How much do you spend on each of your kids at Yule/Xmas.

shelby161

Mrs 7ones-loved your post about starting your own traditions really lovely.We started a few things last year but i really loved your idea of a special tea after the christmas plays and will be pinching that idea for my lot.

angie_baby

Mrs7ones wrote: »

Angie_baby, stop trying to out-do your previous christmases......
Christmas is a big thing in our house too, but we have 'christmas traditions' that we follow every year rather than trying to come up with something bigger and better every year.....
for example:- we make a big thing out of the school nativity plays (go out got tea afterwords...); we go to the Panto each year just before christmas; we go to see a christmas film at the cinema; make a very big deal out of putting up the tree (on the 1st Dec I might add!!); walk in the woods looking for holly for the house; and on christmas eve, we cook - make out own cranberry sauce, stuffing, party food ready for ''the big day''.
These are the things that get our 3 kids into a complete frenzy of excitement, not trips to DLP and Lapland!!!!

Yep, (hanging head in shame)Also so ice shows, pantos and all the other stuff. Kept all my family traditions and just ended up adding more. I love christmas, its more than a birthday in our house. Theres no point in me trying to justify it really. Even my dad says i go overboard. BUT Christmas is the one time i get real time with my son, a full two somtimes three weeks off just to have fun. We bake mince pies on christmas eve for father christmas, get food ready etc, which is also prob another post. Its just about us, well and grandad on christmas day,. This year was the first time we had a summer hol for a week as usually im manic at work. That has helped a bit as i know we have been away, had some time together. I must admit, Lapland last year i just couldnt say no. I saw it on the web and just thought that for a nearly five year old it would be great. Which it was, i wanted to do it before anyone at school was cruel enough to start putting ideas in his head that father christmas wasnt real. I love christmas and admit i feel guilty about not being able to spend as much time as i want with him, or other things, like his dad, who is not around. We have a tiny family me, joe and my dad. And i was a teenage mum at 16, so sometimes feel that i NEED to do these things. This post has made me sound even worse!Angie

Mrs7ones

Angie-baby, you don't really need to justify yourself......
If you can afford to do what you do, then that's fine. And he will only be this young once....
enjoy while you can - they grow up so fast!!

knithappens

angie_baby wrote: »

Yep, (hanging head in shame)Also so ice shows, pantos and all the other stuff. Kept all my family traditions and just ended up adding more. I love christmas, its more than a birthday in our house. Theres no point in me trying to justify it really. Even my dad says i go overboard. BUT Christmas is the one time i get real time with my son, a full two somtimes three weeks off just to have fun. We bake mince pies on christmas eve for father christmas, get food ready etc, which is also prob another post. Its just about us, well and grandad on christmas day,. This year was the first time we had a summer hol for a week as usually im manic at work. That has helped a bit as i know we have been away, had some time together. I must admit, Lapland last year i just couldnt say no. I saw it on the web and just thought that for a nearly five year old it would be great. Which it was, i wanted to do it before anyone at school was cruel enough to start putting ideas in his head that father christmas wasnt real. I love christmas and admit i feel guilty about not being able to spend as much time as i want with him, or other things, like his dad, who is not around. We have a tiny family me, joe and my dad. And i was a teenage mum at 16, so sometimes feel that i NEED to do these things. This post has made me sound even worse!Angie

Hun you don't sound bad at all, and you dont have to justify yourself. Just watch the pennies, so you don't go into to debt to give your child a great experience whole growing up. If i could afford it I would go to Lapland etc, I have a small family too, and i just love to spoil them at this time of year. Trying to do my Christmas the MSE way this year so i can sit back with my hot choc and be all smug about it lol.

Hapless_2

Well my youngest has informed me he wants a hoover (he is 3) not a toy one like he had last year, but a real one. So off to Argos for a £25 one with some spare bags...(odd child).

Amarillo

lilmrsmullen wrote: »

Hun you don't sound bad at all, and you dont have to justify yourself. Just watch the pennies, so you don't go into to debt to give your child a great experience whole growing up. If i could afford it I would go to Lapland etc, I have a small family too, and i just love to spoil them at this time of year. Trying to do my Christmas the MSE way this year so i can sit back with my hot choc and be all smug about it lol.

This is still not cheap (starts at £90 for a family of 4), but a lot cheaper than a trip to Lapland:

http://www.laplanduk.co.uk/

I think it is the first year they are doing it so don't know what it is like, but I hope it is good as I have now booked !

It's probably completely the wrong place to post this so if that is the case, apologies.

LJM

we save through the year and try to be fair with both my girls so we set a budget of £200 each

milkydrink

We tend to spend about £400-£500 ish on presents for our daughter (20) & each other. Sometimes we go a little more for special presents. Quite a few years ago I bought her a PC for Xmas, £1,000 (but then most kids have their own PC don't they). We got her a Laptop last Xmas & a LCD TV for her birthday before that & Tiffany jewellery for her last birthday.

I always get a few little bits & bobs as stocking fillers they don't know about clothes, perfumes, aftershave that sort of thing.

Its hubbys bithday this month & I'm getting him a LCD TV, but I've got him a couple of Fred Perry polo shirts he doesn't know about.

The most he spent on me was a £800 PC.

But even though those things sound a lot, you are going to buy them anyway for the house, aren't you.

I think if your kids are happy with a £50-£100 pressie then good luck to you, if it suits you & your family thats what matters.

One question, if you do spend £100 or less, do they feel hard done by when some friends get a lot more?
I'm not saying they should, but kids are kids & its only natural to want the same as others.

I just realised that I spend a shocking amount on stocking fillers, up to £100 on each on them.

BUT, we really only buy big presents like that for the three of us. We spend about £30 on each of our three parents & about £10-£20 each on a few nieces & nephews, and thats it, so we don't have loads to buy for.
I think that makes a big difference.

Rachie_B

Mrs7ones wrote: »

We have 3 kids, 15,10 and 6..... and spend around £400 each for christmas, and £100 each for birthdays.
I KNOW this is a lot of money, BUT none of it is on credit - I save for christmas, and pick up 3 for 2 offers etc where I can. Plus, I pride myself in being able to say that my kids do not get presents through the year just for the sake of it - I do not fall pray to any pestering for new stuff - they understand that they have to wait till christmas/birthdays for anything new they want.
So, considering that, I don't think £400 is unreasonable at all.

:T same here oh cept we only have 2 kids not 3

knithappens

kimevans wrote: »

One question, if you do spend £100 or less, do they feel hard done by when some friends get a lot more?
I'm not saying they should, but kids are kids & its only natural to want the same as others.

They still get quite allot of good stuff, I shop during sales and through out the year and get some amazing deals, So they still get quality stuff.

My daughter is 11, and she has never expressed that she has been hard done by. I dont know about others though.