Gamom3 Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Dd was invited to a friends birthday party. I was asking the mom what the child would like. She told me dc had put a wish list in the invitation. There are some expensive things this child is asking for!!!!!!!!!! I normally try not to go over $10..I know cheap! This is getting out of hand when a dc ask for nintendo ds games! What would you get a 11yr old girl??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Dd was invited to a friends birthday party. I was asking the mom what the child would like. She told me dc had put a wish list in the invitation. There are some expensive things this child is asking for!!!!!!!!!! I normally try not to go over $10..I know cheap! This is getting out of hand when a dc ask for nintendo ds games! What would you get a 11yr old girl??? We used to say around $10, but that's getting more and more difficult. Now we aim for around $15. We would not be giving anyone a DS game, you can be sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Can I mention how tacky it is when a mother includes a wish list along with the birthday invitation? :glare: I spend $20 or less on birthday gifts for friends of my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 If this is a child my kiddo has met recently through a current extra-curricular and likely won't maintain the friendship with for more than a few months, I wouldn't go more than $10 or $15, either. And it also depends on what we're buying. If I'm just looking for something to wrap up so my kid doesn't go to the party empty-handed, I'll try to be frugal. However, my son is attending a party this weekend for a boy he's known for several years. We're friendly with the family, and we're giving books as a gift. We're giving three books (completing a series that both boys are reading), and it'll cost me close to $25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnolia Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Since dd only attends 4-5 a year, I do $20.00 + $5.00 for card/wrapping. I try to get that $20.00 gift on sale to help bring the cost down a little. ;) But, keep the value around $20. But, some party givers only give a couple days' notice. So it is hard to plan ahead for those unless I have gifts stocked up.:D I do tend to buy in bulk when I see a good sale. One year, Sam's had the MLPony castle sets marked down after Christmas from 40.00 to ~$12. I bought four of those for that year's parties. Last year Library and Educational Services had the Focus on the Family Narnia tapes (the set of 7) on sale for $10. I bought 5 of those for bday gifts. (Little risky since not everyone has a tape player anymore.) Amazon has been having nintendo ds games (cat2, dog2, horse2, etc) for a little over $10 ea. I bought 3 of those for gifts (not sure how many would have a ds so limited the buy there). And I will re-use gift bags and have dd make a card if there's time. Dd's public-schooled friends attend about 20-25 parties (class size) so their moms do the $10 gift limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 between ten and twenty bucks, depending on the quality of the friendship, plus a few bucks for wrapping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Can I mention how tacky it is when a mother includes a wish list along with the birthday invitation? :glare: :iagree: I would look at her list to determine her interests and get an item within that category that fits within your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 $10 and shop at Walmart. For that age - some nail polish or hair clips/ribbons etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandpsmommy Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 We usually spend $15-$20 for the gift and probably another $5 for the card and gift bag/wrapping paper. I can't imagine including a wish list in a birthday invitation! We actually asked her friends not to bring gifts to dd's 3rd birthday party (her first party to invite playmates) because the child had so many toys already, and I knew her relatives would overwhelm her with gifts anyway. She still has the really sweet cards that her friends brought her that year, many of them homemade. Since then we have not said anything about gifts in the invitation. Around their birthdays, I do prepare a list for myself of items that dc might like to have so that I am prepared to give suggestions if parents call to ask what they would like, but I *intentionally* make them relatively inexpensive items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Me Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 We don't spend a lot either, on gifts. Here is what me dd loves to do. Go to the dollar section at Target, or the travel section at any store, and buy lots of travel sized lotions, body washes, shampoos, etc. You can get lots of htis type of stuff for $10 dollars. She matches colors as much as she can (ie. all pink lotion, body wash, polish, bath puff) and then puts it all in a cute bag or blue jean purse that she makes from her old worn out pairs. Her friends love this - only now she has to remember who has gotten a jean purse and who hasn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I usually consider how many of my dc's are invited. For example: If we are invited to Chuck E Cheese, I know that each child is about $10-15each child (what they're paying for)- if both ds and dd are invited I usually would spend $20-30 for presents. If only one is invited then I spend $10-15, KWIM? I usually end up spending $20 because I love getting gift for kids (dh doesn't mind). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Dd was invited to a friends birthday party. I was asking the mom what the child would like. She told me dc had put a wish list in the invitation. There are some expensive things this child is asking for!!!!!!!!!! I normally try not to go over $10..I know cheap! This is getting out of hand when a dc ask for nintendo ds games! What would you get a 11yr old girl??? $10 is my max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovans4 Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 One thing I have been doing this year is wrapping birthday gifts in the Sunday comic pages, and my kids always make birthday cards for their friends. This really helps to cut down on cost, especially when the paper and card usually just gets tossed. I don't see too many 10 yr old boys saving the wrapping paper like my mom used to do! Depending on the relationship with the birthday child, we usually spend $15 - $20 on the gift. LauraD in MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Can I mention how tacky it is when a mother includes a wish list along with the birthday invitation? :glare: I spend $20 or less on birthday gifts for friends of my children. Yes, very very tacky!! I shoot for $10-$15, although lately I have taken to just giving a Barnes & Noble gift card for $15 because then they can choose a book (or movie, I suppose) of their choice. My kids love getting gift cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 When we lived in an upscale town in N. CA I couldn't believe the gifts people gave-- it was insane. My son at 6 received a $60 RC monster truck. There is no way I could compete with that. I was flabergasted. Here in our tiny country town in OH gifts are much more reasonable. Like Mindy said, we have been giving B&N gift cards. $15 is our limit for friend birthdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Well, when ds was in nursery school and invited to lots of parties, we spent a lot less. Now, he has a couple of friends with whom we reciprocate invites. Probably around $20. But there are only 2 of these friends that we do this for. If it were a less close friend, less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 We spend $20 or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetpeach Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Totally depends on the kid and the family. For our dearest dear friends, I might drop $40 a kid. For the neighbour up the street, $15 would be a stretch. For friends in our church who are struggling financially, I might buy a really special gift for the child and give it to Mom and Dad -- they can decide what to do next. It just all depends . . . I'm absolutely no help! *sigh* - why do I bother posting my useless answers? T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetpeach Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Really nervous to throw this out to the hive, but so be it. When we were living downtown in our very small square footage semi, we had no space to breathe, let alone manage a truck-load of birthday presents. I asked all the parents to bring along a toonie (A Canadian $2 coin) and a poem for my son. Of course, some parents brought a bit more, but I don't think anyone brought more than $5. I didn't do treat bags either. We then took him to a toy store, and he bought one gift, for the sake of space. Tacky? Practical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I despise the whole birthday indulgence. The 'who's who of spoiled kids' begins at birth and only encouraged by parents into the teen years. I don't let my kids attend many parties b/c it's truly out of control (at least in our community). If you spend less than $25 you are cheap. Sorry, but that is the max we spend unless it's a BFF (for a long time). What happened to "it's the thought that counts?" LOL Enough of shouting from my soap box... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 It does depend on the friend. For the "lifers," I'll go up to $20 or so. If I find something REALLY REALLY COOL that I know they will love, I will get that. Books are always high on my list, especially if I know a child has not been introduced to Skippyjon Jones! :D Otherwise, I try to do consumables, like art supplies or something along those lines, because I know that I have way too much cr@p in my house and don't want to contribute to anyone else's. I like the idea of nail polish and hair stuff, too. My girlies have really enjoyed getting stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Now see, this doesn't bother me as much as a wish list. I think it kind of leans toward a "special" kind of gift, because of the poem. I have done "no gifts necessary", and people still bring stuff. My ds is the only one who has gotten an invitation with a wish list, but after I got over the shock, I realized that most of the invitees were family, and we just got the same invitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 We spend around $15, unless it's a really close family friend. In that case we might go to $25. I try to pick up things on sale/clearance during the year and keep them in a gift "closet" to pull out as needed. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Around $15 for just a normal friend. My eldest is 12 and for her best friends we'll spend a bit more. Similar with our good Army friends who are more like family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 For a girl that age you could get stationary or a journal with pretty pens, or jewelry from Claire's, perhaps a book or two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Sometimes we will get something for less. My kids' friends have never made a wish list, so my kids usually just pick something out that they know their friend will like. I probably wouldn't shop of the list anyway. For my high school son, we mainly do a $10 gift card to Coldstone or Starbucks. Teens are too hard to shop for! Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 We're in the same range as most here: no more than $20, $10-15 is average. Maybe the wish list was also set up for grandparents and others who might have more money to spend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riada Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 We always do a $10 gift card or just $10. My children attend too many b-days for us to spend more than that on each child. My thoughts for an 11yr. old girl would be: gift card or money to spend as she wants dollar store purse filled with nail polish, hair accessories, comb, braceletts etc. stationary pack with pretty paper, envelopes, pencil or pen, and some stickers gift cert. for movie theatre, ice cream shop, or maybe McDonald's money(book of money coupons for there). Scrapbooking kits sold at Walmart, not too expensive but have a lot in them Canvas tote that they decorate with iron ons, kit sold at Walmart for $10 That's all I can come up with, hope some of it helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommylaw Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 We spend $20 for the gift and $5 for the card, paper, and bow. If it's a BFF I'll go up a bit. I also try to buy in bulk when I see a good sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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