What is a reasonable amount to spend on each child for Christmas?

So, DH always b!tches about how much I spend on Christmas/Birthdays for the kids.  He still lives back in the days where you could actually get something worthwhile for your dollar.  So, I figure, we have 4 kids.  If I spend no more than $250 on each kid I figure that's pretty reasonable.  It'll be less for Gabe, cuz he's only 15 mos. What do you think  is a reasonable amount to spend (total) per kid on presents?

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25%

 (7) 

up to $100

64%

 (18) 

$100 to $200

3%

 (1) 

$200 to $300

7%

 (2) 

$300 or more

28 Members voted

[melimeli]

I try to make the santa present the biggest present.. then around 60-80.. Then about 25 "big gift"  and maybe another smaller one...from me...  then some stocking stuffers.. and a I like to buy new pjs for a christmas eve present for the kids so they will look cute on christmas day photos...  The thing is by the time they get presents from gma, and auntie it is more than then need and much more than they play with...  I found I spent more when they were younger...   For b day it is under 100...  just no reason to spoil our kids.. my neices get everything and it is sooo hard for me to think of a present to even buy them because they have everything and my sil has a heart problem and can't work and her kids tell her to quit being lazy and work so they can get the things they want.. jeez.. how ungrateful.  

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Very true.  In our case, the kids don't get presents from anyone else.  MIL usually sends a little money to help with buying stuff, FIL is a selfish jerkoff, my mom can't afford her own bills let alone presents becuase she is on disability, my brother, well yeah, he just doesn't send anything.  So, the only stuff they get is from "Santa" and us.  I also do the one "BIG" gift from Santa and the rest from us.  The $250 I budgeted was allowing for some clothes, some toys, some educational stuff and stocking stuffers.  

My kids do have way more than they need but I tend to be a bargain hunter.  I buy things on clearance, on sale or at thrift/retail shops.  

My oldest is getting a Nintendo DS this year, but only becuase when I was still working, I was cleaning out a rental house that someone had vacated and I found it...yes, I literally found a nintendo DS and it appears to be new..no scratches or scuffs and works great.  It had a case and the stylus but no games and no charger....so we bought those...otherwise she wouldn't be getting that.  I have already explained to her that it may appear she gets less than the others, but that's becuase the things SHE wants COST more.  

[misslollipop]

I only spend $200 on my kids casue there is 5 of them, the eldest tho is only getting $50 this year casue she is 18 and had to pay for her car rego and helped her out through the year, but the rest is $200 per child. bur they all know if they want something really expensive i spilt it between christmas and there birthdays.

[jakesgal88]

Our kids are still little, so we don't spend much. About 30 on a big gift, and then maybe about 30-60 more for some small things. We do not believe in kids getting much for any holiday. There are a lot of spoiled kids out there now that get everything on their wishlist and they are not grateful for it. (My nieces and nephews are much older than my kids and they are this way). DHs family doesn't even do presents, they do a white elephant where everyone brings enough presents for their family wrapped and unmarked. Then they draw numbers and take turns and pick a gift and can steal. Its a fun game and makes it more of a family thing than a present thing. Once the kids get older i'm sure we'll spend a bit more because they wont like hotwheels and action figures. lol.

[motherof1boy]

holy crap...I couldn't even vote because I don't spend near that! My little guy isn't old enough to understand but even when my kids are older I still don't think I would spend that much!!!

[Victoria01]

We usually spend around $100 because my mom goes WAY overboard. My son is her only grandchild and she does tend to spoil him on the holidays, though she is the only other person that buys things for him. My MIL and FIL don't send or give anything, we hardly even get a phone call, lol

[lhughes]

Based on what you said, I don't think you are totally unreasonable.  Finding gifts age appropriate (and stuff that they want) plus divided between mom/dad, stocking stuffers and then Santa gifts, that's probably about right.

Enjoy Christmas!

[pertykitty]

i put under $100 but i guess i should change it.  for my 2 yr old i dont know how much we will spend cant figure out what to get!  for my 11 yr old we probably do spend a bit over $100 but not too much.  i suppose when he is a teen it will go up! lol

for b days we dont spend as much on the gift but we always go to Monterey to the aquarium.  if you dont know cali beaches it beautiful!!!

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Right before christmas and birthdays I usually make my kids go throught their belongings and decide what they use and want to keep and what thye can get rid of it...if they haven't used it/seen it in two months, it goes.  If it's something I want to keep for whatever reason (sentimental, for one of the yougner ones etc) I put it up, the rrest goes to good will or gets sold.  DH wants to get them a trampoline...I don't know.  I have found some really good deals on stuff. Like I said I found that DS for dd13, plus I got Shane and Mitchie dolls (from camp rock) for dd6 at big lots for $3 each.  Today I'm surfing all the cybermonday deals :)

[babyprayers]

Oh my, I am way in over my head, my dd who is 11 is over 1000 at this point we got her a nintendo dsi, laptop clothes (hollister, aero, etc and my girls well, lets just say there are so many fun toys out there,

on that note------> no judging from anyone please, I work hard, I save money, pennies go into a jar, and get counted at years end, I love to have big christmasas and I am not about to stop

to each his own

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Babyprayers:  see I like big christmas's too....but I try to ration.  I mean my kids get a lot of stuff....I just get it used or on sale or wahtever....but dh seems to think that spending $150 on eacfh kid is going way over board.

[April2]

Holy cow, you guys are too rich for my blood, lol. Remember guys, as they get older, their stuff gets more expensive! So enjoy those babies because you can get a lot of cute things pretty well priced but watch out once their teens! Boy, do they get expensive. And the thing is, you can only get a few things because electronic stuff is expensive. When my kids were little, and including my 5 year old now, I would spend about $100 a kid. That can get a lot, actually. As they got to be teens I saw that that didn't cover much so I went up to $200. Last year I bought my 2 oldest kids a WII and Guitar Hero, plus one more WII game. That was their big gift and they understood that. They only got stocking stuffers and a few odds and ends, plus what Grandma and Grandpa gave them. They were very happy!
This year I'm trying to stay within $600-$700 for the whole family, including my husband.

[mamaofonetrying42]

I say about 100$ each kid sound good. Intill they get to be alittle older, then No more then 150-200$. Now hunter is only 16months and he will only be getting maybe half that as he is young and wont remember! I love to spoil my kids but have to remember that I dont want them to think Money grows on trees!! I have two nephews that are older 13-12 y/o and they just want want want...They dont care about the price and when they do get pricer stuff they end up breaking it and they just think mommy and daddy are going to get them a new one (( which they DO most of the time, and it drivers me crazy...fyi: the parents dont have the money for it)) OR they are over with that thing that broke.

[decogrl]

I don't spend near that either!  I do consignment sales where I can by her gently used things for a fraction of the cost..heck, some things at the sales are still new with tags.  At 3 years old I don't think my daughter cares or knows what I am spending.

[babyprayers]

see my daughter doesnt get "alot" all year long, I wouldnt just go out and buy her a lap top, I am very fortunate, but understand, I must have done soemthing right for she has saved her allowance, and donated some to the animal shelter, and has bought many presents for her family, she has the heart of giving, I was raised that cost didnt matter what mattered was how much thought went into it, so on that note, we all really think about what we will give to people, with in reason of course, and if you have it, I do not use credit cards, I use my checking/debt card, so she knows that we are not using out of our means, I have scaled down this year because her things were more expensive, as I said to each his own, merry christmas everyone :)

[babyprayers]

oh and for the record, I never said I dont use ebay/craigs list/consignment shops, but I wont just buy a gift just for the sake of having a gift. so If I cnnot find what I am looking for then I go to all extremes to find it

[KeyD]

i hate to admit it but i guess DD will get about $250 this year, she is an only child and is 3 y/o. i think this amount is high, some stuff that i already got might get held til her bday in june.

[April2]

I think it's great that you're teaching your little one to give at such a young age! My kids and I tend to pick out a name or a couple of names from the Angel Tree and buy a gift for a child. We've also done the Operation Christmas Child, which is sending shoeboxes filled with toys, etc. to impoverished countries. We also put money in the Salvation Army kettle almost every time we pass them going in or out of stores. :)

[pertykitty]

i think what is more important is that the child isnt given to such extemes all year.  we dont give many toys during the year.  my ds has to save his allowance, and sometimes i chip in if he is a few dollars short.  when good grades come around we take him to buy something new.  and every once in a great while we do it just for fun.  its unexpected and he loves it while he learns that money is hard earned and cant be thrown around foolishly.

i have a friend that gives her kids everything they could dream of even if it means going beyond budget.  those kids dont appreciate anything and guilt her with fake depression and make her feel bad if she doesnt give in.  i cant stand that!  

its important to teach kids to live a lifestyle that they can support themselves when they are older.  if a child is used to gold and doesnt go to college they will hate a nickel and dime lifestyle.  it sounds like everyone here loves to have grand xmas' (i would do more if we had the funds this year lol) and their kids are going to grow up knowing what the value of a dollar is.  i sure sound like my dad :)

[New Mommy 2 Be 2007]

i didnt even get to go shopping this year.dh lost his job the new job isnt so good. so hopefully I can spend 300 on carmine and like 60 on gisele.

[pertykitty]

you know carmine is stil so small it doesnt make a difference if you spend 300 or 30.  if money is tight dont let xmas put you into the red even more.  

christmas is fun to go crazy but it isnt the meaning of xmas.  instead of spending so much money maybe come up with some new traditions that will make more memories than a toy that is forgotten 10 min after they open it lol

[melimeli]

babyprayers.. 1000 Oh my.. .can you adopt me???  I want 1000 worth of gifts haha... I guess it also depends how much you make I mean I don't believe that modona is giving her kids 100 dollars of gifts on christmas...  I just don't think anyone should get everything they want... we just don't end up appreciating when that happens...

and a big christmas does not mean a lot of gifts but a lot of traditions.. what are some of yours???  oh that might hi jack the thread sorry

[KATE535]

We've already bought our 2 their presi's which are hidden. We have spent 300-400 £'s on each of them (but not the baby mind). It's ridiculous I know, and I admit it !!

[babyprayers]

ok well, we all decorate the house together, including my twins, and yes they did get to help, we attend church, well my family does I work every weekend, however, I always help with the christmas pagent, and my girls are part of it, last year the twins were little only 4 months, and each got to be baby jesus in the manger we do a lot of family things together,  my 11 year old volunteers at the nursing home, she wraps presents for the residents, and helps decorate their rooms, we do not have any set tradition every year to give back to society, each year it is something different, one year I went to NYC with a bunch of people and handed out blankets to homeless people, however that bothered me, it seemed almost degrading to hand soemone a blanket then drive away, so I havent done that again, but we donate, time money and other things to differnt orginazations, not only at christmas but all the time

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I don't mind if the threat gets hijacked lol.  I think it would be neat to share traditions.  Unfortunately our family really doesn't have any.  I guess I should start something.

babyprayers:  I love what your family does.  I think it's wonderful.

I guess becuase we never had any "traditions" when I was growing up I just don't know what to do.

[Victoria01]

My son is only 3 1/2 so this is the first year he will really be a part of the traditions, I think. While I have took him with me since he was born, this year I think he understands a little more of what is going on.

We do the normal family things like caroling and the Christmas parade but we also go to the local children's hospital and hand out toys and read to them. (which we do throughout the year, but without the toys :)) We also go to the local women's shelter and give toys and books and school supplies to the children there. I think it is really important that my son realizes that not everyone is as lucky as he is and the giving part of Christmas is just, if not more, important than the getting.

And on that note, I wrote in my other post that we spend approximately $100 dollar on him at Christmas, but yesterday, to my surprise, DH went out and bought him a PowerWheels four-wheeler, LOL We had talked about it before, but never actually settled on whether to buy it or not...I guess it's settled now. :) DS has one over at his grandparents so I wasn't in a hurry to have one here too, but I guess it's here. :)

[snagglepuss1]

we have 5 kids at the moment, soon to be our 6th and last next year hopefully, as all 5 kids get toys throughout the year and plenty of birthdays we don't go mad at Christmas, it isn't all about how much you spend on them i think, we have spent £50 on each child and they have all got more than enough present wise. the 2 older children who are 11 & 12 have 1 present that cost most of the £50 and then some little stocking fillers, but they appreciate the cost at that age, quality over quantity for them. we spend the same amount on each too, doesn't matter what their age i couldn't spend more on one of my kids than any other.

[melimeli]

We have traditions.. most came from my mom...  

We do pizza by candlelight on christmas eve.. easy to do leave you ready for the big work on christmas day (my mom did soup but I don't like to cook on christmas eve)..

We drive around christmas eve and look at light displays around town

We always decorate sugar cookies the kids cut them out and bake them and we all sit around for a couple hours frosting them and putting on sprinkles.. they get really elaborate.. we like to share these with cookie plates for some of our older neighbors

We go and actually cut the tree down (in a tree farm) and we all decorate it..

Every year I give each child a new ornament to put on the tree with the date and child's name written somewhere.. they love to look for their ornaments to put on the tree every year and when they are 18 or whenever they end up leaving the house they will have that many ornaments and memories to begin their own tree in their own house.. I remember how hard it was that first year on my own having no decorations.

In their stocking they get a small box of cereal.. that is what they eat for christmas morning breakfast (we do the big christmas lunch so they only need something small in the morning)  I remember this from a kid and loving to see which one I got to eat.  

We always open up presents youngest to oldest.. we watch each person open up each gift.. makes the fun last longer.  We save one present to open up christmas day evening...  just to make the fun last a little longer.

of course we always get christmas dresses and take pics with santa
new pjs and slippers on christmas eve so that christmas day pics look extra cute

if you like any feel free to steal.. I am sooo glad that my parents had traditions and they are deep memories that I have of my childhood...

[ashleighnb]

I would say $100-150. I spent 100 on DD 3 big santa gifts and then bought a lot of little things to fill in. Money is tight and I don't see why you should spend hundreds on your kids for christmas considering 7 out of 10 things will be broken or ruined within a month or two. I think its good also to help humble your children and them not feel entitled to everything. I always tell her to right five things she wants from santa and then I buy three and my mom buys the other two and it always makes her happy should could care less whether she gets 2 things or 10 as long as she is happy.