the scale!

I was asked to justify my need to buy laptops, as if it's a mortal sin to send more than £50 per child!

Again, I could care less what others spend, but don't justify it by saying those of us that spend more are raising spoilt materialistic brats, who won't have any thought to the value of money, or that we don't enjoy a nice family day because our children are too bored opening reams of presents!!! It's as insulting as people insinuating that those with a limited budget don;t care about their children, or must be spending their money elsewhere on things better gone without!

marleyboy

I think people spend according to their budgets, Christmas is all about spending family time together for us.

The perks are watching the kids open presents at Christmas, whether its a gift from Lidl or Harrods is irrelevant to it being a gift from the heart.

Buzzybee90

marleyboy wrote: »

I think people spend according to their budgets, Christmas is all about spending family time together for us.

The perks are watching the kids open presents at Christmas, whether its a gift from Lidl or Harrods is irrelevant to it being a gift from the heart.

I'm not sure this true, you often see children living in low income households with the latest gadgets, designer clothes etc. Same with sky and iPhones in council houses.