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

[Zhoen]

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.

I *LOVE* this, we're going to do this some day. So let it be written, so let it be done...

...but for now, we're still at the "more is better" phase. So far my girls are getting:

DD8:

Blonde Holiday Barbie ($40), blue furby ($54), DS game and organizer (clearance, $13), Dr Dreadful Zombie Lab (clearance, $12) Littlest Pet Shop stuff (clearance, about $15), Paperdoll fashion things (clearance, $7--she's way into fashion and wants to be a designer)

DD5:
Brunette Holiday Barbie ($40), black furby ($54), Angry Birds beanbag game (clearance, $7), -- and she wants a one of those pillowpet dreamlights, but I haven't bought it yet... I think they run about $25, but I'm trying to find a CVS that carries them so I can use my 25% off

Joint gift-- Xia Xia crabs (sort of like hermit crab zuzu pets-- clearance from TRU) spent $17 and got a ridiculous amount of stuff-- like two habitats, two crabs and about 10 outfits... they always want hermit crabs every summer, so now here are some they can't kill!

Santa will bring the usual chocolate oranges, chocolate coins, and some kind of candy "tube" (either the M&M canes or something like it). He usually throws in a coloring book, some fun flavor chapstick, and a few odds and ends.

DSD 20 is getting a fun little purse I got for $3.50 at Salvation Army, inside will be the fun watch I found there for $5 inside the fun box I got there for $.50, and some cash, because she's in college, amount TBD based on conversations with DH and his ex... don't want to cheat her, but don't want to encourage bad choices or entitlement. I'm considering being a real PitA and giving her half cash/half check made out to her school-- that way I can be sure she'll be at least HALF responsible

DH is my BIG cost... the boy lovessss his legos. The ones you see in the front window of the Lego Stores, the ones that cost more than the computer I'm typing on right now. We can afford it (sometimes) but it still chaps me to spend that much on a bunch of plastic... but at least we get frequent 10% off coupons and there is a "point" kickback system you can use to bring the cost down a little. We usually do a lego from me, the video game of the hour from one daughter and the strategy guide from the other... then whatever little things the girls want to get him (their schools do the exploitative "christmas shops" fund raisers every year... ). DD5 has been talking about ties a lot lately, I think she wants to get him ties... poor guy...

For the rest of the family, I haven't planned yet... I thought I had, but looking in my gift closet just now, I'm not as far along as I thought, so I'm glad this topic came up... FIL will get a $50 bass pro GC, which I'm hoping to get free with all my coke points if they do that promo again this year. MIL- haven't a clue. My parents, no idea...

SIL and Hubby... no idea, but it will be around $50 total, probably. They make way more than us and have everything they need/want, so it's usually a gesture gift... they do like wine and coffee. Niece and Nephew... don't know, but they get double, something from me and something from my daughters.

We spend a lot of resources (time, money, energy) on my sister and her 4 kids. She's widowed, employed, and supporting 3 under 18 and one 21 year old who is disabled and functions at a young teen level most of the time. We spend more on her kids than the other niece and nephew, because they have actual needs, but try not to go overboard, either. I take the kids out and help them get gifts for their mother and also encourage them to do gifts for each other. I try to give them chores to do help me out around my place and earn money to shop with, but I also subsidize as needed and I take the older girls out on Black Friday most years so they can learn to maximize their returns. We have a lot of fun.

So, bottom line... no set amount, I get my kids a combination of what they want and what I want them to have within the sphere of what I can afford. My husband gets all the stuff he'd buy himself anyway. Sister's family gets needs and some wants... we use Christmas as an excuse to help them out. Everyone else gets fun gifts in the $25-$50 range. All told, we probably spend a total of $1000-$1500 most years, with the greatest single chunk going to my husband... boys and their toys...

 

[goofyredraider]

I don't really have a budget, more of a plan for this year. We tend to have big Christmases, often because my kids really don't get gifts from other family members (only us) and I sometimes feel the need to compensate for that. I also always have had big Christmases growing up and it is my favorite time of year.

However, we are scaling back this year. They will make a list for Santa with something they want, something they need, something to wear, something read, and something they really would love (5 things). We will also do a few surprise Santa gifts plus stocking stuffers.

The kids will shop for each other (and us) on our dime because they like picking out things and giving.

Then we will get each of them 5-10 gifts from us. They also will find out that we are going to DisneyWorld next summer on Christmas morning

The kids will also shop for one toy to gift for Toys for Tots.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Probably $250ish with stocking stuffers. I'm a shopaholic. But DH and I are giving ourselves $100 limits this year so that's cutting back for us.

 

[judomom2]

Well usually we spend about 300 on each child. But the older they get its harder to find things they want /need. They each have a job and buy what they want.
I am getting my son who is 22 and in the army 3-4 hoodies from ranger joe's and a video game. My daughter who is 20 and in college is getting a bike rack for her car and a gun(she loves to hunt) The gun is a combo birthday/christmas present. I am sure I will get more for them they are really spoiled(lol) but thats okay. My mom is getting something little then we are paying on her credit card to get it paid off. In-laws not sure but no more than 50. Hubs and I aren't getting anything because we will have just gotten back from the world. I usually start buying for the next year right about the holidays but it gets hard to do that when they are older and pickier

 

[foltzy]

I have a 5 and 7 year old. I budget about $200 each and they each get 6 presents. 3 from us and 3 from Santa. However, they just told me that I'm Santa and so I haven't decided if it'll be 6 from us or still 3 and 3.

I usually budget about $20 to $30 a piece for the rest of the family (His parents, my parents, my sister,my sister-in-law, his brother and his brother's girl friend, our 3 nieces and our great niece and his grandparents). Then we let our 2 kids get something for each other around $20 and for my husband and I around the same amount. Then I usually spend $50 on him and he $50 on me. Santa also brings us each a small usually around $10 gift.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

We have 3, DS10, DD8 and DS2. We are going to WDW in February, so that is our main gift. I broke my Nook and had insurance on it, so we are upgrading that to an iPad and wrapping it

Kids will all be getting homemade gifts and things we would be buying for the trip/car ride anyway.

I bought my nieces and nephews Christmas PJs that I found as a prebuy on FB for $10 a pair. So, that is their gift, with a few other little things, and then we are having pics taken of all of them in them for the grandparents. (I found them because a page for someone who embroiders commented on the pics...she is reselling them with an initial for $40)

Everyone else is small, homemade gifts or grab bags. Total budget (minus the trip) is abt $500.

 

[marybyrd]

Our total oop budget this year is 350.00. We have 2 boys and 2grandmas that we love to shop for! I was able to use my maxperks from OfficeMax and get one of the boys Xbox live membership and gaming headphones! I bought four used games from a mom swap , used kellogs rewards for scholastic books, but my favorite is one of our gifts for our oldest son with special needs. He is hard to buy for unless it is wdw or skeeball I was searching on Craigslist for an inexpensive skeeball machine and there was a great machine that the family was giving away! It is now in hiding until December. It will be great to see his face Christmas morning!

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

Thanks for posting this!
DS is born in Dec. We (DS & I) are Jewish--so we celebrate Hannukah...DH's family celebrates Xmas...poor kid is going to think that Dec is just his month! In the pre-planning for when he is older...We are going to give him the choice to celebrate his b'day on his 1/2 birthday. This being his first year... We are a long way off from that and I'm panicking! We decided Hannukah he is getting 8 books to build his library. We've gotten some from scholastic, there are a couple must haves that he needs...but overall...that is it. This will eventually become his "main holiday" if that makes much sense...So, as he gets older, he will get 8 gifts and will get his "want" at this holiday. We will focus this with time with family and friends...and tradition. We started this last year for his first round of holidays...And really hope to stick to that.

His birthday...I feel like a bad mom-but know I'm being realistic...I don't feel like we should buy him everything and then some. Gifts total ~$50. We are having a party and I want to celebrate HIM. (and the fact that Mom and Dad survived the first year as parents haha) So a good chunk of funds will be going to this.

Xmas...this is DH's holiday. We set a limit for ourselves ($50) and we choose a Secret Santa for his family. ($50 limit) I have a blast with that b/c I try to see what and how much I can get for that $50. DS will get a few things and a stocking (maybe?) MIL will go all out...Stockings, Santa gifts, and family gifts (she was doing this for all of us until the babies came around)

When he is old enough to know more about the world, he will have a "service project" each year that we will do as a family. I don't care if it is collecting non-perishables at his birthday party for a food shelter, going to a soup kitchen, purchasing gifts for a shelter, adopting a family...We will do something as a family to help him understand...and keep it in our own minds...that there are those out there that have less than we do and we should be grateful for what we have....no matter what that is.

 

[Desnik]

We have 2 kids, DD(14), DS(9).
Our big gift to them is going to WDW Dec 21-28
We planned on getting them each an iPhone, but DD chose to get hers now by taking DH's old one when he upgraded to the new iPhone5. So, we will spend about $200 on her buying things on her list like items featuring her favorite band, some clothing, itunes cards, & gift cards to her favorite stores. DS will get an iPhone, my old one because my upgrade is coming up & I'll be getting the new iPhone5. Then we will spend about $200 on him getting some Lego sets he wants & itunes card.

Because of extended family problems, this year we chose to be away from the craziness and not get caught up in all the crazy gift giving we normally do. We usually spend over $1000 on extended family that we only see once a year & that don't ever recipricate. So, this year the only people that will be getting anything are the grandparents and that will be small, meaningful gifts from their grandkids.

 

[tajz90]

Have 2 children ages 19 and 14. We spend most holidays on vacation. Makes it easier with the family And the kids don't realize they are getting as much needless stuff as their friends.

Our budget for gifts for the kids depends on the cash back bonus on our Discover. We save it all year and then cash it in and split between the two. They either ask for something they want or they get cash works for us.

 

[Swirly girls]

We do set a limit. We have 3 daughters ages 16,15 and 13
We spend between $300-$500 for each child - this budget doesnt include Stocking stuffer gifts -- about $100 each girl.
I try to keep the number of gifts even if I can. However, they are old enough and do realize the quantity or quality factor if they happen to not have the exact same number if presents.
Of course, I spend the exact amount on each girl within just a few dollars.
We usually buy them each one bigger present, and then smaller music items.
Last year 2 of them wanted Kindle Fire and 1 wanted a Nook color. So, they each got one along with cases, gift cards for books and apps ect . That was considered their big gift. The rest was misc items. Clothing, pjs, perfume ect
Christmas is usually hosted by us, at our home. So, I also have the expense if extra food and drinks and 2 fancy prepared holiday meals too.
I love doing it, but it costs a lot and is exhausting!

 

[DonnaBelle06]

Ahhh...the dreaded "Christmas budget" word (LOL)

Well due to our finances not what they use to be we have totally slowed down on the spending wheel.....

We have 3 children....ages 12 (DS1), 10 (DD) and 1 (DS2). We have already started some shopping....I try and keep the budget at/about $150 per child except for the baby because he has SOOO much stuff that honestly he doesn't NEED anything....so he'll get a few toys and prob thats it (no lie we still have 1 gift from last yr we never opened).

I shop sales as much as I can. I just bought my DD a girls bike off of CL that looks almost brand new (she wanted a new bike) and just needs a new seat due to the one having a small tear. By the time its cleaned up and has the new seat - it will have only cost me about $35/40 (it was $25 btw).

DH & I budget like $50 if we have the extra..both of our bdays are in Jan and the big kids are in Feb (4 days apart - ouch!) so whatever we cannot get them they get for their bday.

I'm in the middle of planning our Disney trip for August (I know its hot but guess what so is June & July) so that'll be our "big" thing for 2013.

 

[Swirly girls]

I try not to start shopping too soon, otherwise, I tend to over buy and go way over budget.
Besides that, I get more into the Christmas shopping mood if there is snow on the ground, decorations up in stores, and Christmas music playing
My mom and I usually start shopping the week before thanksgiving.
We take a 2 hour drive to a better shopping town than where we live. We leave early in the morning, shop all day, have a relaxing nice supper out, and then get a hotel and stay overnight. The next morning, we have a nice breakfast out, and then finish whatever shopping we didn't do the day before.
It's a good start to my list, and I try to get the big things bought then.
Usually, the closer it gets to Christmas, the kids come up with more ideas for what they want too.
So, I do set a budget, but it is a loose budget.
I spend about $200-300 on my DH. He spends $300 or so on me, depending on what I want.
We buy gift cards for parents, and we do not buy for our adult siblings any longer.
We draw names between the kids ( nieces and nephews) and set a $30 limit on those.

 

[westjones]

I guess we will try to stick to $300 per kid (twins in college). I will give them $200 in cash and then buy about 5 gifts for them each that will be around $20 each (or average that).

When they were younger it was easier. Then they liked things from the Dollar Tree! haha Now the things they want are pricey so I would rather just give them all cash but they like having gifts to open, so I will figure out 5 gifts each.

 

[NYEmomma]

This will be the first year I have multiple children & even though I don't really need to keep things even this year since the babies will only be 6 months, I really want to use this year as a "trial run" and keep track $$ spent and # of gifts per child.

In the past, I've never set a budget for DD though I do try to get things as cheaply as I can. Her birthday is Dec. 31 so I have a LOT to buy for in a short period.

I've gotten a small number of things for all 3 girls already and thus far, I'm averaging about 50% of retail price thanks to sales & deals I've found.

 

[redsonja76]

This year the budget is $200 per child (we have two kids), and $200 each for dh and I. We are doing the "something they want, something they need, something to play with, something to read" philosophy with the kids this year. Last year got crazy overboard and I don't want a repeat. DH just wants the money to save towards an imac, and I can't think of a single thing I need lol. We are big into adventures instead of gifts too though, for our 10th anniversary we went paragliding off the Barvarian alps. That was pretty awesome and way better than any gift he could have given me!

 

[luvmy3]

I don't really have a budget for Christmas, I try to stay under a certain amount every year though. This year I have to adjust that because I'm getting a pretty expensive camera and lens.
When my kids were small I would always make sure they had the same amount of gifts under the tree. Now that they are older I stick to a certain $ amount. Last year dd got the 32GB Ipod touch and since that was pretty expensive she didn't get as much stuff to open as my dses got. This year I think we are going to get each kid a big gift and then just a few small things.

 

[Patience]

I don't spend the same amount per child because my daughters have a big age gap between them. I can buy a ton of stuff for my 5 year old for $150-200 but that money won't go far for my 18 year old. I usually try to keep the number of gifts roughly the same but that won't be happening this year. My oldest wants an expensive designer watch and a expensive pair of boots. Those two gifts alone will cost over $400. She will be getting a few other inexpensive items that she needs like jeans (probably from AE as those fit her well and are not pricey) and a new iPhone case she wants but that will be pretty much it. For stocking stuffers, I am going to buy her gift cards to restaurants within walking distance of her dorm.

My husband and I plan to exchange one gift and it's usually in the $100 dollar range. This year, we are drawing names with my mom and my sisters and their husbands and with my married/adult nephews and nieces and the gift limit is $50. We don't exchange gifts with the adults at all on my husband's side of the family by mutual agreement. We buy for all the kids under 18 (there are 9 of them currently but another one is on the way) and I shop for their gifts year round and I am usually able to score some good bargains on those. So let's see, $700 max for my kids, $100 for the gift exchange, $200 for my husband and I, and probably another $150-200 for everyone else. Total: $1150-1200. That's my best guess anyway!

Edited to add that I bought all of our wrapping paper, gift tags, and gift bags after Christmas last year on clearance. I do that almost every year. I also bought my 5 year old's Christmas dress for this year on clearance in January after the holidays.

 

[westjones]

In the past, I've never set a budget for DD though I do try to get things as cheaply as I can. Her birthday is Dec. 31 so I have a LOT to buy for in a short period.

I just wanted to mention that my mom's birthday was Dec. 31st and I always thought that was the best day to have a birthday. No matter what, there was always a party going on for your birthday...everyone would be celebrating.


AND I also was going to add to everyone else's comments. When my girls were young, they loved the less expensive things just as much as the expensive things. Enjoy those years and don't blow your budget. For the first 10 years of their lives we were VERY frugal about everything and made a game out of finding ways to enjoy things for the least amount of money. My girls even got some yard sale toys during those years (my mom loved to go to yard sales, so she found them many things that way).

So for those first 10 years, I made double house payments on my house and was able to get it paid off in 10 years while we were very frugal. THEN those teen years hit.....computers, cell phones, going out with friends, driving which lead to another car, expensive sports and prom dresses. BAM! They weren't happy with 'cheap' stuff (I remember how 'cool' they thought it was to get Mary Kate and Ashley stuff at Walmart when they were 8 years old, in high school they wanted American Eagle and Victoria Secret Pink stuff!. WAY different in price).

So anyway....don't over do it in those younger years. Pay down your debt and brace yourself for high school, and before you know it you are facing college expenses.

I always said that those 'kids eat free' nights were great.......but now that my kids are 19 it doesn't do me any good at all because NOW is when I need the money more, and now we can't even deduct them on our taxes for the child credit, even though they are still costing us just as much as before plus college...so more than before.

So enjoy those early years of 'child meals' and 'free entertainment for families' and use those years to pay down debt and prepare for the expensive years of high school and college

 

[tinkmom2]

We don't exchange with any of our family (their choice) My hubby and I have been together for 16 years and really don't need anything.(except bowls this year) I do buy him a pair of Lands End slippers every year though. The girls combined will probably be around $300. My 7 year old isn't a big toy person. She plays with Littlest Petshop and that's about it. My 13 year old never likes the clothes she gets and usually gets a gift card. I am putting things on layway today at KMart. They are having a promo where they pay off someones layaway at each store every week. My hubby got a $6.00 pay cut in August so money is tight anyway.