How much are you spending on your child(ren) for Christmas this year?

[mama2cntrykids]

Over the years past, we haven't had a whole lot at Christmas time, so the kids haven't gotten too much. This year though, we have more to work with.

 

So, I'm curious, how much are you looking at spending this year?

[3littlekeets]

In great years and bad, our kids get 4 and only 4 gifts from "Santa" and none from us :-).

 

They get

 

Something they want

Something they need

Something to play with

Something to read.

 

 

It has been a wonderful tradition for us (picked it up online somewhere when my oldest was an infant) because it keeps us from overspending even when we have the cash. And, $$ wise, we never spend much more than $500.00 for all our Christmas needs, including a tree, stocking stuffers and gifts for other family members.

[ma23peas]

Our kids get 3 gifts (from the three gifts brough by the Wise Men) and we spend less than $100 on each.....we're sticking to strict budgets and any extras we put towards money for vacation....we'd rather have money on vacation than 'things' at Christmas....

 

HTH!

Tara

[GoVanGogh]

No clue.

Our only child is a Christmas baby, so I just shop until I feel like I have bought him 'enough' w/o going overboard then I split everything up - some for Christmas, some for birthday.

In the end, I always wish I had bought him just a tad bit more.

[Tree House Academy]

In great years and bad, our kids get 4 and only 4 gifts from "Santa" and none from us :-).

 

They get

 

Something they want

Something they need

Something to play with

Something to read.

 

It has been a wonderful tradition for us (picked it up online somewhere when my oldest was an infant) because it keeps us from overspending even when we have the cash. And, $$ wise, we never spend much more than $500.00 for all our Christmas needs, including a tree, stocking stuffers and gifts for other family members.

 

This is PERFECT! I love it. :)

 

We started doing something similar a few years ago with getting only 3 gifts each (two from us, one from Santa). One was something they can learn from, the other was something they read, and the last was a grab bag. One year, my older son got a microscope with slides, the Usborne IL Encyclopedia of Science (or something like that), and some pajamas. It was the best Christmas he has had in a long time.

 

We have found that the less we spend on the kids, and the less the get present-wise, the more they like, appreciate, and use/play with what they do get. :)

[3littlekeets]

This is PERFECT! I love it. :)

 

We started doing something similar a few years ago with getting only 3 gifts each (two from us, one from Santa). One was something they can learn from, the other was something they read, and the last was a grab bag. One year, my older son got a microscope with slides, the Usborne IL Encyclopedia of Science (or something like that), and some pajamas. It was the best Christmas he has had in a long time.

 

We have found that the less we spend on the kids, and the less the get present-wise, the more they like, appreciate, and use/play with what they do get. :)

 

You know, my kids remember their presents from nearly every Christmas, and they do appreciate them. I have two sisters that stack presents roof high :tongue_smilie:, and their kids still whine about what they didn't get and they don't remember anything 1 year later. Two years ago we spend the holidays with my sisters and they were convinced my kids would feel cheated by Santa when they saw the cousins' mounds of goods. Of course, my kids were thrilled by their gifts.

 

My then 6 year old asked why the other kids got more, and we explained that Santa shares the values of the family when he picks presents, and we don't like having that much stuff around because it made it harder to appreciate the really good things. He then asked if that is why GoodWill has so much cool stuff? :lol:.

 

I was hoping my sisters might take note (and start college funds instead of spending thousands each Christmas), but alas -- it just isn't their thing :D.

[Daisy]

We usually stick to around $100 each, so $200 total.

[dm379]

We don't have any set amounts. Some years are better than others. Last Christmas the kids got about 8 things each because the Christmas before they got 1 thing each because we were in the middle of moving. This coming Christmas they'll be at 1 thing each because we'll be in the middle of moving and will have no space. They understand and have never had any complaints. It was really hard 2 yrs. ago though when our kids couldn't have anything because we were living out of suitcases and we opened presents at my brother's house whose kids got *everything*.

[Rosie_0801]

About $200, I'd figure. It seems like a large amount, but they don't actually get a very big pile, and they don't get much throughout the year. In fact I think the only non-schoolish thing I've bought Zia in the past year, other than her birthday present, was a brooch. That's about what my parents spent on each of us, and far more than dh's very rich parents spent on him. He doesn't really get my thing with Christmas shopping, but he doesn't think what he got really created a great atmosphere either. One year he got a broken computer to pull apart, and his mother actually put an orange in his Christmas stocking another year. I couldn't believe that. I like to hand make something for them each year, and the materials for those things can be expensive.

 

Rosie

[mjpeter]

In great years and bad, our kids get 4 and only 4 gifts from "Santa" and none from us :-).

 

They get

 

Something they want

Something they need

Something to play with

Something to read.

 

 

It has been a wonderful tradition for us (picked it up online somewhere when my oldest was an infant) because it keeps us from overspending even when we have the cash. And, $$ wise, we never spend much more than $500.00 for all our Christmas needs, including a tree, stocking stuffers and gifts for other family members.

 

 

Love this! Things always start to get out of hand by the time our gifts, Santa gifts, and all the gifts from relatives add up...we were thinking of doing something similar.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Our kids only get 3 gifts from us and also we stay under $100.

 

I love the idea of something they want, something they need, something to play and something to read!

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

I'll have about $25 for each boy. They'll each get one modest gift and something in their stocking.

 

We'll make it up in traditions, thankfully!

 

Our boys have had lean Christmases before, but every year they say it was the best ever.

[Denisemomof4]

not much. I think we've done WAY too much for our kids, and when this happens, they don't appreciate it. This year will be DRASTICALLY scaled back. I've asked dh twice now to return items if I get too much. My problem is that I start to shop early and I often times forget what I bought. When we drag it all out, it's just way, way, way too much. Dd10 needs to have her room clean, clothing taken care of and put away NEATLY before I buy more than needed clothing again. My boys, good kids I adore (and they drive me crazy), I will get a few clothing items and *maybe* some cash to use after Christmas when everything is on sale. My youngest is a tale in and of herself. ;)

 

You have more to work with, so I'm glad you'll be able to do more. We have done too much, and we truly need to scale back. WAY back.

[DawnM]

This year will be leaner. Between DH's pay cut and our expenses going up a bit, we have already told them Christmas will be slim. We do get them things all year long though, so it isn't like they get nothing the rest of the year.

 

Dawn

[Nakia]

We are planning to spend around $200 each. That's about average for us. The nice thing is that we don't have to buy for a lot of extended family (only around 6-7 people including our parents), so we have room to spend a bit more on our kids.

[FO4UR]

It depends if and when my dh gets a job...:crying:

 

I was just thinking this week about what I can make from materials we have around the house. I can make dd5 a nice doll, ds4 a set of bean bags (he will love them LOL), but I'm at a loss for ds7...

 

Last year we spent about $100 a piece.

[aggieamy]

We usually stick to around $100 each, so $200 total.

 

Yep. What she said.

 

Both girls will be getting an American Girl doll this year for Christmas from us and that's it. We are on a financial lockdown and it just seems foolish to spend money on toys when we might need it next December for necessities.

 

Before you start feeling bad for the girls though I will admit that I also do the shopping for my MIL, who is a nursing home, and my grandmother, who is 80 and doesn't get out much anymore. The girls will be getting a board games to share, Liberty Kids DVD's to share, some books, doll house furniture, and a little Playmobil set. They are not in the least bit deprived!

[abbeyej]

I don't think the total *amount* matters all that much (assuming it's within the family's budget). It might be very little, or it might seem like a lot to others...

 

We usually give a Christmas Eve gift -- this is a book and new pajamas (often homemade -- or if the kids don't *need* pajamas, it might be slippers, or one year they got matching robes).

 

On Christmas morning, they get stockings. These have an array of things from toothbrushes and an orange to a few pieces of candy, a cd or dvd, maybe a few small art supplies, card games, play jewelry or a hair accessory for dd, perhaps a small Lego or Playmobil thing for ds... We try to have a "friendly face" looking out of the top. That could be a stuffed animal or doll, but it's more often a gingerbread man.

 

Then each child gets one "big" gift -- past things in our house have been: an American Girl doll, a Playmobil castle, a small hand-held video camera, a 3/4 size (real) guitar, a hiking backpack... This year it might be ice skates for each child.

 

Then there usually end up being a few more smaller gifts, often shared between the kids -- family board games, puzzles, art supplies, that sort of thing.

 

We probably spend more $ than some other families. We are able to do so. We try to keep the quality of gifts high and the quantity low. I do not count exactly what is spent on each child each year and try to make the numbers match -- but I do try to keep the quantity and the "special-ness" roughly equivalent.

[Classical Country Mama]

I'll have about $25 for each boy. They'll each get one modest gift and something in their stocking.

 

We'll make it up in traditions, thankfully!

 

Our boys have had lean Christmases before, but every year they say it was the best ever.

 

:iagree:

 

Us too. I spent $25 on dd last year and will probably repeat that this year, or go even less. Other family members (I'm looking at YOU, Mom, love ya) send her a pile of presents, and it is just Way. Too. Much. Last year I almost wished I hadn't bought her anything. If they repeat that this year, I'm going to hold some back for another occasion.

 

Sweet ds won't get a thing from me--what does he know about presents??*

 

 

* p.s. I say that and mean it at the moment, but it's probably a lie. I'll probably get him a cute little thing so I'll have a pic for posterity of ds' first cute little Christmas present. It's all about the pictures, you see.

[Dandelion]

We have found that the less we spend on the kids, and the less the get present-wise, the more they like, appreciate, and use/play with what they do get. :)

 

We've found this to be true as well. We used to get TONS of gifts for DS (before DD was born) and he seemed overwhelmed by it all. Only a few were played with it, and it wasn't much appreciated. Last year, we decided to just give 3 presents total to each family member - and it was a much more pleasant Christmas! So...I don't know how much we'll spend (we don't have a budget for Christmas and we didn't make this change for financial reasons), but I do know we'll be sticking with the "3 gifts per person" rule...

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

:iagree:

 

Us too. I spent $25 on dd last year and will probably repeat that this year, or go even less. Other family members (I'm looking at YOU, Mom, love ya) send her a pile of presents, and it is just Way. Too. Much. Last year I almost wished I hadn't bought her anything. If they repeat that this year, I'm going to hold some back for another occasion.

 

Sweet ds won't get a thing from me--what does he know about presents??*

 

 

* p.s. I say that and mean it at the moment, but it's probably a lie. I'll probably get him a cute little thing so I'll have a pic for posterity of ds' first cute little Christmas present. It's all about the pictures, you see.

 

LOL! I love me a good Christmas photo op, too! I always got the babies a present. I assumed (but never proved) that it would bother the other kids if the baby didn't have one!

[dansamy]

We do three Santa gifts. I try to stay <$100/ea. This year, their gift from mom&dad is Disney's Christmas party & WWoHP. Mom/dad presents are usually things like board games and underwear. Last year, they received nothing from Mom/Dad because we went to Disney for SWW that June and at Mardi Gras right after Christmas. Next year, we are looking to maybe attend the Halloween party at Disney, so they will again get nothing from us. Only their three Santa presents.

Edited September 19, 2010 by dansamy

[BeckyFL]

About $150 each.

[Luckymama]

No idea yet. It really depends on the needs/wants of the kids.

 

Last year we bought the teenagers their own laptops. I comparison-shopped for two months until I hit a really good deal---$275 ea---for the right combination of features and ratings. That was ALL those two got, with the exception of fun items in their stockings like makeup for dd and junk food I don't normally buy (spent under $10 each). The laptops were a combination of a need (for school work) and a want (for fun---dd watches tv shows on hulu as we don't have cable/satellite anymore, ds plays around with electronica and dj programs as well as plays games).

[skueppers]

We usually spend about $100 on each child. It's likely to consist of a Playmobil set and some books from Germany.

 

They do get 7 or 8 gifts from other family members, which probably total around $150 for each kid.

[angela in ohio]

We have spent about $50 per child on three small gifts each in the past, mostly just so the little guy could have something to tell his friends when they asked what he got. Now that he's old enough to understand more, this year, I'm not sure we'll spend anything. There are a few reasons:

 

1. They are included in our family money making decisions, so they are able to buy what they need when and if they really need it.

 

2. We operate as a family unit, and we focus on our family unit buying gifts for others rather than each other. We buy very nice gifts for grandparents, nieces, nephews, and my unmarried brother.

 

3. They get plenty of gifts from other family members.

 

We do make each other things for Christmas. I think this year I will be making jammies for everybody.

 

Oddly, we have more financially to work with each year, but we spend less and less as we become more comfortable with being "odd." :D

[lynn]

No set dollar amount. Just whatever we feel like getting the kids.

[kwickimom]

We try to keep around $100 per kid, but this year will be less. I did a massive declutter this year and the kids all had lots of things they never played with.

 

I pick up stocking stuffer type things all year long at thrift stores and yard sales. Actually, we have most of the boys gifts from some really good yard sales.

 

My kids are blessed to be the only grandkids and they have 6 aunts and uncles on my side of the family alone. I could get them nothing and they wouldnt even notice!

[babysparkler]

I shop clearance sales all year long and pick up some great toys/games/books for 50-90% off. I keep these things in my closet and when grandparents (MIL & FIL) come for a visit they like to "shop" in my closet for things they want to give the kids. They insist on paying me full price on what they "buy" from me, so then I use the profits to get a few more things for the kids, and put the amount I spent on the gifts back into the bank. When they (or I) have something specific they want to give the kids I do my "online coupon" magic and act as their buying agent, getting to keep the coupon savings since they pay me full price (that they would have spent anyway if they had to go to the store to buy it, usually including tax or shipping costs because they are ultra-kind)... They have been wonderfully generous! They also add in some extra's from their attic that Dh used to play with as a kid :) so our tree is usually flooded with gifts.

 

So, Christmas typically costs us close to nothing. It is very helpful that my kids never really have specific "wants" and are appreciative of anything they are given. And, it is helpful that I'm really good at finding amazing clearance deals.

Edited September 19, 2010 by babysparkler

[SailorMom]

We usually spend somewhere around $150 for each kid. When they were younger, it was far less, because huge plastic trucks and balls were very impressive and cheap :)

In that $150, though, are board games for the whole family, clothes, art supplies, books, etc. So it isn't a toy fest.

What is difficult now is that although they really aren't greedy at all- In fact - both have only asked for one thing for X-Mas.... the problem is the "one thing" is something like an MP3 player or a guitar.

As for family - the boys and I pick an animal every year from the Heifer Fund catalog, send enough to buy that animal (or multiples of in the case of the bees we bought last year), and then make Christmas ornaments of that animal. We then send the ornament and a computer-printed card with the info about the Heifer Fund the animal we've purchased in their honor. We do buy gifts for younger children - sau, below 16 - but so far everyone has really loved the ornaments. No one in our extended family needs more "stuff".....

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I have no idea. My children are 18 and 13 and their wants are getting expensive. DD will be graduating this year and there are many expenses associated with that so much of our extra money will be spent already. We also want to take a family vacation in March for Spring Break so we are saving up for that trip.

 

I anticipate spending about $500 on everything but I don't know how much will be on each child.

[Guest momk2000]

Our oldest dd has a b-day right after Christmas. She has been diligently working on her lists. Her lists change so often, I have to give her a deadline after which she can no longer make any revisions - lol. Anything she thinks may be too costly for us she wiil put on her Christmas list. She says: "Don't worry, you won't have to pay for it, Santa will bring it to me." So she is putting the high ticket items on her Christmas list and everyhing else on the b-day list. We limit our spending to about $100 per child for Christmas, usually under $100 for b-day. This year, with the economy, this will even be a tight squeeze for us - uggh. I'm still trying to buy the rest of our curriculum for the year.

Thankfully, our youngest (5yrs) doesn't really have any specific requests for gifts yet, so we are more free to choose for her.

Our oldest is 9yrs and she still believes in Santa. Is this unusual for her age? She sort of questioned it last year, so we thought she would have figured it out on her own by now. Do we tell her who the real Santa is at this point? We really don't want to spoil it for her. It is likely she may not get what is on her list this year. The kids don't always get everything they ask for, we do tweak a little, but she seems so confident that she will get waht she wants from Santa this year. I almost wonder if she's testing us to see if we will come clean and tell her what she possibly already knows - lol. :confused:

[LaissezFaire]

I don't set an amount but also go by the little 4 presents poem. With an older child I might spend $100 or more. With a 2 year old I might spend $30 because the things they want or need are just much cheaper.

 

Forgot to add: We also have a tradition in our house because we have a large family and every kid buying their sibling a gift would equal a ton of gifts and money. After Thanksgiving dinner our kids all draw a name out of a hat (all family names are in it) and they are that person's secret santa for the season. They do secret special things for their person (make their bed, leave a candy under the pillow) and they also buy one special gift for them. Then on Christmas morning we try to guess who are person is and then find out.

Edited September 19, 2010 by LaissezFaire

[littlebug42]

In great years and bad, our kids get 4 and only 4 gifts from "Santa" and none from us :-).

 

They get

 

Something they want

Something they need

Something to play with

Something to read.

 

 

It has been a wonderful tradition for us (picked it up online somewhere when my oldest was an infant) because it keeps us from overspending even when we have the cash. And, $$ wise, we never spend much more than $500.00 for all our Christmas needs, including a tree, stocking stuffers and gifts for other family members.

 

 

I think I am going to adopt this plan this year. My kids have way too much and still have grandparents that purchase for them as well. I think this is a perfect solution.

[peachskittles]

I have no clue. Our families do not buy gifts for our boys, so it's just us getting them gifts at Christmas (and throughout the year). I've got to buy for 5 boys this year (yea!) and I'm seriously lost as to what we are even buying. I still have two birthdays to get through and even then I'm not sure what they are getting (and one is on Thursday...Ack!!).

[JFSinIL]

Now that they are teens, more than I'd like. They want more expensive items (iPods, electric guitars, cell phones) and I can't fob a garage sale box of Legos at them anymore ;-) plus I do not like giving only one present - I like to fill in around the edges of a big gift with clothes, books, dvds, etc.

[GoVanGogh]

Our families do not buy gifts for our boys, so it's just us getting them gifts at Christmas (and throughout the year).

I posted earlier, but wanted to comment on this.

We have an only child, so our child doesn't get gifts from siblings. And we live across the country from our family so don't have Christmas gatherings where DS receives gifts from cousins or aunts. Out of extended family, only MIL sends DS a gift for Christmas/birthday.

We probably spend quite a bit more for our child simply because what we buy him is all he gets.

[Jennifer in MI]

When they were little, we rarely spent more than $30 - $50 each. Now that they're older, though, they want/need more expensive things. Last year we gave our oldest a very nice camera. The second one got an iPod Nano. So, lots. But, we hardly spent anything on the baby.

 

This year, it'll be expensive for the older ones again. Oldest wants the new iPod Touch. Second wants a camera. We'll probably go with something very small for the other two. They don't know the difference anyway!!

[mycalling]

Last year we were so broke we spent about $100 total on all 7 kids (including a Santa gift each)...with careful thrift store shopping they had so much stuff on Christmas morning it was insane! No one had a clue we spent so little and they were very thankful for their gifts. This year I'm hoping to set aside money early, but last year was so successful that I don't care to spend a fortune.

Forgot to add: We also have a tradition in our house because we have a large family and every kid buying their sibling a gift would equal a ton of gifts and money. After Thanksgiving dinner our kids all draw a name out of a hat (all family names are in it) and they are that person's secret santa for the season. They do secret special things for their person (make their bed, leave a candy under the pillow) and they also buy one special gift for them. Then on Christmas morning we try to guess who are person is and then find out.

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing it.

[ChrisOR]

$50 each. Four kids, so $200 total. DH and I will also spend $50 on each other.

[LauraGB]

I'm not sure. The kids are old enough that we haven't had to do Santa for a while. Actually, dd surprised me the other day. Out of the blue she suggested we all just get each other only one thing this year. :001_huh: When I asked why she said that she really doesn't need anything because she has most of the things she wants (believe me, this kid isn't rolling extra goodies as it is), and the same went for her brother.

 

Cool :).

 

One thing none of us has is bikes. So, I might just do that, in which case we would spend about $100 per kid (for as often as dh and I would take them riding, cheaper is better :tongue_smilie:). Although, I say that every year, but change my mind because it would be 5 months at least before we could ride them. Or maybe exercise equipment like a treadmill and weights, and that would be a "family" gift rather than an individual one, but the price would be nearly the same or less.

[Farrar]

Like others, trying to limit us to about $100 a kid.

 

I had heard it...

Something you want

Something you need

Something to wear (instead of play with)

Something to read

 

But we don't always go by that.

Edited September 19, 2010 by farrarwilliams
typo

[Mothersweets]

I don't set an amount but also go by the little 4 presents poem. With an older child I might spend $100 or more. With a 2 year old I might spend $30 because the things they want or need are just much cheaper.

 

Forgot to add: We also have a tradition in our house because we have a large family and every kid buying their sibling a gift would equal a ton of gifts and money. After Thanksgiving dinner our kids all draw a name out of a hat (all family names are in it) and they are that person's secret santa for the season. They do secret special things for their person (make their bed, leave a candy under the pillow) and they also buy one special gift for them. Then on Christmas morning we try to guess who are person is and then find out.

 

 

:iagree: This is our family exactly! The 4 gifts poem and Secret Santa has worked beautifully the past two Christmases.

[ColoradoMom]

DS asked for two things - Windows 7 upgrade and a new Wacom Intuos 4 tablet for computer drawing. I will probably get him both.

[Rosie_0801]

I'm not sure. The kids are old enough that we haven't had to do Santa for a while. Actually, dd surprised me the other day. Out of the blue she suggested we all just get each other only one thing this year. :001_huh: When I asked why she said that she really doesn't need anything because she has most of the things she wants (believe me, this kid isn't rolling extra goodies as it is), and the same went for her brother.

 

Heheh. I remember getting to that point. We had to sit Mum down and gently explain that we were quite grown up now, and one present was quite sufficient. She seemed sad, but took it well. Probably she was glad to have stopped the shenannigans and was just hiding it really well for our benefit. :lol:

 

:)

Rosie

[Renee in NC]

About $25 each. Maybe more for the biggers, but less for the littles. So, $175 total, plus a few stocking stuffers, so maybe $200 total.

[EKS]

$42,000

 

Only joking. It's the first thing that came to my mind.

[kristavws]

Well, most years my kids get 2 presents from us, and 1 from Santa, for a total of 3. Several years ago, I decided that Christmaas was getting out of hand, and that if 3 gifts was all that the baby Jesus needed, then 3 gifts was all they needed as well :). As a family, we decided that this year we would rather spend time doing something fun together, than have presents. We decided that our family gift will be a day of skiing, including lessons, since my husband is the only one that knows how to ski. Great skiing can be found only 90 minutes from my house, and we have talked about doing something like this for years. Since this will cost more than I would spend on Christmas gifts, the boys also agreed to give up having large birthday parties -we just had family only parties this year. They both still believe in Santa, so they will get one gift from him.

 

krista