How much do you spend on Christmas presents?

CheleLyn · Senior Member

RE: How much do you spend on Christmas presents?

CheleLyn · Senior Member

muffy wrote:

let me just say that kids presents get a LOT more expensive as they grow older...

*sigh*

to respond to the question - i plead the 5th.

ITTTTTA agree!

thats partly why this year is when daniel is getting his leapster bc i can still go to the ds then psp later. did the same for the other kids too. Keely is 11 and JUST this year shes getting a ds.

I've tried to keep expectations pretty low LOL

CheleLyn · Senior Member

muffy wrote:

Supafly wrote:

muffy wrote:

let me just say that kids presents get a LOT more expensive as they grow older...

*sigh*

to respond to the question - i plead the 5th.
LOL. IHNI how we are going to manage when they get older.

My niece and nephew (who are 11.5) and their little sister (who is almost 10) showed us their lists...ouch. Mopeds, XBox, new bikes, a donkey (lmao-my niece wants that), cameras, etc. There is hardly anything on their list that is reasonable for us aunts and uncles to purchase, since we keep it to a $20-25 max for each.
conversations in the past 24 hours:

with timmy: "mom, the assassins creed and call of duty ps3 games (value $120) are "nothing." they are my stocking stuffer. i want either a HD flat screen TV for my room (not happening) or a new computer (not happening either)"

cecile 1 month ago "i really, really want Kaya american girl doll". tick. bought doll plus some accessories. mailed internationally to Lux. all said and done nearly $200?
cecile 24 hours ago "mom, i only want the psp3000 special hannah montanna edition ($170.) that is the ONLY thing i want this year." can i just add she has an iphone that has all the video/music capabilities. she only wants the damn thing because of ONE hannah montanna game that comes with it. i looked at psp games, and there is not a large selection of girls games - imo not worth the money AT ALL. just not happening either.

i am betting my big kids will say that christmas this year sucks. oh well...

Is it wrong I laughed ???

Keely, on a asking jic there is even the slightest possibility it would happen, asked for the SAME PSP...and like you, i saw there just arent enough girl games for it...unlike the DS

and yeah, my teen boys also think they are getting BIG electronic gifts this year...apparently they forgot who their mother is furious

LMAO

crystal · Guru

efe makes me limit it to 100 euro for mason, but if he didn't limit me, i would probably go insane. neither efe nor i got many presents as kids, so it is funny that we each take opposite perspectives. i want to buy mason a ton of stuff so he can have what i never did, and efe wants to not give him much so that he appreciates what he has just as efe did when he was a kid.

apies · Guru

i have my ss done for xmas this year.

we buy for all nieces and nephews but none of OUR siblings. 3 sets of grandparents and 3 of our BFF's kids. budget goal for them is to stay under $800. (that's a total of 18 people right there)

for the kids, we sort of just go with the flow. we come up with gift ideas and then try to keep it relatively balanced and don't go crazy. em's getting a tag as her "big" present, even though we only spent $20 on that (thanks erin!) and jake is going to get the cars 2-wheeler as his big one.

then we'll just fill in with smaller stuff.

for each other, we usually agree to a set limit like $100 excluding our stockings. or we agree to just buy something for both of us for the house (one year it was a tv, another year it was new carpet, etc). matt usually cheats and buys me whatever he wants, which makes me feel awful yet i love it. :P

CoffeeQueen · Guru

I honestly do not know the actual total I spend on the girls and so far it varies year to year.

This year I know I have spent well over 200 on Allie.

Rich and I sometimes just do small gifts for one another or usually he spends more on me and I get pissed. I really feel like Christmas giving is for the kids and do not even care if I receive anything.

I have no clue what we will do down the road when the kids want the big things.

Alicia · Senior Member

Raven is 300 in gifts and Stephen is 300 in cash. Stephen is 15 and and the last time we did gifts for him was a couple of years ago when we got him his psp and some games(still spending 300). He understands what he wants cost more so he would rather have the money and do what he wants with it. Makes life so much easier. I'm glad I still have a little one to buy for.

Robin · Guru

I'm trying to figure it in my head. . .

Henry:
Wii World of Zoo - idr how much it was but my mom bought it at Sam's
Zoo-themed t-shirt, Animalopoly and room signs/decor - @ $50
Zoo Tycoon/4 Other Tycoon cd-rom games - $15.50 now on Amazon but I think I paid more.
Bean bag toss game with board - Free

Mark:
Gravity-activated Transformers (2 so far, prob get 1 more) - $25 so far
Dress-up clothes - $30

I've gotten lots of stocking stuff for them both already too, maybe $15 or $20.

I need to get Mark one more gift for wrapping, and then a Santa gift. He has specifically asked for a multi-pack of monster trucks over and over. I think he saw them at Sam's??, so I'll see if I can find them there.

-- Edited by Robin on Tuesday 1st of December 2009 10:05:13 AM

Juanita · Guru

I'd estimate it's probably around $200-$250 for each child. I'm pretty sure it won't be that much for Kenley this year, I mean, what could she NEED? LOL

Kenneth and I don't buy for each other. We haven't in YEARS! He has bought me jewelry in the past, which was a huge surprise, but generally we don't buy each other gifts. I like the surprise gifts, but it also makes me feel HORRIBLE since I hadn't bought him anything.

In his words though, he says "You do so much for our family by yourself throughout the year, I bought ___ because you deserve it and I appreciate you"

Picture-Perfect · Guru

More then I should. biggrin

Let's see i'm pretty done with Bryson and I spent almost $200. I have to say, all of his toys that he has currently well over half are hand me downs from his sissy so I really feel ok buying him new stuff, more boyish stuff if you will. $40 of that total is for a wooden Elmo table and chairs, Bryson is OBSESSED with Elmo. He calls him lala smile

His sissy has a princess table and he loves to sit at it and play with her pony and petshop toys. I got him the Elmo giggle microwave, the Fisher Price Little People Airport set, scored this for $20 instead of $40 at Target, a little Cars inflatable ball pit, and other little playsets and his stocking stuffers. I really got good deals on what I bought but I probably bought a bit too much.

For Hannah I'm probably close to $275, and I have Hasbro a la Littlest Pet Shop to thank for that! Of course after I bought some hard to find pets off ebay I found most of them in Wal-Mart last night for $5.64 Sigh. So i'm hoping to resale some of them and make a little of my money back. I'm pretty much done with Hannah, I need to finish stocking stuffers.

For Kent and I we usually shop depending on how our finances are, this year we might spend $100 on each other, it's been a tougher year so we don't have much extra after the kids which is totally fine.

I am terrible about setting a budget and sticking to it, one of my new years resolutions is to really turn that around and get some money into savings and try to be more frugal.

CheleLyn · Senior Member

Juanita wrote:

I'd estimate it's probably around $200-$250 for each child. I'm pretty sure it won't be that much for Kenley this year, I mean, what could she NEED? LOL

Kenneth and I don't buy for each other. We haven't in YEARS! He has bought me jewelry in the past, which was a huge surprise, but generally we don't buy each other gifts. I like the surprise gifts, but it also makes me feel HORRIBLE since I hadn't bought him anything.

In his words though, he says "You do so much for our family by yourself throughout the year, I bought ___ because you deserve it and I appreciate you"

i

Kenneth...would you consider renting him out? smile

Seriously, thats super sweet.

Juanita · Guru

CheleLyn wrote:

Juanita wrote:

I'd estimate it's probably around $200-$250 for each child. I'm pretty sure it won't be that much for Kenley this year, I mean, what could she NEED? LOL

Kenneth and I don't buy for each other. We haven't in YEARS! He has bought me jewelry in the past, which was a huge surprise, but generally we don't buy each other gifts. I like the surprise gifts, but it also makes me feel HORRIBLE since I hadn't bought him anything.

In his words though, he says "You do so much for our family by yourself throughout the year, I bought ___ because you deserve it and I appreciate you"

i Kenneth...would you consider renting him out?

Seriously, thats super sweet.

According to him I "pimp" him out anyway, LOL

gogona · Guru

dorian wrote:

Can we make this a poll (preferably an anonymous one)?

lol, after reading all the other posts, I am embarrassed to say that we spent waayy to much for Christopher's gifts this year. His big gift is the jeep for the yard and it was $350. To his/our defense, he does not get many gifts from the extended family (no gifts from FIL or BIL and he only gets small gifts from one SIL, my sister, my friend and my mom) so we try to make up for it... DH and I don't exchange gifts because we pretty much get what we want throughout the year... We focus more on kids during x-mas than adults and that's the way I like it :)

Toni · Guru

This has been a tough year for us. With both of us being unemployed for most of the year, this is the first year we haven't been able to put away money for Christmas. We are also commited to not using credit cards, so it's a cash only this year.

I bought some items on BF, and ordered a DVD and video game online. I think total we are in the $120 range for both girls. I did splurge and get Dani a camera, but she is joining a photography group and needs one, so we just made it a Christmas gift. So they are each getting a DVD, a video game (Leapster for Jules and DS for Dani), and one other gift (camera for Danielle and mini roboraptor for Jules). This is substantially less than they have received in previous years, and I think they are only getting some candy, a new toothbrush, and some stickers in their stockings.

I've talked to them about it, especially Danielle. Basically, I've been encouraging her to help me think of gifts we could make for her cousins and other family, since we simply don't have the money this year to buy anything else. I think we will be making Christmas mix, putting it in pretty jars with bows, and she offered to make little labels to tie on the top.

George and I won't be exchanging gifts, and we are doing a white elephant exchange with my family. This is a super sucky year, but we are trying to make the best of it.

Lea · Veteran Member

Ok... this might frighten me...

My mum: New Digital Camera (got her last one for her when charlie was a christmas pregnancy!) = £100

My Dad: iPod Nano = £100

Grandparents: £100 for both mine (£50 each)

His parents: = £50 total - LMAO they regift - ill get what i buy his mum for my bday in august - GUARANTEED!

His siblings inc their kids x 4: £100 (not including the Boston ones - they dont get)

Charlie: Blushes - £200 so far and I'm not done

Us: Have no clue what either of us want!

Juni · Guru

Toni wrote:

This has been a tough year for us. With both of us being unemployed for most of the year, this is the first year we haven't been able to put away money for Christmas. We are also commited to not using credit cards, so it's a cash only this year.

I bought some items on BF, and ordered a DVD and video game online. I think total we are in the $120 range for both girls. I did splurge and get Dani a camera, but she is joining a photography group and needs one, so we just made it a Christmas gift. So they are each getting a DVD, a video game (Leapster for Jules and DS for Dani), and one other gift (camera for Danielle and mini roboraptor for Jules). This is substantially less than they have received in previous years, and I think they are only getting some candy, a new toothbrush, and some stickers in their stockings.

I've talked to them about it, especially Danielle. Basically, I've been encouraging her to help me think of gifts we could make for her cousins and other family, since we simply don't have the money this year to buy anything else. I think we will be making Christmas mix, putting it in pretty jars with bows, and she offered to make little labels to tie on the top.

George and I won't be exchanging gifts, and we are doing a white elephant exchange with my family. This is a super sucky year, but we are trying to make the best of it.

DYK how awesome I think it is that you are sticking with not using credit cards and explaining to the girls about this year's circumstances? I find that to be incredible and not the norm most of the time. I think it is GREAT though. Way to go! FWIW, I don't think it will be a super sucky year - I really think that the memories you will have from working together to think of home made gifts and putting them together will be remembered far longer than any "thing" you could get your kids.