POLL- $$$ per child Christmas gifts

[viaggiamo]

I love these threads.
We normally spend around $300 per child, we have two.
They also receive presents from our large families. The past two years have been really ridiculous with the amount of presents under the tree.
This year we are coming to the USA (we live in Australia) for Christmas so the children have been warned that Santa knows we wont have much room in our suitcases...
DD also has a birthday within 1 month of Christmas, so we have a bit of a glut. I am looking forward to shopping the sales in the USA though, your stuff is soooo much cheaper!

 

[meajuly5]

I love Christmas too. I have been holding off on some purchases that I normally would make (uggs) to put them under the tree and Some other clothing items. My dd will be thrilled to have them and it won't occur to her that she would have gotten them anyway. She doesn't make a big list so I am hoping I get items that she will really enjoy and use. Little one has a crazy long list but won't care what she gets other than office supplies, funny enough. She loves office supplies!!!

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I have three kids, 11, 9 and 3. I am planning on $100ish each.

3 year old - is WAY into playdoh. So, I am buying him an art desk, a few playdoh kits, some cookie cutters, etc.

9 year old DD - I made her an American Girl doll house last year. This year, it is getting an "addition" of a sweet shop/bakery. She is also getting a Pandora bracelet and one charm.

11 year old DS - He is getting Disney Infinity (got a deal through a Cast Member friend!) and a few Lego (small) sets.

 

[Brittmarie04]

I love Christmas too. I have been holding off on some purchases that I normally would make (uggs) to put them under the tree and Some other clothing items. My dd will be thrilled to have them and it won't occur to her that she would have gotten them anyway. She doesn't make a big list so I am hoping I get items that she will really enjoy and use. Little one has a crazy long list but won't care what she gets other than office supplies, funny enough. She loves office supplies!!!

How old is she? MyDD loves office supplies also

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

We're looking at around $500 for our older ds (10) and $300 for the younger (he's 3, there's no way I could spend $500 on him, it would be an insane amount of stuff). I occasionally feel guilty about the difference, but honestly, the younger one doesn't want anything that is "his." All he wants is his brother's stuff.

It looks like alot, but we don't buy many wants during the year, do small birthdays, and even smaller Easter. We also don't have a large extended family to make up the difference. Santa brings a pretty good mix of wants and needs, too; with Santa's version of needs being cooler than what Mom would buy.

 

[sweetdana]

I voted 150-200$.

But I put sales into that, and If I can spend less I do. IE I bought DD8 a justice outfit from ebay, which I am calling 40$. but realistically I paid like 15$. I bought an AGD for 60$, but I am calling that 100$. .. and DD1 got a bunch of stuff from craigslist, (baby toys, wood puzzles, blocks and a crawl through door) I am calling that like 100$, but I think I paid 20$ for all of it. I am not spending another 100$ just to spend it. I will make sure they both have at least 10 things to open. (Even if some come from 5 below. ) but the big presents are bought. AGD for 1 and crawl through toys and puzzles (and her sis' toy house) for the other.

I also will end up spending more on my DD8 then my DD1. I did last yr too. DD1 just has more stuff left over from her big sis. I plan on having my DD8 give her baby sis her old toy kitchen from the basement, and just buying new food. So she gets easy 150-200$ in toys for maybe 20$.

I dont know if I voted right, because I spend so much time makign sure to squish every penny out of each present. .. now onto craigslist for the toy slide or play scape with a slide I want for DD1..

 

[Mousemommy1]

This is an interesting thread. We have two girls and I think we typically end up spending about $500 each.

With American Girl doll stuff and Wii games, etc... It adds up.

This year, we were going to try and spend less and get them a Wii U as a joint gift, and then some smaller gifts. They don't need anything and are quite spoiled in that respect. But, we were thinking of getting an iPad mini for our oldest DD because she currently has an iPod touch but a lot of her homework is through apps and working on that tiny little iPod touch is just not right.

But, we have an extra laptop computer that just needs a battery, so maybe I should do that and just make that the kids laptop...and proceed with cheaper Christmas...

They go on extravagant Disney trips every year and we have told them that Santa knows this and probably saves bunches of gifts for other kids that aren't as lucky...

I've really got to figure out my budget for this year...

 

[meajuly5]

I have three kids, 11, 9 and 3. I am planning on $100ish each.

3 year old - is WAY into playdoh. So, I am buying him an art desk, a few playdoh kits, some cookie cutters, etc.

9 year old DD - I made her an American Girl doll house last year. This year, it is getting an "addition" of a sweet shop/bakery. She is also getting a Pandora bracelet and one charm.

11 year old DS - He is getting Disney Infinity (got a deal through a Cast Member friend!) and a few Lego (small) sets.

The dollhouses sound amazing!

 

[meajuly5]

How old is she? MyDD loves office supplies also

7. Favorite thing!

 

[meajuly5]

how old is she? Mydd loves office supplies also

7!

 

[FLSarah]

I haven't read all the replies to the thread, but I was a little surprised to see so many people spend $500+ per kid. I figured there would only be a handful of people but it seems that's the second highest on the poll.

 

[lauradis]

I haven't read all the replies to the thread, but I was a little surprised to see so many people spend $500+ per kid. I figured there would only be a handful of people but it seems that's the second highest on the poll.

It's probably not normal. Disboard is filled with lots of 6 figure earners.

 

[WishingMom]

My dd was asking about her "Uggs" last year, and I responded, "Uggs? You don't have Uggs, you have Fuggs." Dd: "Fuggs?" Me: "Yeah, Fake Uggs." Dd: "mom, you are not funny." Heh... I still tease her about her Fuggs. She knows that I will not buy her expensive shoes until her darned foot stops growing every stinking month. I had to buy her new soccer shoes in April and again in August! And, she wears a woman's size...so, more expensive!

Lol, I have to laugh because that's what DD14 and I call them too!

 

[FLSarah]

It's probably not normal. Disboard is filled with lots of 6 figure earners.

I didn't think about that but it makes sense.

 

[DCbride]

We spend $300-350 per kid and I always make the number the same. It's a challenge trying to be fair and even since I have 1 in med school, a senior in college and a 6 yo. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with the family!

This year the older kids are getting a plane ticket each so they will be getting lots of small items. DD6 is already done! She loves Lego friends so I got a few on sale and Infinity game system for a great price the first day it went on sale. Thanks to Disboard.

 

[yellowjacketfan]

It's probably not normal. Disboard is filled with lots of 6 figure earners.

Not necessarily. My kids are college age now, but we spent well over $500 each for most all of the teen years, and still do. Dh makes good money now but that wasn't always the case. I do/did buy a lot of their winter clothes for Christmas along with things they want. Electronics are pricey! We like to do Christmas big in our house.

 

[msyjoa]

We spend 250-300. DD is an only child as well, and her birthday is in May, so we tend to spend the same amount then. I assume the price tag will increase once she is a teenager, as she is only 4 now (and has not yet discovered American Girl dolls )

 

[Brittmarie04]

7!

Yea my Dd is 9 and we got her a giant dry erase board at office max and put on her wall. She loves office supplies

 

[meajuly5]

Yea my Dd is 9 and we got her a giant dry erase board at office max and put on her wall. She loves office supplies

Thanks! Great idea

 

[lucyem]

I would have checked other if the choice was there. What we spend it totally depends on the child, the age and their needs/wants that year.