How much do you normally spend on your own children for Christmas????

[chemysterygal]

We do buy her other little things through the year and take her to Orlando twice a year though.

I feel like mean mummy of the century.

Not mean at all! My guess is those trips don't come free, and I'll bet you she enjoys them more than another few gifts under the tree!!

My kids have never been to Disney - heck, we didn't even take true "family vacations" until the past two summers - so I think it's all in what your priorities are. I'm starting to lean more toward family trips and less towards big present spending around holidays and birthdays.

Spending time together is worth lots!

 

[chemysterygal]

But every time I read threads like this I get so annoyed with the comments about how much money some people spend. What if someone posted that some of you are really cheap?! Isn't it the same thing?! Its all personal choice.

Yeah, a thread like this has the potential to go that way. We need a peace smiley!

 

[LisaMommy]

Yeah, a thread like this has the potential to go that way. We need a peace smiley!

There you go.

 

[DawnM]

Oh, I hope this thread doesn't go the wrong way....it isn't meant to be a competition at all.

I actually started it because my kids are asking for more expensive things this year and I am trying to figure out what to do about it. We HAVE money, it isn't about the economy, we just don't normally spend huge amounts at Christmas. we also wonder if we give them a gift card for half and they have to spend half out of their OWN money, if they won't take care of the items better!

Anyway, thanks for responding everyone, whether you spend a lot or a little is no reflection of love for your children!

Dawn

 

[GJM]

We also don't have a set amount. We only have 1 DS (9) and I probably do go overboard. Stuff really is more expensive as they get older. Wii games alone can cost $50 each. I will probably spend about $500 or more. This doesn't count the laptop he got early as a Christmas/Brithday gift. He got that when DH got deployed so they can use the webcam to talk.

 

[brandylouwho]

Christmas spending had always been a weakness of mine (on friends and family, now on my own kids)...and when we had just one child we spend hundreds, even though she was only a little kid. Her birthday is a week before Christmas, so that meant spending even more.

But this year I am trying to be different. I lost my job in July and am still unemployed (we are doing fine on one income, but I still worry). We are going to WDW the week prior to Christmas so that alone is a big gift, isn't it? I am finding that my eldest has too much stuff and I am having trouble finding anything to buy the youngest as she has all her big sisters hand me downs. All these theings are telling me it is time to think more simply when it comes to gift giving!

I planned to spend $25 on each kid from us and $50 on each kid from the S-man. I have gone a bit over budget but am still spending far less than I did in the past. (I have spent maybe $200 total on 2 of them). Plus, I know what they will get from the grandmas, uncles, etc will make for a very nice Christmas.

I also think it is a great time to set a precident...of not having 25 toys under the tree. They are 5 and 1 right now and if I stick to my guns, they won't grow up expecting $1000 worth of stuff (at least not until they are teens)

And we do buy things throughout the year for them, they are so not deprived when it comes to toys. For instance, we are in WI and giving a bike for Christmas would be mean as they couldn't ride it for another 4 months or so--so when it is time for a bike in the spring we just buy one then.

Oh, I am also becoming a big fan of all things consumable, when we go to birthday parties, etc. I see kids with way too many things (not judging as mine have too much stuff too) so I now try to buy thigns like arts & crafts items, play-doh, etc so that the items can eventually be used up--not kicking around the house forever and ever.

 

[eeyoremum]

Oh, I am also becoming a big fan of all things consumable, when we go to birthday parties, etc. I see kids with way too many things (not judging as mine have too much stuff too) so I now try to buy thigns like arts & crafts items, play-doh, etc so that the items can eventually be used up--not kicking around the house forever and ever.

I agree with this. I like items that will be used up too. As I said earlier we decided on a trip this year instead. We were going to go away anyway so why not just link it to Christmas and be done with it.

 

[mickeylove2]

I don't know how much I have spent on Christmas this year, probably too mich!!! I guess I am overcompensating though, seeing as how my DDs father walked out the door a few months ago and hasn't seen them since, so I'm guessing he won't be buying them any Christmas gifts! I have bought a Wii bundle and 4 additional games & we won the Special Edition Guitar hero for that, a DSLite for both DDs, maybe 10 games for those & the Guitar Hero for DS, the Kit and Mia AG dolls from QVC and a bunch of accesories from AG (Kit's stove and scooter, the theatre seats, Mia's bed, Molly's bed, some clothes and other little things) 6 CDs, a crimper for DD7 and 3 webkinz for DD5, every year they get new PJ's to wear on Christmas Eve so I have those, all I have left to buy is their Holiday Barbie and Breyer Horse that they get every year. Their stocking stuffers will be the DS games. Wow, I really don't want to add all that up!!!!

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

I would say our gifts have varied - my girls are stil young 4,3 & 1 at Christmas. I have a Wii tucked away in the closet for everyone as a family. MIL got the girls a Wii fit. my IL are the ones who go WAY WAY overboard. The oldest is the one who really wants the Wii but it will be for everyone. THe older 2 will each get a game and I will probaly get them each a toy or two and an outfit. The youngest will get a couple outfits and maybe 3 toys. I am very much turning to "adventure" gifts as well. All of the cousins are getting movie tickets since everyone lives in such different areas. And I would LOVE to get passes to the zoo or aquarium.

DH on the otherhand is probably geting the biggest gift this year - Season tickets to the Phillies. He suprised me this September with a cash downpayment for DVC. He has been asking for Phillies tickets for close to 8 years. I think between IL's and me we are getting tickets for DH & SIL to share. So each will get half the year.

 

[dislal]

Wow this has been enjoyable reading what everyone spends. I spend between $200 and $250 per kid, but they get nothing the rest of the year and on their birthdays I might give them something worth about $20.

ETA: I have found with my kids the more they have the less they play with it and they don't appreciate it.

 

[taximomfor4]

I also think it is a great time to set a precident...of not having 25 toys under the tree. They are 5 and 1 right now and if I stick to my guns, they won't grow up expecting $1000 worth of stuff (at least not until they are teens)

Not necessarioly, even when they are teens. My 11th grader gave me a list of books. She'd like some of those for Christmas. She said, maybe some new make-up, too.

 

[nessz79]

Not necessarioly, even when they are teens. My 11th grader gave me a list of books. She'd like some of those for Christmas. She said, maybe some new make-up, too.

That's reassuring. We're trying to cut back and get our young boys to appreciate the actual holiday instead of all the stuff. 2 gifts per child/ per giver is what we've tried to set the limit to. They have so much "stuff" already and they barely play with a quarter of it.

 

[Grendalynn]

So now that we have all recovered (for the most part) form christmas and we have ideas of what damage was done - where does everyone stand?? I started shopping way earlier than usual and shopped online for the best deal and didnt get suckered into nedless stuff. I tink I did pretty well over all...

I personally spent more on the boys than I was hoping for, I said less, DH said more- but it is what it is and wasn't all toys and useless crap - it was practical items, too. Things I would have bought anyway, I would have either bought it earlier in the winter or later... Things such as new ski boots for DS9, jackets and snow pants, sneakers and clothing items they were in need of. The big ticket items they got that they don't usually get were Nintendo DS for the older boys at $130 each. Otherwise it would have been anaverage of about $250-$300. but with the DSs, we spent an average total of $350 per child - give or take. That includes items/gifts form Mom and Dad and you know who.

Dh and I dont buy much for each other . Just practical stocking ems (deoderante, toothbrush and paste, shampoo, yummy lipstick, a few extras and thats about it )- only a couple hundred dollars worth total. I look at us cooking and hosting Christmas dinner is a gift to my family and am just happy to have their company! With all gifts and the food for the dinner and entertaining it was between $1800 and $2000.

Now that our family is getting bigger - both our own and everyone else in our family - we cut a lot of adult out and only bought for kids. What adult we did buy for were either in a Family Gift Draw or for our parents and grandparents...

How did others fare out there? This thread kind of dwindled away in early November, and I dontwant to creat any animosity or un-do competition, just merely a reflection of our Holiday shopping and how well or not-so-well we did!

 

[luvsJack]

Because I was late starting my shopping and bit short on funds; I only used cash thinking my check (I get paid once a month) for November would more than cover it. My oldest ds is offshore and living out of state so I haven't even finished buying his gifts yet and I still bought far less for the other two kids than I usually do trying to stay within that amount. I have now learned just how much I usually do spend on Christmas! The kids didn't seem to really even notice any difference in the amount of "loot" but I sure was shocked. I honestly didn't realize that we spend almost two months of my pay on Christmas every year! We are already sitting down while we are off from work and deciding how we will save for Christmas next year and what we will do to keep the total amount down. I will definitely be shopping throughout the year to get more items while they are on sale.

 

[mjbaby]

I ended up spending a bit above my original thinking for my kids, but not by too terribly much. For my eight year old son we spent about $140 - but this was because my husband went ahead and bought him a "chaos tower" after my comment that it looked "cool" (never intending that we'd actually BUY it!) - and for our four year old daughter we spent about $75. In years past I'd limit our spending to whatever we spent for Angel Tree gifts but this year there was an imbalance with Angel Tree giving only coming in around $80. Oh, well.

My husband was the spoiled one this year with a leather jacket, smoker (he's getting into making barbecue at home), a bottle of Scotch and a few other things. Then again, I guess I should say that *I* was the spoiled one b/c he gave me a trip to Disney! It's a combined Christmas and 40th birthday present and, when looked at in this light, our holiday spending was really out of hand (my birthday is New Year's Eve). Normally, our total Christmas spending (for 25 people in the family and Angel Tree) is around $500.

 

[Booknut]

We spent about £70/$110 on our daughter (who turns 13 months today) which is a bit more than I had hoped to spend but there were some great deals out there this year! I would have spent more but we have such a big family and she got heaps of gifts from them so we only bought her 3.

We also went to Disneyland Paris for her 1st birthday but let's be honest, that was more for us than for her

 

[albertamommyof4]

i know we spent way over my budget for the kids lol, i haven't added it all up yet but my 2 oldest got ds and my daughter got AG doll and youngest son i only spent about 15o to 180 on him so not to bad.
Next year i am setting a limit of $150 per child but am truly hoping for less lol.
I already started my shopping for chrismtas next year and got freat deals , so if these great deals continue i may even be under $100 per kid and i think that habby and i wont buy much for each other next year as i would truly love to plan a first trip to disney in March, disneyland that is,

 

[Minnie]

I totally went way over what I'd normally spend this year, but that was because I received a very nice bonus/promotion at work

I say spend whatever you feel is reasonable for your situation and don't let others make you feel guilty no matter if it seems to little or too much

 

[jensen]

Wow! These numbers are boggling my mind... I don't set a budget, but a number. Each of our kids get one gift from Santa and one from Mom & Dad. I don't skimp on the gifts... I buy whatever the kids ask for... one was an iPod shuffle and another was the Loving Family Grand Dollhouse... and I still spent less than $200 total.

This year I actually felt like I went overboard... guess I have a different idea of overboard than most people.

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

I'm going to need a calculator here!!! I kept thinking I was done, then I "needed" more for someone...
Oldest 2 boys got:
Guitar hero world tour $180 shared
Gift card wallets $125 in cards in each (FREE CARDS from MyPoints)
Wallets $20 each
Shirt and jeans each $45
Jammies $5
Boxers for 1 $10
SD card for other $10
Rock Band $55 (free with Best Buy bucks)
GOODNESS!!!! I am at 320 each already!! (and that is only 2 of them!!!)

DS 8 got:
Nintendo DS $145
Guitar hero DS $30
glo board: $10
jammies $15
desk $60
Jeans $40
$300 for an 8yo

Then DD3 got
Elmo $50
AG Baby $50
Barbie $5
Jammies $10
Slippers $5
Doodle board $10
Her room painted $100 (yes it's a gift ) Shhhh..she is 3 and thinks wall color is a gift.


OOOPS..they all got aluminum water bottles...add $40...holey moley!

It is bad to write it all down. Makes me ill. And since this year had a lot of big ticket items they all felt like HEY MOM...WHERE'S THE REST???

And then my mom who budgets $125-$150 per child. I am actually happy that the gifts are gettting a little more expensive. It is easier to have 3 big things than a pile of "junk" just to fill in the tree.