High Cost of Easter

[Karel]

I try not to turn Easter into Christmas but this year, I did splurge and got Guitar Hero for them to share. It's going to be a quiet Easter with Dad working and the relatives gathering at my brother's without us so I wanted something to spice up the day.

I spent $20 on candy for 5 of us (my favorite candy bars for me!) and $10 on two dogs.

Three kids getting $20 each - mainly because my son needs gas money and it's easier to 'gift' it then to hand him $20. He's suppose to be looking for a job.

Bought a turkey and need to go shopping tomorrow for the fixings, but we have to eat anyway.

So around $200 for 5 people and two dogs. More than usual but I hope the Guitar Hero brings a few extra hugs and it'll be worth it.

 

[MoniqueU]

I totally scaled back this year. I don't know what the exact number were that I spent but my 2 biggest expenses were 2 itunes gift cards at 50 buck and a hobo gift card at 25. And then I splurged and got prefilled easter eggs at WM for some god awful price, I don't remember. The thought of opening up all the eggs and stuffing them just overwhelmed me. Other then that I think they are getting 2 other candies in their basket. I am usually all gung ho about the holidays for my kids even though I don't feel it but this year I couldn't even get into the spirit for them. We don't go to church so no dress clothes needed. We are going to brunch tomorrow at a local cafe type place, or should I say maybe the rest of the family is? I am not sure I can sum up the juevos to go LOL. The thought of crowds of people and waiting for a table just have me overwhelmed. My husband is working and so it will just be me, my mom, my MIL and kids.

 

[npmommie]

no new easter clothes here........too cold.

easter candy .......free...( thank you CVS)
baskets I reuse them each year .......and they were a gift to begin with.......$0
webkinz for each.........$26 total
stuffed bunny for each.........$7 total.......( again thank you CVS)
food.........can't say cuz we had most of it already.......maybe $20 total.........

thats it.

 

[englishteacha]

Our big expense is gas to get to my mom's for dinner, 110 miles away. Probably $30 or so. I bought 2 bags of jelly beans, about $3.25, and some goodies for my mom, $5. So...$38.25. DH and I don't do Easter items for each other. We did when we were dating, but now we choose to use the money for other things. No kiddos here. If there were kids, we still wouldn't spend much.

 

[sk!mom]

Wow- I'm glad my DD11 doesn't read this board. She thinks she's pretty spoiled but some of your kids are getting as much stuff as I give for Christmas. (Bikes-scooters- yikes! )

We reuse the same basket from birth on. The Christmas stocking theory- leave it out- the bunny fills it. Nobody in this house has been a "believer" in years, though, so I just get the basket out after DD goes to bed.

As far as filling the basket- Maybe $5 worth of candy- I bought 2 of everything as DS23 loves him some peeps so I'll give DS candy. DD will have a basket with candy, a new swimsuit, and flipflops ($50). Something she needs at this time of year around here- not as much this year with Easter in March but I'd have to buy it soon anyway.

We go to church so DD does have a new dress and shoes ($50). They will be worn all summer and most likely next year as well.

No new clothes for anyone else.

Food- getting together with family- $8 for fresh strawberries and maybe $5 for salad ingredients for my contributions. Less than a normal Sunday since we usually go out to lunch after church on Sundays.

Egg coloring- $1 for a kit. DD did a dozen eggs just because it's fun- no one will hide or hunt them anymore. I'll take egg salad for lunch all next week so really no cost as I always take my lunch and egg salad is cheap.

 

[snowbunny]

Geez, it's not Christmas...one chocolate bunny, some M&Ms, a dozen eggs to dye and a small gift in each of their baskets. Total $30 at the most.

And yes we reuse the same baskets - and the same Easter grass! - every year.

 

[Mrs. Pan]

The funniest thing about Easter this year...is my husband refused to eat ham or turkey...so we are having chili dogs! (hey at least I did not have to buy any extra food items)

Son-5
Hockey-mini player 12.00
Hockey Rink 6.00
2 Chocolate Bars 1.75
Dove Eggs 2.00
Bike Speedometer 3.00
Bzz Kite 1.00

Son 1
Huge Ball 2.37
4 Books 18.00
Smaller Ball .88
Pooh Kite 1.00
Shirt $5.00 (No candy for him)

Total Damages...$53 and IMO still way too much...

BTW-Both boys just got "gifts" on the St. Paddys Day-
DS Game-paid with a GC and a Baby toy left over from Xmas for $6

 

[HelenePA]

Wow- I'm glad my DD11 doesn't read this board. She thinks she's pretty spoiled but some of your kids are getting as much stuff as I give for Christmas. (Bikes-scooters- yikes! )

You can thank my parents for this tradition in my family Of course I'd just be buying them anyway. Its not like I'm gonna give my kids bikes in the middle of winter in PA

 

[mickeyfan2]

So I'm sure this is a really stupid question - but how does the "Easter bunny" bring back the same basket every year?

When we were kids we used the same basket each year. On the night before Easter we would leave out Easter Baskets (with grass and cellophane) out and when the Easter Bunny arrived he would fill the basket.

 

[sk!mom]

BTW-Both boys just got "gifts" on the St. Paddys Day-
DS Game-paid with a GC and a Baby toy left over from Xmas for $6

St. Paddy's day gifts! Don't tell DD this for sure. In our family, we just wear green and DD hopes that someone forgets so that she can (gently) pinch them! I spoil her by forgetting on purpose. Gee! I'm a great mom!

 

[Frankiesmom]

well the breakdown for me was:
Easter candy- $30 but free with CVS ECB
chocolate bunnies from Andie's candies- we always buy kids bunnies from them every year! $33
Easter movies for 2 kids 38 includes upgraded shipping
toysrus- $111.95 dual gift for 2 DS's and 1 movie for youngest DS and another movie for all to watch since 50% off.
Disney store- 89.92 beach towels and flip flops and $25 disney dollars for 2 DS's and $10 disney dollars for my nephews 1st Easter
Hot topic- DD loves this store! $89.56 2 tee shirts and a miffy bag and a $25 gift card
Wegmans- local grocery store- stuffed animals @ 25% off= 13.29 for 3 stuffed plushes.
altogether $405.72 for 3 kids and a little basket for dear nephew- 10 months.

 

[delmar411]

When we were kids we used the same basket each year. On the night before Easter we would leave out Easter Baskets (with grass and cellophane) out and when the Easter Bunny arrived he would fill the basket.

We do the same w/ the kids. The 3 older have matching baskets with each child having a different color grass (same grass, same color every year) and the youngest was well..a surprise, so his basket isn't the same as the others & it's easy to pick his out.

Hate reading these threads each year, makes me second guess myself. I don't think Easter is a gift giving holiday so we do the standard basket type items but no real gifts. Although I found silver St Christopher medals for my girls at Macy's last month for $15 each so those are in their baskets. It's less of an Easter gift and more of a gift from DH & myself (the medals have special meaning for us).

More of a focus on spending some family time together which is pretty rare these days.

I just finished loading all the 200+ plastic eggs w/ candy and 'hiding' them (aka leaving a trail that even my 2yr old can follow) and I'm ready to collapse! Thank goodness it's just Easter and Christmas that I have to be fictional characters!

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

 

[scorpad99]

OK , so I buy stuff on sale after Christmas and save it for easter.
My DD (12) is getting a really nice jewelry box, a cute skull watch, 3 pair of capri pj bottoms with matching aeropostale shirts, cute underwear and the pink poodle webkins (aprils pet of the month!) lipgloss cell phone charms, and a few pieces of candy (small choc bunny, rice krispie rainbow treats and a few easter egg pops)
My son is getting a tony hawk pillow case, a tony hawk game for ps2 and a yugio movie, ahuge thing of green water balloons, 3 skateboard shirts, new cool boxers and a bulldog webkins (along with the same candy I mentioned for my daughter-I split the packages for each basket)
We also use the same baskets every year, my kids bring them up and place them on their own wooden tv tray b4 they go to bed.
I also fill about 50 plastic eggs with change in each and scatter them around the house, for the big egg hunt, which at 11 and 12 I thought they wouldnt want to do it this year, and to my surprise they brought me up the plastic eggs and asked when we were doing the egg hunt, b4 or after church, LOL!
I bet I spent an average of 60 bucks on each kid, but since I collect things here and there, it doesnt break my budget!
Also cooking dinner (ham and a lasagna, potato salad, deviled eggs (from our dyed eggs, LOL) and coleslaw which we have to eat anyway.
As far as new easter outfits, my kids have plenty of dress clothes to choose from (we cruise twice a year and they both have tons of dress clothes)
Its not as much as Christmas, but as they get older it does get a little more expensive......................when does the gift basket part stop , at what age do they not expect presents? Never, I`m sure! I figure they r only little for such a short time! JMO

 

[Frankiesmom]

well I just read some of these pages and I have to say great for you guys!!!
I do reuse the baskets and I get about 2 years for the grass; then I buy new grass...
I am not even cooking tomorrow. bought 2 great desserts for $33.90 and we're going to order chinese and watch movies- enchanted and bee movie.
and I reuse the plastic eggs for our easter egg hunt; so about $50 for chinese and we have a grand total of $485

 

[PrincessWendyBird]

at what age do they not expect presents? Never, I`m sure! I figure they r only little for such a short time! JMO

I've been reading this thread and this question caught my eye. My sister is 32 years old and my mom still prepares a basket for her. DH and I insist it's silly for us adults to do baskets and gifts for each other, but my little sister really does expect one.

Besides baskets and small gifts, we reuse plastic eggs filled with loose change and candy. Then to make sure all children get same contents in the eggs for hiding, I create a scavenger hunt. They read clues and go from place to place to find the eggs. (all eggs at each location have the same contents) Then everyone is equal at the end. No easter squabbles over who got more change or more candy.

 

[mello]

We do resist the push to turn Easter into a big gift giving occasion (if you look at the ads, some of the stuff they're advertising as "Easter gifts" are ridiculous!) and I'm a bargain grocery shopper, but even so...

2 new shirts for the boys = $16
Dress, tights & sweater for dd = $25
Candy = about $20
Eggs to dye = $2
Egg dye kit I had left from last year = 0
Baskets & Grass we keep from year to year = 0
Plastic eggs to fill & hunt we keep also = 0
Ingredients for dessert to take to MIL's for dinner = $8
So Total = $71
I guess that's not bad in light of what others have said, but I was thinking it seemed pretty high.

I was going to put a dvd in each of the 3 kids' baskets, but that would have added another $60, so I decided not to.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Geez, it's not Christmas

I try not to go overboard, but for us Easter is also a time for us to celebrate the beginning of Spring so the reason for the gifts is enjoy the outdoors, which is why my kids don't get video games in their Easter baskets (although this year they are getting nunchuks, but that's because they really need them to play 3 of their games so I would've bought them anyway). In the past they've gotten scooters, bikes or skateboards because it just doesn't work with when their birthdays fall and who wants an outdoor toy for Christmas when you live someplace where they can't go out and play with it .

 

[mello]

So I'm sure this is a really stupid question - but how does the "Easter bunny" bring back the same basket every year?

He doesn't. We set our baskets out every year for him to fill!

 

[tasha99]

Easter is costing us zero this year. I've decided the kids have outgrown the basket hunt with candy etc. so we're just going to Grandma's for dinner. She's planning on a few things (small baskets, egg coloring etc) mostly for the younger grandchildren, but mine can participate too.

 

[graygables]

$65 for new pink Minnie Mary Jane Crocs for 2 DDs and myself
$5 worth of eggs (2 doz)
$4 dye kits (DDs HAD to "tie dye" eggs)
$4 for plastic eggs/grass (hubby threw last year's away)
$9 worth of candy
$3 2 bubbles
$15 for Enchanted (for me)
$30 for Lord of the Rings trilogy soundtrack for hubby
$4 toothbrushes
$24 Webkinz
$12 Webkinz mousepads
$25 for dinner fixings (ham, corn casserole, green beans, homemade chocolate bunny cake)

So, about $200 for the 4 of us. We don't do new clothes at Easter, so that helps. DDs and hubby choose a basket from the collection (we use baskets a lot) and put it on the table. The paper grass (that I loved so much) got mouse-i-fied (by the WRONG "mouse") last year, so I had to buy new and could only find plastic. Yuck. We'll turn the eggs into deviled for dinner and pickled for later.