How much do you spend on your kiddos friends birthday gifts

[Lisa loves Pooh]

$10-$15..we just splurged and spent $17 b/c my dd saw a shirt she thought her friend would like on our trip.

$20 is the cap to include gift wrapping and card, so she will probably make her friend a card.

 

[KirstenB]

$20.00, but our older dd is only 8. OP you mentioned a spa/sleepover---did they actually go TO a spa? Or was it something they did at home? If dd was invited to a real spa for a birthday party, I'd definitely feel I needed to give a more expensive gift. I don't know why, I just would.

 

[tw1nsmom]

My two are only 6 1/2. We spend between $15 and $20 per child (when kids come to their party they buy them each a gift, I feel it's only fair that the birthday child receives a gift from each of my kids). Most of the parties they go to they are both invited. I either pool their money and buy one big gift ($30-$40), or spend the 15/20 on each gift.

Lately, I've been buying a very small gift (book, beany baby, action figure...) and putting in a gift card to a book store or Target to make up the difference.

 

[hlbtimes2]

I usually stay around $20. I go a little more if its a really good friend or if both of my kids are invited. I would never go $50-75. I dont usually spend that much on my own kids birthday gifts! I would say the average gift dd receives at her parties are about $10-20 in value.

 

[daisyduck123]

$25.00 here....usually a $20.00 gift card to Aeropostale, Old Navy, or American Eagle & a cute pair of socks from the store to go with it.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

DS has received gift cards in the $20 to $30 range. We have given them in that same range, depending on how close the friend is to him.

 

[nhrenee]

$15-20 is about average around here.

 

[nhrenee]

$25.00 here....usually a $20.00 gift card to Aeropostale, Old Navy, or American Eagle & a cute pair of socks from the store to go with it.

I like the sock idea!

 

[aunt kelly]

Around $20 is the norm around here for birthday gifts.

For my dd's friends, I usually buy a $20 gift certificate from Target, which I put in a gift sack w/ a few things from the Target $1 spot.

For my son's friends, I usually buy a gift certificate from blockbuster and put it in one of those tubs of microwavable popcorn and throw in a candy bar and a coke.

 

[JVL1018]

I usually spend $20-$25. I don't care where the party is held, it has never crossed my mind to give a child a lesser gift because they had a party at home.
My daughter just had her birthday party at Build A Bear and I would say the average gift was $15-$20.
A couple of people gave her outfits that I'd say were about $30. Any more than that and I would have thought it was a bit odd.

 

[sha_lyn]

$15-$25 depending on who it is. DD will be attending a party on halloween for the younger sister of one of her friends. They are all in the same multi-level girlscout troop. DD is a jr, the birthday girl is a daisy. For her I spent 15. For DD's friends who are also the children of good friends I spend more in the 22-25 range except for last week. things are a little tight this month (due to car repairs) and the brother/sister had their party together. I spent about 18 each, but would have normally spent closer to $25 for each of them. Last month DD was invited to a friends party, and she too was having it with her brother (it was actually the brother Bday, but the mom is PG and due the same week as the girls BD, which is very soon). We barely know the brother, so I only spent 8 on him, and about 17 on her.

 

[shortbun]

$25 unless it's THE best friend and then around $40. I've seen kids give as little as $8 or something they handmade and I think that's fine. Our gifts are usually a little more than most but it's just what we do, no biggie. DS's party is low key with his four good friends every year. We discourage gifts but often they all chip in for a card to Gameworks. It's well known that DS loves to go there. This year, it was a ticket to King's Island and a preplanned trip with one of the families in their van. We treat them to a movie, a sleepover, pizza and nice parting gifts.