How much do you spend on each of your children for christmas?

Hi i spend on average $400.00 on little missy i got told i was going over board so i was wondering how much other people spend on there kids?

We don't have a set budget every year, but we do try to keep it reasonable. If there is something in particular we want for the kids, we'll get it IYKWIM? But my Mum usually goes berserk and buys more than enough for them it doesn't matter how much we get for them LOL!

We haven't done the xmas thing yet in this house but to me $400 sounds like way to much. When #2 arrives are you prepared to spend $800 each xmas?

This will be our first proper Christmas with presents for Madeline as she was born on Christmas Eve last year. We bought her birthday & Christmas presents in the K-Mart toy sale and fortunately only spent about $100 in total. She will be getting 2 presents for each event (and I know she will be soooo spoilt by everyone else too). For a 1 year old, I just can't justify spending excessive amounts; but I can understand at school age spending up to $200-$250 per child.

I think your own choice of money you're spending on your child/ren has alot to do with your upbringing and financial position. I came from a family of 5 children so there was no way my parents on one wage could afford $400/child. Perhaps that's why I find that much too excessive; but for someone else it might not be.

We dont really have a set amount but it would definately be around the $400 mark...wouldnt be less. It gets more expensive as they get older so they definately have more for their money when they are little.

Jo

I think I've gone a little OTT as well. I have already spent over $250 though I will probably give Em stuff before Christmas as he has 3 toys and thats it atm. And I will prob spend a bit more as well - I just can't help myself LOL!! I love Christmas and it will be his first so I'm giving myself free reign LOL.

As horrible as it sounds if we ever had more kids we probably wouldn't spend as much mainly because we'd have heaps of stuff from Emerson. As it stands we barely have anything. I can't imagine what family etc sre going to buy! Its going to be a little insane come Christmas I think!

We usually spend about $50 on each of them.

We have a birthday budget of $50 and a Christmas budget of $60 atm. We know as they get older it will increase but we decided early on that we would make the days heaps more important than the gifts, so some birthdays will be zoo trips, or parties or something like that and Christmas will be an important family day. I can't remember any presents I got as a child, but I remember the days much more.

hubby and I debate this issue on a regular basis, lol I come from a family where Christmas is a very big deal and everyone is spoilt for this one day. Hubby is from a family where money wasn't tight but his family just didn't believe in making christmas a big deal. Hubby is used to receiving 2 presents on christmas morning and can't understand why I love nothing more than to watch everyones faces light up on christmas morning when they see all the presents under the tree. At the moment I spend around$200 on the kids and $50 on the adults. I like to buy pressies through out the year at the new year and stocktake sales. Most stores let you layby and pay things off. I like to have all my shopping done by October, that way I have to time to make changes if someone asks for something specific, lol. I know alot of people think I go over the top when it comes to Christmas and I get alot of nasty comments from friends when they find out what my kids have received for christmas, but it's a day that means alot to me and if you enjoy spending money on your child then it's up to you how much you want to spend and what you can afford as a family. Every parent knows what feels right for their child and their family so please don't let anyone make you feel bad for spoiling your child at christmas. People have said that I am raising spoilt brats but I believe that if my children are polite and well manered then I am creating memories.

Our Christmas and birthdays budget is around the $100 mark, preferably less.
When laybying at the Kmart toysale recently I was in disbelief at how high with toys some people had their trolleys piled with - Where do they put them all??? LOL That is actually one of the reasons I wont get Aidyn more stuff, and he already has so much due to grandparents/relatives etc, and I dont even have room for what he does have!
We will probably blow out his Christmas budget this year, only because we are getting him a big boy bed and quilt cover set & the works, and he will get a couple of toys on top of that. But that is just a once off.
No doubt as he gets older Christmas will become more expensive for us...
I like your idea of having special outings instead Christy... we are planning to do that for Aidyn too from next year...

ETA: just wanted to add that I dont disagree with spending heaps on money on presents for Christmas. I love buying presents for people, and if we had more money I would be spending more on everyone, but have to keep it within reason atm! For family that is not DP or Aidyn, I will spend $20-$30 on each person (this is a set rule that me and my 4 sisters have with each other anyway!) and DP will spend up to $100 on his mother and brother.

Mark and I have this conversation too. From what it sounds like to me him and his brothers never got a lot for Christmas and birthdays so I guess thats why he isn't really fused with it. My borthers and I never got heaps either but my Mum always made it look like there was alot there.

I know that I spend way too much on my kids for both Christmas and birthdays and now of course it it expected. I won't even go into how much I have put on laybuy for this year already. Suffice to say that it will probably end up being in excess of $500 each kid. ( I have an xbox 360 on laybuy for the big boys and that alone is $780 so.......)

Fruitwood I am with you. Christmas Day means alot to me. As I grew up we had varying amounts spent on us - generally around $50 - $100 - the amount never mattered though it was the spirit of giving and sharing that did! I will always spend what I can afford - no more, no less. I'm so excited about Christmas this year. I know that next he will be at a better age but this year is his first!!!! So excited - I can't wait to get the christmas tree up hehe!!

Because my children are older, we spend alot more money on them. Last year, it was approx $700 per child. But, I do buy things through the year and we layby the more expensive things a few months before and pay them off just before xmas.

I meant to add, but of course didn't.... that it does really depend on what your family has decided to do. IF you are happy with the amount you are spending & are able to, go for it. :)

I'd like to add that this year is proving to be really hard because our kids have way too much stuff that has been given to them over the years and we just don't know what to get them that A wont clutter up their rooms more then they are and B is something that is practical that they can really use.

Sherie, I am with you... I was thinking about Christmas presents last night & I have no idea what the girls want or need!
I will grab Maddy some DS games to go with her nintendo.

As its' only my family here's what happens... We each buy 1 other (adult) person in the family' a present by pulling a name out of a hat & you spend $75 on that person...

Then I buy for my nieces & nephew...

I get DH something & I buy him lot's coz I love lot's of pressies under the tree!

I also buy gifts for the kid/s throughout the year at Sales etc...

But this year I am totally 100% stumped!

I might book a weekend away somewhere for all of us??? Coz I ahve no idea Indah has so much already & it hasnt even been her b'day yet where I already know she is getting way too much! AAARRRGGGHHHH Tooo much to worry about!

I usually spend about $200 but realise when I am wrapping them that that was only when I counted in the beginning of the year the rest I grabbed has way out done that but as it's bits & pieces here & there who knows I dont count anymore!!!!

Well i'm a bit scared to say how much we've put on layby this year lol. But because Lily's birthday is 2 weeks before christmas, we buy something for each, because when she a bit older, 2 weeks will seem like forever to her, so decided not to just buy one big one for both, iykwim. But we have put on layby about $700 all up. That is including though, Lily's birthday, christmas for both Lily and bub and also for Jacob and myself. So for Lily it probably works out at being about $150 each for christmas and birthday. Last year we only spent about $250 all up(xmas and bday) and the year before that was only about $70 for xmas as she was only 2 weeks old. I think though this has a lot to do with our upbringing as both Jacob and I are an only child, we were spoilt rotten!

My kids have become super expensive since becoming old enough to know how much things cost! Lol! I reckon their Chrissy presents set us back about $200-300 each every year. Last year, Shay and Zaki both got Ipod Nanos and Ariani got a gold chain and pendant.

I have already put about $400 worth of toys on layby for Charlie, and I havent even started Chrissy shopping yet! ROFL!

yup totally agree the older they are the more expensive it is. ds is 6yrs old and everything he would love is around the $100 mark, and i hate just buying cheap stuff to fill the stocking cause by new years it is usually broken lol.

we usually get something around the $100 mark for each child, then santa will bring something around $100 - $150 sometimes between them, this year is a games table thing but dd won't be able to play with it to little, but she can get in the way lol. then i usually spend probably around $250 on ds for other santa pressies and atm around $100 for dd, being smaller the stuff for her seems to be cheaper. then they both get a nice outfit to wear xmas day plus new pj's and jocks and socks etc

:) Thanks guys i do buy things through the year and layby when sales are on plus i often buy things for my sisters (they pay me back) to give to her

Whilst we don't have alittle one yet (S/he is due in December of course) we have put a budget in plan so that we spend $200 on presents for our kids. $100 of that is from us and other $100 is from "santa". Things will be laybyed throughout the year - when the specials are on - which is what we currently do for all christmas/birthday presents.

This year Em & Jack are getting a Nintendo Wii (about $500) between them and a couple of games and then they will get a few smaller presents each, probably a necklace each (surfy type ones) and some new clothes. They get plenty from everyone else so we don't spend heaps.

Don't know about Asha ... the kids certainly doesn't need any new toys and she is still in a size one so unless she grows heaps all her summer clothes from last year will still fit her!!! Maybe some new sandpit toys and the sand for her sandpit!!! Not sure what else yet.

Oh and the kids will all get their bathers and boardies for the year (every Xmas they get new ones!)

Cheers

As a couple of people have said, it gets so much harder to keep the cost down when kids get older, unfortunately. So far I have gotten most of the kids presents for Christmas, and I have found I have spent an uneven amount on each, not intentionally, its just the way things have worked out. So far I have spent about $80 on Eleanor, $150 on Reilly and about $400 on Isaac, which is a pretty big difference. It would be impossible to make the cost even, so I just worry about a similar amount of presents instead, and I know it will all even up as they get older.

We have a limit of $100 per child. Or 1 large joint present between them and them smaller stuff for santa sacks.

The boys inc Ashton will be getting a proper cubby house for xmas this year. Okay so Ashton wont be playing in it for quite a while lmao. That is their joint present. Kameron will then get school related stuff as he will be off to school, Lachlan we are not sure off as yet, and we are also not sure on Ashton yet either for their smaller things. But cause of the Cubby House we would probably only spend $50-$70 on the smaller stuff.

Birthdays we also spend up to $100 per child but will go over that if it is something they really need/want. We already have Kameron's b/day present in case I go into labour early and that was $80

Love

Not sure how much i have spent on lay-bys for christmas i think it's about $800 and that is without what i have put away already.

I only go OTT because we have no close family living here in Australia and i know MIL will send money so it saves me looking just before Christmas if i have got it already.

I usually buy 1 big present (about $100) and a couple of little things (about $50) each child. This year i banned indoor toys, as the kids have way too many, so i spend $379 on a bouncy castle for the boys, together. Its big enough!! But DH wanted a train set for them both (they both adore trains...) so he bought the $299 Thomas set from the target sale. And anneliese will only be 6m old at xmas, so i'll get her a couple of lil things, she'll enjoy unwrappin them more than the toysFor Xanders first xmas (good tip to those with lil ones at xmas time) buy big things that can be split up (i bought a sandpit set, about 10 pieces in total, and wrapped them all separately) cost me about $15, and he loved it.

That's a great idea about buying things that can be split Simone! Especially when sometimes its more about the excitement of unwrapping then the actual presents!!!

its good when they are little as its actually true that they enjoy the wrapping or the boxes more than the actual pressies!!! Or just buy them their next seasons clothes and put them under the tree... more unwrapping :)

this year I have put about $800 on christmas layby, but thats for 13 kids including mine, as we have a big family so I spent about $20 on each extended family child ( 11 ) and then the rest on our kids we got them one pressie each and tehn a big one to share and i will get them a few small things too like clothes etc.... I got Peiter a Roboraptor, and some books and a dinner set, and I got Grace an electric ride on dora trike and some barbie dvd's and book and a dinner set, and we usually buy them a nice outfit to wear christmas day and I wrap that so they can have another pressie to open,

We always put a small pressie at the end of their bed that they open as soon as they wake up, then they get one really good pressie that they really wanted and then a big joint pressie This year its one of those enclosed round trampolines,
I know I probably go OTT but I dont get to buy them alot during the year and the christmas layby;s allow me to be able to spoil them a little, like a few others said I really consider christmas the biggest day of the year, it was always so special as a child and I want my kids to have that too

I love nothing more than buying gifts for people but I tend not to go overboard at Christmas, particularly with kids. If there is something special the kids would like or need, I tend to wait till their birthdays to give it to them.

I'm taking the same approach with my own son. The things I've just bought him for Christmas at the toy sales weren't expensive or elaborate. There's not much point in going berserk with a young baby anyway.

This is prolly shocking but we spend about $800 per child at christmas with the eldest being 11 years thats only a few toys and a few PSP games and his birthday is december 11 so he seems to have a bit of a madigras birthday/christmas thing and DD is 8 so its barbie stuff and a little more gameboy gear OH and this year that includes a joint pressie of a TRAMPOLINE and those babies dont come cheap, My mother works a target so we do target toy sale earlier with staff not the general public so we tend to go overboard and our BABY JETT will be 9 months so we got him tonnes of fisher price gear and it totalled about $300 but he will be getting more once it gets closer to xmas and we see what he really plays with.

We spend around $50 per adult and we have 8 of them to buy for and.....I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTY BY CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR, so first chrissie for 2 babies this year which will be SUPER!!!!! so I will prolly spend about $100 ON MIA MY NIECE!!!!!!

we have had this tradition for ever so we plan christmas all year and we love it DH is practically an orphan so he really gets into it all, we love it and people think we are mad but what ever you enjoy is most important.

And everyone is different so what ever gets you through the silly season is alright with me!!!

Lindie

Our issue is not so much with money, its with the amount of stuff Abby will be getting.

My sister has three children, and they get so much at xmas. They have every toy possible and its so hard to figure out what to get them. With one OTT nan and pop, and 3 aunties they she is bound to get heaps of stuff, not to mention her family on DF's side! I know they are going to go totally nuts as she is the only child!!

My worry is that I dont want Abby to have that many toys! Im not being mean, I just hate the toys all over the place and when kids have no idea what toys they have and they have no interest in them anyway. I have to have a think about what she needs and when ppl start asking about what to get her, i think ill be going with clothes, something for her room, a toy box... that sort of thing.

The system we have here, is that i rotate Abbys toys- so i bring out a few things for her to play with and she sticks with them for a week or two, then i put them away and bring something else out...IYKWIM and we plan on sticking to this as she gets older.

Anyway, as for what we will be spending- we have spent about $40 at the target sale on one toy from "us", and there is one more toy that we plan to get her, it costs $100 from "santa". Other than that, I will be doing a stocking, but it will be filled with little things like socks, hats, swimmers, sunnies etc and its mainly for her to have fun pulling things out etc. We wont be going over $200, and to be honest i even see that as a little too much at this age, but its her first xmas so i spose im ok with it.

As for everyone else-
Adults/couples- about $30
Parents- about $100
Children- 20-30<---- im going to be getting them clothes this year!!
Df and I spend about $300 on each other but that was before we had Abs, so it might change.

Our Christmas budget really varies depending sometimes on the size of my DH's annual bonus etc. We generally are pretty frugal and last year our entire Christmas expenditure was $2000... that was gifts for everyone. Our DD usually receives one "big" gift like a bike or mp3 player and 2 smaller ones ($20 each)... we'll probably only spend about $40 each on the boys this year.

:bump:

I have never understood why people spend so much on presents from santa... if I pay for something good I am taking the credit. :lol:
I have spent quite a bit this year as we decided to get a trampoline, but the boys will get hardly anything else. I would say normally about $100 each. Santa presents are always cheap... a couple of books and some toys from the $2 shop.

We do not have 'set' amount just get them the same amount of presents to open, but it is usually between $100-$200

They get a really good present from mum and dad at about $100, then a couple of smaller tree presents around 30-40 each. Their stockings are filled at about $40 each and then a big combined santa pressie. This year the combined santa pressie blew out in budget to $400, but we laybyed it back at the sales and got it $300 off, so no big drama there.

The only real set standard here is that they get the same amount of presents - or that will cause mega drama.

I don't like to go too over board with gifts as I'd like my kids to see christmas as more than just gifts. Prolly spend $50- $100 at most. If I want them to get something big I'll ask family to put in whatever they're planning on spending.

Probably a couple hundred each... i buy when things are on sale though

don't really have a set amount.. We will discuss what to get, and get it.. We are getting a plastic climbing frame/cubby, then other odds and ends. The others will be about $200 for DD when I have finished, but she won't outgrow them for a few years cause they aren't toys/clothes, IYKWIM. DS will just get a few new toys, just so he has something new for him, instead of hand-me-downs. Will prob get away with $50 for him this year cause he will only be 4 months, so easily please, LOL.

For nieces/nephews, max of $50, but if I can get something for a lesser amount, then I don't keep buying to use that amount.. So one might get a $20 pres,and one might get a $50 pres and so on. Just depends what I find when I go shopping.