Christmas Gift Budget....What's yours?

[mrudman]

We do a big family trip each year in lieu of a big Christmas. I spend $100/per child including stockings. DH and I don't buy for each other.

Each year the kids are given a budget for the trip (usually in September) and have to research where they want to go. On Christmas Day they each give their presentation and the family votes on where we're going. Its been a lot of fun! Some of the presentations have been really elaborate. Some years a couple of the kids have chosen the same destination. Every child has had their trip chosen at least twice so far. We've done cruises, all-inclusive resorts, a dude ranch, 2 weeks in Florida, etc. The trips are taken at some point during the year, usually over spring break or in the summer.

I found its a great way to get kids learning, without it seeming to be a chore. They pick the destination, research what there is to do and see to make it a good family vacation, budget out the costs of airfare, hotels, meals, rental cars, etc. One year our oldest had done a presentation on a river rafting/camping trip down the Colorodo River. I was sweating that one (I hate to camp) as everyone other than DD#2 seemed to be going his way. In going over his numbers I found that he'd forgotten to airfare for 6 people, which would have put him way over budget!

On Christmas Day we drag out the photo albums & videos of previous trips and relive them.

That sounds like so much fun!! I'd love to do that with dd's.. once we get past the Santa phase, I think I'm going to try this,

If I may ask, how old are your kids?

 

[Jedana]

I have about $1000 this year.
DD1 wants cash (broke college student); DD2 wants some cash and a couple small gifts. $300 total for them. (both are adults, and neither lives at home, so they get less from us now)

DS, I'll spend about $250-300 on (camping gear for Scouts, legos, video games).

That leaves about $400-- for a family gift (Xbox 360, maybe?) or for DH/myself. Plus stocking stuffers.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

We have 3 kids and our budget is $150 per kid. I think our budget is on the lower end of the spectrum, according to other posts I've read.

When we add in gifts for our extended family, and some kid birthdays around the holidays, and gifts for eachother (DH and I) our total budget is $1000. Which is quite a chunk in my opinion!

 

[pigget74]

Forgot to mention....our kids are only allowed to ask for 3 things. Those are the main things...only 1 can be a big item. The other things are things we think they will like or have talked about. We try to keep the amount of gifts the same, but the older ones realize the little ones do not cost as much. So, there are times that we come way under budget Just because we came under does not mean we have to go out and buy more.

 

[LuLuO]

We're doing a couple of small gifts for each kid from us. Santa will bring a combined gift which will be Legos and an elf-made Lego table. Santa is also going to put some chocolate and a gift card in the kids stockings. We're really trying to minimize what the kids get from us again this year. With the grandparents and aunts and uncles, they always end up with so much and most of it is rarely played with.

We'll probably spend about $80 on my niece and nephew combined. The grandparents will get photos again this year. I did really splurge on my mom though. I got her a laptop on woot today. I'm going to give it to her when it arrives. She's been trying to look up and price her antiques and collectibles as well as reconnect with old friends and her 8 year old pc is so painfully slow with only 512 mb ram that it makes even surfing next to impossible.

 

[ssawka]

We'll probably spend about $80 on my niece and nephew combined.

We cut out nieces and nephews a while ago. At least on my side we did. I was fine with that because we were getting the short end of the stick. We have one child and my siblings all have 3 or 4. It was getting way too expensive to buy 16 gifts between the two families (DW's and mine).

 

[LuLuO]

We cut out nieces and nephews a while ago. At least on my side we did. I was fine with that because we were getting the short end of the stick. We have one child and my siblings all have 3 or 4. It was getting way too expensive to buy 16 gifts between the two families (DW's and mine).

Yeah, no way would I be buying gifts for 16 kids. We only have the two and there aren't likely to be any more so it is doable. We only have two kids also so it is even-steven.

 

[girli565]

Congrats on the baby!! Have fun shopping! If you wait until after Christmas, you can get a great deal on a Baby's First Christmas outfit to use the following year.


Our budget will be set at $1000 firm this year. The kids will be about $200 each, DH & I $20 each, both sets of parents - $60 each, and $50 for my niece/nephew. DH & I are never big spenders for each other. That leaves about $200 misc for extra food, odds & ends, and shipping costs if needed.

Thanks, it's funny you mention waiting, after I posted my response I thought if I wait until after xmas I could get some good deals! lol, great budget minds think alike

 

[curlyjbs]

OP here. I love the trip ideas but with the kids school schedules its too difficult. DH and I really don't exchange big ticket items...mostly stocking stuffers. We stopped exchanging with siblings as well only the nieces and nephews get gifts and we cap it at $40 each.

 

[Doodlebug939]

I would love to get to the point that I do what my friend does. (I am not there by any means but her logic is as follows:

She gives her kids the following:

Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to Read.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I have an overall budget for Christmas and a budget for each of my children ($100 each).

I buy gifts all year round when they are on super sale. I have a large family so we agreed a long time ago to only buy for the kids. I buy toys at 70% off at Target (when they go on clearance all year round). I also build up a gift closet doing this and the kids can choose from the gifts in there for their friends birthday parties.

This strategy has allowed me to also spread the holiday shopping over the course of a year rather than spending all the money in one month. And I am able to give more than I would if I had spent the full amount.

For my own kids, I do find these deals as well but I also get one or two big items that they want.

 

[Darcy03231]

That sounds like so much fun!! I'd love to do that with dd's.. once we get past the Santa phase, I think I'm going to try this,

If I may ask, how old are your kids?

Now they're 27, 24, 21 and 19. We started doing this when they were 9, 11, 14 and 18 - which is when the youngest one stopped believing. In the early years I had to help the two younger ones a bit with their research, but they caught on very quickly.

Its been a bit more challenging the last few years as DD#1 has been living in another state and hasn't been able to come home for Christmas. She's done her presentation by video and we call her up and put her on speaker phone for the presentations and vote.

She and DS#1 also have significant others in their lives. While neither one is engaged yet, I expect announcements can happen at any time, so I'm not sure what we'll do then.

We've had to take the vacations in the summer for the last few years too as school vacations don't coincide any more - and the budget has taken a hit with kids in college so the trips haven't been quite as elaborate in recent years -- but that's ok, we still have a lot of fun!

 

[MissBritt]

We are blessed to not have to make a budget for Christmas for our son or anyone... we just buy a few things he needs or would like and stop when we feel like it's enough. He's 1.5 so there are few things he needs and even fewer that he wants. Right now we have 2 Veggie Tales DVDs, a Cars magnadoodle, sidewalk chalk, and a Mickey ornament (he will get an ornament each year). That's about $30 spent. We may find one or two more things and call it a day. Grandparents and greatgrands go overboard so we feel absolutely no pressure to fill a stocking and all the real estate under the tree.

 

[BeachLove]

I need to buy for 5 kids and 14 adults this year. For close family, 7 in total I keep them under $1500. The rest get a budget of 1000 or less. Then I get some goodies too.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

My 7yo ds and 2yo dd are getting less this year because they both got a game system last month. We'll spend only $100 each on them. Baby is getting 1 toy and the rest clothes for the upcoming seasons, because we have enough baby toys. DH and I will only spend $50ea. His parents are jehovah witnesses so we luck out there and don't have to buy them anything. My parents we spend $50 on each of them. My brother and sil we keep at $25ea. This just about rounds out my christmas shopping. I hope to take christmas vacations once our kids are older, and only give stocking stuffers.

 

[pigletto]

We do a big family trip each year in lieu of a big Christmas. I spend $100/per child including stockings. DH and I don't buy for each other.

Each year the kids are given a budget for the trip (usually in September) and have to research where they want to go. On Christmas Day they each give their presentation and the family votes on where we're going. Its been a lot of fun! Some of the presentations have been really elaborate. Some years a couple of the kids have chosen the same destination. Every child has had their trip chosen at least twice so far. We've done cruises, all-inclusive resorts, a dude ranch, 2 weeks in Florida, etc. The trips are taken at some point during the year, usually over spring break or in the summer.

I found its a great way to get kids learning, without it seeming to be a chore. They pick the destination, research what there is to do and see to make it a good family vacation, budget out the costs of airfare, hotels, meals, rental cars, etc. One year our oldest had done a presentation on a river rafting/camping trip down the Colorodo River. I was sweating that one (I hate to camp) as everyone other than DD#2 seemed to be going his way. In going over his numbers I found that he'd forgotten to airfare for 6 people, which would have put him way over budget!

On Christmas Day we drag out the photo albums & videos of previous trips and relive them.

I remember you posting this before. I just LOVE everything about the idea. I think now that the kids are getting older we're going to discuss doing something like this in the upcoming years. We've done quite a few Disney trips and we're itching to start taking other vacations as well. I think this is a fabulous way to get everyone on board. Another year or two and I think we'll implement your ideas!

 

[ilovepete]

I don't really have a budget, but I try to make sure each of the kids gets the same amount of gifts visually. They are 7 and 4 and don't really get yet that something may cost more and so it won't look like they got as much as the other person, etc. My son gets the cost thing, but he still wouldn't view it as equal if he got one small expensive thing and DD got a mountain of less expensive stuff. I am more sensitive to them being equal because my dh and his sister were not treated equally and I don't want that happening with my kids, even if it isn't reality, just perception. Anyway, I shop the Target clearance as well and get most things at 70% off that I think they would like. Then closer to time they usually have a few wants and I try to get those at the best prices I can find. DD also has her birthday in December, right before Christmas, so I have to shop for those gifts as well. I think for Christmas alone it is around $300 each child. On their birthdays it is around $200 or so. Though, this year I got DD a princess bike she wants, but it was from someone I know who was selling it for $10! It is used but barely shows any wear, so that will be good. I also got the big huge disney princess castle and the cinderellas castle used from friends. One was $40 and one was $15. Both of them look new. And the person I bought the cinderella one from threw in a ton of disney princess figurines and play sets.

 

[niffer5150]

this year, our trip to wdw and wwohp is DDs birthday, xmas, and graduation gift. she thinks she's not getting anything presents under the tree but i did manage to squeak in a set of ravenclaw robes and a lord of the ring gold ring (about $60 total). i found a really awesome person on etsy who's going to make me a hogwarts acceptance so i can slip the park tickets in it for her to open on xmas as well.
everyone else is getting a $20 limit. i'm almost done shopping and i've managed to come in well under on a lot of gifts. it just took more effort and time than usual but i still got some awesome stuff for people.

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

I have two kids, 15 and 10. I say my budget is $300 a piece, but I shop year round and tend to go over budget by $200 or so. I also buy for my parents, brother, sister & bil, 2 nephews, 2 nieces and my great niece, and my grandparents. For all of them the gifts range between $30 - $50. Dh and I don't spend very much on each other, at this point we have pretty much everything we want and like to go on a trip instead.

 

[scholastica]

I only have one child, and we never specify a set amount to spend.

This, we just get what we think she will like. I'll be done shopping for months then the Mr. will go out and buy a bunch more stuff at the last minute.

I do have 2 nephews and 1 niece and try to spend about $35-50 per kid, including a homemade gift, two years ago it was super hero capes.