Curious what's your budget per kid. We usually don't have one because by husband is very generous. We sometimes disagree as I want my kids to appreciate things and as they get older it keeps raising the bar. We usually get them one big ticket item and then smaller items and clothes. Typically they don't get much throughout the year unless they need it mostly we spend on them at Xmas and birthdays. We are in la so things are more here, every kid virtually has a phone, iPad etc and when the kids hit middle school they need an iPad for school. So what we do is buy those gifts for Xmas so we don't get hit twice. Clothes sane thing we buy a bunch including Jammie's only at Christmas.
The rest of the year they have their saved gift cards, birthday money or small allowances if they want something the occasional stopat the mall for something. But my husbands goes over the top weith all of us.
Lol, funny if they need clothes or necessities throughout the year we buy them , but typically we buy some if that at Christmas too. I guess I'm like my parents they gave me toys and bpmecessities as well. Kids do like hew clothes. And we have our Christmas Eve tradition they get to open their Jammie's and wear them.
No budget. But my kiddos are little (5 and 2) so we haven't hit the years where iPads and new phones are on their wishlists.
This year the main gift is a nice wood playset for the backyard, so the "budget" would have been woo woo $$$ yowza. But I think most parents might just get a playset without a birthday or Christmas being attached, so we were OK with it!
Funny how you want us to tell you how much we spend but you don't tell us.
I spend what I can afford. I NEVER use a credit card. In fact, we don't own one.
Sometimes I wish we had more to be "generous," but really? My kids are fine and love what they get.
Ugh, way too much and some on credit. Hard to admit.
We don't set a budget. We buy things as needed throughout the year instead of waiting for Christmas.
Our daughter's birthday is 12/27. I completely separate Christmas and birthday. She turns 20 this year, yikes time flies!!!!
We are quite generous, however.... The 1 thing we will NOT do is spend above our means and go into debt.
I'm always really surprised when I hear people say they give their kids clothes for Christmas. Until I hit the teen years when clothes suddenly became exciting, I would have been insulted if my parents bought me clothes. And some kids gets hats and scarves? That's almost as bad as getting underwear!
We consider those to be the necessities in life. For us, Christmas is about getting fun things. We usually try to get one or two larger gifts, a few smaller gifts and stocking stuffers.
We absolutely buy our kids clothes and pajamas and the occasional toy throughout the year. I couldn't imagine making them wait until Christmas or making them by it themselves. Isn't that what parents are for?
Depends on what we can afford, we never go into debt over it.
15 years ago when the kids were kids I had a $75.00 limit per child and for 6 kids that's $450.00. Now they are adults and only 2 live with me so I can spluge and still spend the same $450.00 if I choose. Most of the time their desires are costly but doable. LOL. My grown neices and nephews get simple gifts now not costing over $20.00 each for the 5 of them.
We probably spend about $200 for each of our 2 kids...maybe $250 for the 10 year old bc he wants more expensive things. They get maybe 3 santa gifts and about 4 gifts from us. They usually get one "big" gift (for example this year my daughter wants a camera). Besides a few things they want I always get each kid a new book, a new clothes item, and a little surprise. Then they get gifts from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends...so they are always quite happy Christmas morning.
About $550 each. I can't buy them everything they want or it would be $2000 each which seems ridiculous. I throw in some necessities too. My parents did that. They don't get as excited when they open those gifts but it's just more opening to do which they find fun. I try to have one or two surprise gifts too vs everything is from their lists.
We do the same thing. Necessities as well as fun gifts for Christmas. I don't shop much during the year, so I find a lot of good deals at Christmas time and stock up on clothes, pajamas, socks, etc. It has become a little joke that my daughter gets lots of socks for Christmas. They are from us, not Santa of course. The kids also get at least 6-8 things on their wish list. We try to give at least 1 larger gift too. I try to stick to around $200 per child for main gifts with about $50 for stocking stuffers, but this year we had to get some bigger ticket items for sports and things, so we're way over that. I need to stop buying things..went out for more when Grandma complained that the kids need more "fun" things under the tree, instead of just sports gear.
We shoot for 200 but I usually fail. Sometimes I am way under, sometimes I go over. I just try to find what will make them happy. I have one this year that wants a puppy, no worries, she also has a house of her own. I have another that will be over the moon for his sonic screwdriver. Last year that one wanted an iPad.
I don't know if this helps you but I am kind of seat of the pants.
Oh since everyone else is mentioning credit, I haven't had a credit card in over ten years
We usually get what they want if it's not alot of money and get the others what in the same price range. Usually we spend the same amount on all 4.
I normally don't set a budget, but I don't go overboard. I just have one kid, so that makes it easy. This year he is 8 and this has been the most I have spent, although technically the money didn't really go to his present. I got myself a new iPad mini and he is getting my old one with a new Otterbox cover, which will be his big present. The rest of the stuff is little stuff. Clothes for next season, a couple of toys, new shoes, and that's about it. He also gets stuff from my parents and sister. My sister even called me earlier this month and said she overbought, so everything that Santa is bringing is stuff from her. I also don't go overboard on his birthday. We don't really do parties and he gets two presents and that's it.
More than a lot of people. Less than a lot of people.
I do put it all on credit (because I pay it off in full every month, and I earn cash back on every purchase). I never charge more than we can afford to pay off each month, or more than fits our overall budgetary plans.
I also do a lot of "they need underwear and PJs, so might as well wrap them and put them under the tree to open" buying. Shoes. Jackets. PJs. Underwear. And not just for the kids, but for me and husband, too. :)
I never had a set budget.
I spent what I could afford. Sometimes that was less than $50, sometimes it was several hundred.
No budget, but this year we are following a theme; Want Need Wear Read - they get one present from each category. They also get Santa and stockings, but from Mom & Dad it's just the 4. Total spent was probably $300/kid, they are 11 & 12.
We don't charge anything. We pay cash so we plan ahead. Technically we don't have a budget. Our kids are 12 and 15. They are at the "expensive" age. lol Our 5yo Wii broke several months ago so we bought them a new PlayStation and games. They are also getting new bikes. They haven't had new ones in about 5 or 6 years. I'm also trying to find a deal on a tablet for the 15 yo, she has never had one, only has her phone. And I'm looking for a nicer r/c car for my son. I never buy them clothes or socks or shoes or anything they would normally "need" during the year. I buy those throughout the year as well as new video games and other fun things as we can and if they have been good. I feel like Christmas should be the big, fun stuff that makes the wait all year worth it. =0)
Our budget this year is $250 per kid. We look at our overall budget and liquid savings each year and discuss the kids' lists and our financial goals. This year, my husband and I decided not to exchange under-the-tree gifts because we start remodelling our home in January. So it's just the kids and stockings.
Reading below it seems that a lot of families don't set a budget for holiday spending. I'll be honest, I think that's foolish. If you have financial goals as a family, and for your future retirement, every dollar should be considered accounted for.
