Teens want expensive electronic gifts & $$ is Tight ... is this a good idea?

[Tap]

Thank you all very much for your replies.

 

I have thought this over carefully and have decided to spend $188 each on the ipods for the boys, with each of them chipping in $100, to bring it up to the $288 each cost.

 

I discussed it with them and they are all for it. They would rather have the ipods than anything else, and this way we can afford it. Plus, they want them on Christmas Day.

 

After that, I've already bought each of them a book, and still have to partially fill their stockings. This year, each of us will put one thing in everyone else's stocking, so I don't have to go hog wild on stocking stuffers.

 

I don't think this is too much to spend on the kids, because they get nothing extra except on their birthdays and at Christmas. Plus, I've been saving up for Christmas all year, mostly by doing without thing myself, and I'd hate for all that sacrifice to go to waste! :-)

 

Thank you again for your replies. I really appreciate each of you taking the time to advise me.

 

RC

 

 

This is exactly what I am doing with dd12. She wants a touch, but she has to pay for part of it. I know that she really, really wants it and she takes good care of her electronics so I am not worried about her breaking it (unless it is an accident). In the past, I would have spent at least that much on Christmas for her, so it wouldn't have been a problem. But, we are really trying to stay on a budget this year.

 

She is like your dd, in that I can buy her tons of other things that she will be happy with...so to just buy her an electronic, is just blah for me.

 

 

I contemplated getting another brand, but honestly she wants an iPod so I guess that is what she will get (as long as she saves her money LOL).

Edited November 24, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Diane1]

That sounds reasonable ....I find as they get older they are more particular. It will be win-win for both of you.

[Laurie4b]

I think it's fine to ask them to chip in--or just get them a gift certificate for $188 at the store where they can buy them--that way they don't chip in ahead of time. Either option would be okay with my kids.

[ChiMomNP]

I don't see a problem with this. My son wanted a new xbox for Christmas. I told him that he had to give me his old one to trade in. He did. So he got his new x-box today and I picked up a couple games and the new guitar hero to give him on Christmas. I saved just about a $100 making him trade in his old one. We have made him kick in his allowance for things and currently he has to pay for time on the xbox out of his allowance every week. We charge him $1.00/hour. We were charging him $2.00/hr but my DH thought that was not giving him enough time to enjoy his games. He could play for a max of 5 hours spread over Friday starting at 5 PM until Sunday starting at 6 PM. Now he can play for a total of 10 hours during that same time period, if he chooses to spend his whole weekly allowance on it. I think it teaches them to make choices and to prioritize their wants.

[Haiku]

Is this okay -- to ask them to chip in to pay for a Christmas gift?

 

 

Yes.

 

The kids can ask for outrageously expensive things if they want to. You can decline to buy them if you want to. I think asking them to chip in is a fine way to handle it. If they really want them, they will welcome the opportunity to get such a deep discount on the price.

 

My dd16 wanted her nose pierced for her birthday, in the summer. I said sure, but then she decided to play varsity soccer and had to wait until it was over to get her nose pierced. By then, my husband's job had tanked and I didn't have the money. I told her she could wait till Christmas to get it done or she could chip in some of the cost and I would pay the rest. She wanted it done, so she spent some of her own money. I feel bad things went down the way they did, but I also expected her to be mature enough to understand the situation, which she did. :)

 

Tara

[Peela]

Havent read the other replies but we often fork out only part of the money towards an expensive present for our kids. They both have incomes and if it isomthing they really want, they are generally happy to pay part. If not...well, they didnt want it so bad after all.

[ereks mom]

What if you were to phrase it slightly differently like, "We know you've been really wanting and saving for an IPod touch, so we thought we'd contribute X amount toward that, or if you change your mind while you are saving the rest of the money for it you could purchase something else with the money or save it for something bigger." That way it gives them the opportunity to feel responsible and wise with their saving/decision making.

 

:iagree: Great idea!

[MGK]

How about one that's refurbished?

 

 

:iagree:

 

I haven't read all the responses, but my son purchased a refurb and it looked brand new. He's had it for months with no issues.

 

Oh, and I don't think you are being cheap by asking them to chip in if their gift is out of your price range :-)

[Haiku]

 

I haven't read all the responses, but my son purchased a refurb and it looked brand new. He's had it for months with no issues.

 

 

 

My husband got me a refurbed Touch last year for Christmas and it's been completely fine. In fact, no one in our family has ever had a new iPod, and all of us have iPods.

 

Tara

[Tarreymere]

We're a bit different, as we have chosen to practice voluntary simplicity. I don't work outside the home and focus on the children, and my DH works at a low-paying human services job helping people with mental illnesses. We have chosen a path that means we live on a very limited income. Even with the money we do have to spend we don't want to become focused on material things. Our kids know that we value being with family over the holidays rather than gifts. We do get one or two inexpensive gifts for the younger kids but that is it. We spend about $100 total on gifts. No one in the family has a cell phone except DH has one from his job that is only used for work.

I think that if your kids want such an item and you are willing for them to have it and pay for some of it, then they should certainly chip in for it so that they can appreciate it more. But honestly no one actually NEEDS something like that. It is very easy to spend a whole lot of money on electronic toys like that, and very easy to get into the mindset that one just 'has' to have them.

[justamouse]

No, I think you're being awesome for making them pay for some. My kids have all these great games-wii, rock band, garage band--but they all pool their $$ and buy it themselves.

 

And, when we buy non computery things from apple, we always buy refurbished. The only thing is, you MUST snap them up right there when you see it because they are hot ticket items.

[CLHCO]

I have done this for my son. He likes all the high technology stuff, but it is not in our budget. He generally gets $ from grandma so he can put that to it too.

 

:iagree:

 

Technology I admit, I just don't purchase for them. I do pitch in when I can so they can buy their own, but it's not in our budget to buy most of that in full. This expectation was laid out quite some time ago, so it's simply a matter of fact to them. My daughters saved for over a year to purchase the specific new netbooks they wanted, with money they earned, grandparents helping, and a financial gift from us. For the big items it's quite reasonable to ask them to pull their resources. It's good practice for them on budgeting and planning.

 

I love the idea someone mentioned about selling the old ones to help afford the new ones too. Homeschool moms do that all of the time. ;)

[Lady Florida.]

I don't see anything wrong with it. They're old enough to understand that buying a Touch for each of them is not in your family's budget. I would think that contributing to it is a great gift.

[RoughCollie]

And, when we buy non computery things from apple, we always buy refurbished.

 

We have a refurb Classic and a refurb Touch. Both broke in about 1.5 years. Both straight from Apple. In fact, the refurb Classic replaced the one we bought new which broke within the warranty period. The Touch we bought New still works just fine -- and it's a year older than the broken refurb.

 

I have bad luck with refurbs, so I am not going to buy any more of them.

[Impish]

...always needing to be replaced, electronic high-tech items -- like a couple of books or a bottle of bacon-flavored soda.

RC

Bacon flavoured soda? :001_huh:

 

Glad you've figured it out!

[Pippen]

:iagree:

 

Technology I admit, I just don't purchase for them. I do pitch in when I can so they can buy their own, but it's not in our budget to buy most of that in full. This expectation was laid out quite some time ago, so it's simply a matter of fact to them. My daughters saved for over a year to purchase the specific new netbooks they wanted, with money they earned, grandparents helping, and a financial gift from us. For the big items it's quite reasonable to ask them to pull their resources. It's good practice for them on budgeting and planning.

 

;)

 

This has always been our situation as well. Our kids know our where our spending limits are thus have never asked for expensive electronics, nor in most cases have we offered. On gift giving occasions they will ask for cash to put towards something they're saving for.

 

When they were smaller they'd complain sometimes but they don't even do that anymore.