Love HSing Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 How much do you spend on christmas gifts for the kids in your extended family? Dh & I disagree on how much is appropriate to spend, so I was curious how much others spend. Going to try to make a poll! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We actually don't spend any money on the cousins because we don't do a gift exhange with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 $20ish or less (if I can find a $20ish item on sale) for my side. More like $50ish or more for Dh's nieces and nephews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 My husbands side (only 2 kids) we spend about $50 for each of them. More than I'm comfortable with, but not something I'm willing to make an issue about with my husband. My side (4 kids), we spend about $15/kid. One of my brothers doesn't have much, and I know they'd feel pressured to spend more if we did, so often we make something for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well, this sounds terrible, but we spend different amounts. My (local) brother has 4 kids and we spend about $25-30 on each of them. However, we are together on Christmas Eve and this has always been part of our Christmas spending. Also, my brother makes a ton more money than we do and he gets my kids fabulous gifts (well over $50...sometimes more). For my husband's nieces and nephews, who we never see at Christmas and rarely see in general (maybe once per year, but not always that), I send $10 gift cards. There are way more of them and we just can't do it. Thankfully, dh is okay with this. But I do feel guilty every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We don't have gift exchanges with extended family other than our parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnsinkableKristen Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We do $25 for each of my brothers four kids, but they are our only nieces/nephews so far. If we had a lot more, we would probably spend less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caedmyn Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 $10-$15 each. Though it was more like $25 when DH made more money. And this year we're not buying them individual ones, just giving family gifts. We see them once every two years on average and two of them (out of 5) are adults or will be within a year and I don't see the point in continuing to buy for adult nieces/nephews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have 17 nieces and nephews, and several almost nieces and nephews(from double cousins and I get them small gifts if they are in town). We spend between 5-9 dollars each for their gifts, sometimes I get one bigger gift for the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We draw names in DH's family for the kids (adults don't give gifts) and the price suggestion is $25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Other: varying amounts depending on how extended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I spend $50 on my niece (she's 18 this year) but until 4 months ago she was the only one. My younger brother has a new baby now and I spent about $35 on him. He's little enough that I don't think it matters that I spent a little less on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I send my siblings a check for $40-$50 and let them decide how to divide it. Usually they just buy the kids a shared gift from us. My husband's side of the family does not exchange gifts at all. Makes it nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbholly Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We spend about $50/child for our nieces and nephews. There are only 3 of them. Second cousins and more distant relatives, we spend less than $10 each(usually send a book or arts/crafts). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabrizia Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I put $15 to 19, but really it depends, I try to stay under $20 but if I find something that is a bit more that I think they'll like I get that. That being said there are only 2 children other then mine in the family, so I don't mind spending a bit more, it might be different if there were a lot of little ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have a $30 limit for gifts. At this time I only have one niece, so sometimes that gets stretched for her. My cousin has children we buy for and we'll maybe spend $15-20 on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I only have a niece and a nephew that we buy for. We are very close to them. We spend $100/each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 When they lived nearby, we spent about $20-25 each on our two nephews. They've since moved several states away, and we spent about $20 total this year on items that can be mailed easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 On my side of the family we draw names and buy one other family a nice gift ($75-$100). So technically, we don't spend anything on just the children for that side of the family. For my husband's side we only have two nephews and typically buy them each a $25 gift card to Target or some such place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 You know exactly $20 isn't an option in the poll? For the 6 nephews and 1 niece on my side of the family, everyone has reached an age where they prefer money. Each gets a $20 bill. For the niece on dh's side, we might spend more because her parents have to buy for our 3 and we're only buying for their 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We only exchange gifts between my kids and my sister's kids. I let the children choose a gift in the $10-15 range for each cousin (as in 1 gift for each cousin that is from all of my kids). We don't send gifts to dh's nieces and nephews. We used to draw names between families, but dropped out of the exchange years ago due to drama and fighting amongst his siblings. We send a card to each of their families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 My sister has 3 kids. We do $20-$30 gifts for them. His sister has 0 kids (and I suspect even when she does we will not exchange gifts. She's touchy about receiving gifts even for herself and almost never gets anything for our kids) ETA I've got a friend who is almost a sister who still has 1 daughter less than 18 years old. She gets a gift that is $15-$20 in price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I stopped buying the niece and nephew presents awhile back. In years past after asking here about this as well I was sending $15 to each child for birthday and Christmas. However after seeing them last year a week before my son's birthday/talked about his birthday they didn't bother with a card I was done. I didn't mind it being us sending more than they did, but to ask him about his birthday and then not bother to send at least a card was just rude. They are old enough now to ask why they didn't get a card from a relative. Heck, grandma(dh's mom) didn't even send my daughter a birthday card this year. Apparently she is mad at dh......but my dd asked why grandma didn't send her a birthday card. or call. it's sad and I no longer bother with family that doesn't care about us. I would rather spend money on the friends we have in our life. I am finally realizing it's ok to dump the normal expectations and do what feels right. Our family is truly the friends in our life that are there when it matters as well as the special times and bad times. Blood not needed to be considered family to us. So I spend nothing on family unless we have a relationship with them during the year. And this year it's my small side of the family only. And lots of friends :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We don't exchange gifts with our kids' cousins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We never see any of the kids from the extended family at Christmas. So no spending money on them. My sister will bring her baby down this Christmas, but he will be 2 mos. old, so probably not spending a bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Our nieces and nephews are grown with kids of their own. I plan to buy their kids a board game or movie and spend about $25 per family. There are 6 families. The only other extended family we will buy for are our siblings and my mil. We were buying for every single person on both sides, which meant about 50 gifts to wrap and pack to take to Florida. I put my foot down this year - that was just too much work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 There are no kids in my extended family. Kinda sad huh? :crying: There is one other kid in our extended family, my youngest brother-in-law's daughter. I'm an only child, and neither of my other brothers-in-law have kids (well, not strictly true, but effectively). We don't always exchange gifts with the assorted brothers, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We exchange names, so we buy two $50 gifts. I personally think the $ is too high and would be much happier with about $20, but all of my in-laws have more money than we do and they made the rules! Before this plan, we bought $10-15 gifts for 7 nieces and nephews, so the amount we spend is about the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 $0 The family is uber wealthy and the kids have everything under the sun. In the past we have given them gifts that were never opened (I witnessed this). We always used to joke that the nanny/housekeeper was going to be very happy with the gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMom5 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 $25-$30. Sometimes for a gift and sometimes as a gift certificate. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I usually find something nice to get them all in the 5-15 range. Last year everyone got a different Gerald & Piggie book, the year before, they got CDs. I thought about suggesting we draw names, but half the kids are mine, so it doesn't really matter to me if we do or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DusksAngel Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We were doing $10/ child but we just can't afford to keep doing that. So now we do one large® gift basket for the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I voted $15-19, but that is only for the cousins on my mom's side of the family. We "draw names" (really, my mom and I make the list) for Christmas eve - each child of yours gives to one other in the group. So, I have four kids, so I buy four gifts for four other cousins (my cousins' kids plus one of my nieces). This is only for those under 18. We keep it at $20 per kid, though I am the only one with more than 2 kids. That way each child has something to open that was selected for them and no one is left out or given more than someone else. It also tends to keep the kids busy while the adults are talking and munching dessert. ;) We also buy my two nieces something else, and usually try to make it so my kids are not giving to them on Christimas eve. Their birthdays are at Christmas as well, so we buy them each a $40 gift card to the mall. We rarely see them, but still want to give them something for their birthday and Christmas. My kids are the only kids on dh's side that live in-state. He has three cousins with children, but they all live in different states (from us and each other). My SIL does not have children. I do not really get together with my dad's side of the family anymore. After my grandmother, uncle, and dad all passed, it is now only my aunt and her two adult children that we see ... my aunt loves to spoil my kids; we will sometimes pick up a little something for them, but otherwise, it is only my kids that have something to open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I put under $10 because that has been all I've ever been able to afford, but, this is what I do to make is special... I bake up goodies, putting them in baggies or ziplock plasticware, put those in the box to mail (they all live away from us), add in candy canes and hershey's kisses and packs of holiday pencils, holiday erasers, holiday hair ties, etc. and animals/cars, etc. for the boys and send it the first week of December. I try to keep an eye out for bargain sales during the year and set stuff aside so that I can send more... stuff like clearanced children's hand towels/wash rags in a cute theme, etc., water bottles in themes they like, etc. What runs up our cost is the shipping! This year I spent $60 for materials to make sock monkey hats for all the nieces and nephews for their Christmas box. And I'm making them for my local grandchildren, too. They are totally cute!!! That $60 is going towards over 12 family members, so I am really pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Zip. Zero. Notta penny. My side of the family one niece, one nephew. His side, 11 kids. They are all adults now. We haven't done gift exchange in many years, but would spend about $20 per kid. Before there were so many kids we also drew names between the adults and all the kids still got lots of presents. We both came from big families, so there are 2-3 kids per family, except for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We have always drawn names in dh's family and done a family to family gift exchange. Way too many to buy gifts for otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 don't do all extended family-just select few..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 For my niece and nephew (my sister's kids), between $100-150 each, depending on what they're asking for. For cousins that we send gifts to (whether we exchange or not), about $30-50 a kid. And not extended family, but I also shop for DH's office party and that's usually about $25-30 a kid, but that goes on the biz credit card, it's not from our budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I only have 3 triplet nieces, so I like to spend around $50 each. We do not have an exchange as my sister does not acknowledge my kids (she is estranged from my parents and I). But I like to send the girls something to their dad's house, so they know we are thinking of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Hmmm.... it really varies. For my nieces on one side, around $20. We send them gifts, they don't send to us. I don't care, it's about giving for the pleasure of giving, not about "getting", from our family's pov. Other nephew, closer to $40-50, and they do give our kids gifts too, but we'd still given even if they didn't.... Most of this is usually by mail but this year, we get to see the nephew for Christmas. If we're going to see other young children, like children of cousins, or something, we get something for them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 $30 for each of the 5 (possibly 7 since long lost step-sister has resurfaced and her family will be extended a Christmas invitation.) Adults do a gift exchange. It's Yankee Swap/White Elephant style but with themed gifts each year. As Seen on TV is the plan this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We don't exchange gifts with anyone except my parents, and that's small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reign Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We only have one almost step niece. I make sure the retail value is 25-30$ dollars. Last year I hit a really good sale on ds games so I only spent 15. We are very low income but inlaws like to spend lots at Christmas time. Im just glad we reminded them early that we would prefer no adult presents. Last year we waited to long and they gave my husband his present in august (a gas grill!) We had to get presents for two brothers and their girlfriends. This tear we hinted all year and had a talk end if October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 We spend about $15 (not including cost of shipping), but we only have to buy for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splinter Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 For the 7 nieces and nephews, I spend anywhere from $30-50, depending on their age. The oldest kids get $50 gift certificates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 We don't have gift exchanges with extended family other than our parents. Ditto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 It has been more in the past. Last year we gave gifts for the entire family (DH's siblings) but only one of them gave us anything, so we are not doing a thing this year. In fact, I gave gifts for 2 to 3 years with nothing from them so I assume we aren't exchanging anymore! :glare: I know they still exchange with each other (well, some of them) but we are no longer in the "in" group as we don't live locally..... SO, this frees us up this year......I quit! I may still do a small homemade ornament for each family and I know I plan to make a donation in their names, so I guess I am still giving, but not to the kids directly. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineW Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I aim for about $20 value for each kid and try to find deals. This year I found playmobil knight shields for under $10 (they list for twice that on the online TRU) and they are going to the boys. DN is getting a princess take alongplaymobil set and a small book. I usually spend a little more on my niece as she's the only one on my side of the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 We actually don't spend any money on the cousins because we don't do a gift exhange with them. same here. we only give to parents and our kids. we also give my husband's boss a gift. that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extendedforecast Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 It depends on how close we are to them. BIL's kids are very close to mine and spend more time with us. We spend $20-30 per child. Other nieces and nephews get a gift in the $15 price range with a $20+ value. We rarely see them, and my kids do not get gifts from their parents for Christmas, and rarely on birthdays, even though they are always invited to celebrate with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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