Christmas Spending

[dancingqueen5678]

If you feel comfortable raising it I would. I refuse to believe any adult (especially if you’ve got kids to deal with) enjoys the idea of buying 9 presents for adults. Even if you just say look I need to opt out this year, pls don’t buy me anything!

I saw someone on Facebook mention they’d received a kids party invite that asked for no presents, or a gift to charity. Loved that & will be copying for my LO, we all have too much stuff we don’t need more.

I was going to say, I bet all the adults are racking their brains thinking of things to buy each other.

My other suggestions is a secret santa with a £15/£20 limit instead of all buying for each other? I know most people hate secret santa but it's much cheaper and everyone gets a gift

 

[Marmaladeapricot]

It depends. Some years we’ve spent as little as £50 , some years more. Depending on what we are buying. This year we are spending more as littlest needs a new bike so already spent £400 on that, but we buy bikes that we can sell on and hold their value. so selling his old one for £200. Will get him a few other bits too. My eldest wanted a gaming pc so we’ve got him one he can also use for school, that’s set us back a grand.

 

[rainbowlemon]

If I had family who I knew was struggling I honestly wouldn't expect anything from them even if it was the done thing.

I stopped buying presents for my parents three years ago, I don't get anything for my brother either and this year I'm not planning on getting my younger sisters anything. When I did two years ago but they're at that age where they really don't want or need anything.

You could give a small box of chocolates it really doesn't matter though I can understand the pressure to keep but as I've gotten older I just can't be ar**d anymore.

I've only bought a £5 M&S shortbread tin which I always give to a family friend each year and for another I'll order a £5 ALDI gift card by post. With people who matter you really don't have to try hard at all.

 

[dancingqueen5678]

I don't know if this helps and might be quite childish to adults but when my friends and I were in college, we couldn't afford to buy each other gifts (there was 8 of us in the group) so on the last day of college before the Christmas holiday, we would all bring in a "party" food and have a buffet type thing to celebrate. Was much cheaper than buying presents and it felt really special cause we would all make the effort to celebrate together. I don't know if it's do-able but it's just an idea

 

[Snippysnips]

I would be careful with buying gift cards/vouchers for places

The year that dorethy perkons, Wallis an Evans all went out of buisness I had bought a gift card for my mum, at the time we had heard they were facing difficulties an liquidation, so I gave her the card early incause it went bust, apparntly because they had went into liquidation it meant that in order to spend the card I had to pay half, she had £25 on the gift card but to spend it it had to come to £50 an I had to pay in cash the other £25 otherwise they refused to take the card

 

[HumphreyB]

I dont have a budget, I buy them what they ask for within reason and there has only been a couple of times Ive said no. They have a wish list and they are allowed wish for 3 things. Its been this way since they were little. They will get those 3 things and then some surprises.
This year I would have loved to get the eldest a PS5, he never asks for anything but I just cant seem to find one.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

I don't know if this helps and might be quite childish to adults but when my friends and I were in college, we couldn't afford to buy each other gifts (there was 8 of us in the group) so on the last day of college before the Christmas holiday, we would all bring in a "party" food and have a buffet type thing to celebrate. Was much cheaper than buying presents and it felt really special cause we would all make the effort to celebrate together. I don't know if it's do-able but it's just an idea

Not childish at all, it sounds perfect!

 

[coconochanel]

I dont have a budget, I buy them what they ask for within reason and there has only been a couple of times Ive said no. They have a wish list and they are allowed wish for 3 things. Its been this way since they were little. They will get those 3 things and then some surprises.
This year I would have loved to get the eldest a PS5, he never asks for anything but I just cant seem to find one.

You need to check out ps5stockalertuk on twitter it tells you when they are dropping and in which shop. That's how I got my OH's.

 

[Tinkerbell cat]

I haven't got kids but I do have a relatively large family and for gifts for my partner etc it isn't cheap. I think in total I will spend around £1000. But I have been putting money aside to do this. I have 4 nephews, 1 niece, but won't be going all out on over the top gifts for them because they get so much, and half of it isn't even looked at so I will be getting them clothes, pj's, and a playstation game/voucher for the oldest one. I love giving presents at Christmas! Always have. More so than receiving.

 

[TheScarletgirl]

I tend to budget £200-£250 on gifts for everyone. I am going to cut down going out as much to afford it all.

 

[PinkMariner]

I haven't got kids but I do have a relatively large family and for gifts for my partner etc it isn't cheap. I think in total I will spend around £1000. But I have been putting money aside to do this. I have 4 nephews, 1 niece, but won't be going all out on over the top gifts for them because they get so much, and half of it isn't even looked at so I will be getting them clothes, pj's, and a playstation game/voucher for the oldest one. I love giving presents at Christmas! Always have. More so than receiving.

I am the same - we have 13 nieces and nephews to buy for, plus 2 god children and all the associated adults. I love giving gifts! I try to stick to about £40 per person, but I do like everyone to have 2 or 3 bits to open so it does go over. My sister always gets more - since her husband died I make sure she has stuff from her girls and also something special from us. For hubby we have a budget of £100 but I always go over!! I reckon in total, I will spend about £1000 on gifts.

 

[Hastaggifted]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

 

[StrawberryCream]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

It’s probably because you’ve started early, I am so bad for this. I have bought all my Christmas presents and I keep thinking about more I can buy I need to start doing my Christmas shopping the week before then it’s done and we can’t spend anymore money!

 

[Twinks10]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

Speak to your 14yr old (and maybe your 9yr old too) and explain that you’ve spent the same amount of money on each of them but because your 14yr old wants more expensive things, they’ll have physically less than the younger ones because their presents are cheaper, therefore they’ll have more but they’ve all had the same amount spent on them.
This is the approach I take with my older kids, I have two teens and two toddlers and my eldest is asking for an iPhone so they’re very aware that there won’t be much else IF they get that and that the little ones will have much more. I do spend less on the little ones compared to the teens but they get the same budget and they know this.
It’s an approach that has worked for me as they’ve got older and they’ve accepted it.
Hope that helps x

 

[Hastaggifted]

Speak to your 14yr old (and maybe your 9yr old too) and explain that you’ve spent the same amount of money on each of them but because your 14yr old wants more expensive things, they’ll have physically less than the younger ones because their presents are cheaper, therefore they’ll have more but they’ve all had the same amount spent on them.
This is the approach I take with my older kids, I have two teens and two toddlers and my eldest is asking for an iPhone so they’re very aware that there won’t be much else IF they get that and that the little ones will have much more. I do spend less on the little ones compared to the teens but they get the same budget and they know this.
It’s an approach that has worked for me as they’ve got older and they’ve accepted it.
Hope that helps x

Thank you I have said to 14yr old that his pile will be much, much smaller, but filled with all the expensive games etc he has asked for ( if he's been good ) so he will understand. I understand. It's just mum guilt when you see them wrapped up compared to the others. I just need to stop spending and give my head a wobble .

 

[Daisymai]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

My brother’s pile always looked pathetic compared to me and my sister’s pile but we always knew that Mum spent the same amount on each of us. His was usually games with chocolate and smellies to pad it out

 

[HumphreyB]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

What I did was make sure they all had the same amount of gifts to open. We wrap their gifts. So while the piles were different sizes the number of gifts the same even if it meant wrapping 2 action men together for the one game the older kid got if that makes sense.

 

[Raininvain]

The greatest gift you can give to people is to say lets not bother with xmas presents.
I think the exception is with your parents and children. Though I do think kids don't need thousands of pounds spent on them.. Surely the day is about spending time together and having a nice meal not getting the latest Playstation and thousands of other things.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

Thank you I have said to 14yr old that his pile will be much, much smaller, but filled with all the expensive games etc he has asked for ( if he's been good ) so he will understand. I understand. It's just mum guilt when you see them wrapped up compared to the others. I just need to stop spending and give my head a wobble .

Agree completely - and ultimately the gift is the hours of gameplay, and multiple games will be hundreds if not thousands of hours of play with online multi player universes too. It’s just it looks very different to what a younger child would receive! I wouldn’t worry yourself honestly, it’s not as if you can get him the Barbie mansion too is it

 

[Elles20]

So I need someone to come and give me a shake. I have 3 children 14, 9 and 6. The 14 Yr old has asked for xbox games and similar which are £55 a pop where as 9 and 6 have asked for toys meaning I can get way more for the price. So I got my daughter a massive barbie plane, and a barbie mansion thingy and it costs the price of 4 games, but will be much more wow factor at Christmas. The needing a shake is because now I've wrapped them all, the 14 year old pile is shocking, although I've probably spent £500 + on him in total , I feel like I need to buy him some more to top up the amount of presents. know that's ridiculous but

The best presents come in small packages anyway. Plus he is 14 so would understand.