How Much $$ Do You Spend on Bday Presents for Other Kids?

We stick to $10-$15 range as well. At that age, you can find a lot! I try to include a gift receipt (if I remember).

My son also gets lots of preschool invites and we have his party in two weeks! At the last party (two weeks ago), we gave the birthday girl a Crayola set (dry erase board with "markers") and a $5 gift certificate to Cold Stone!

I also don't spend a lot on wrapping and cards- they don't read them! I keep a supply of heavy cardstock and paint pens on hand to do a little gift tag.

We have a lot of friends and birthday parties. If we spent more then 10-20 per child we'd be in the poor house! LOL I try to stay under $15 and that includes bag/wraping and card. Now if they are treating us to a museum, pool party or something that costs a lot of money for them I tend to up the amount!

Ok, so here is my rule:
My kids ie: neice/nephew (considered family) 10-20 bucks for bday until 13yrs old; 20-30 after that with one of them at some point being a bit more expensive but that is a one time deal.
Friends's kids ie: my sons's friends that are not considered family 10 bucks until 13, then 15 after.
If I do not know or hardly know the kid then I definately keep it under 10.

$10 is a good amount.

No receipt....a gift is a gift.

I wouldn't go more than $10 for a gift in this situation. He's going to be getting so much already (think, if only half of the 16 kids go, plus family and all -- that's a LOT for a 3 year old, even if everything is only $10).
And I honestly only rarely worry about gift receipts, usually only if it is for clothing I am not sure would fit.

That range is fine, no receipt is needed.

Around $10 sounds right to me. And I say $10 at regular price. If you can find something for less that counts as $10. And I wouldn't feel badly about not including a gift receipt. Lots of us shop sales and don't expect gift receipts.

I think $10-$15 is fine esp if it's every classmate gets invited. Yes, I do try to include gift receipts, just because I wish everyone gave them.

We do spend more on very close friends, up to $25.

I generally do 20-30 per gift. I like to get cheaper though, so if I can, I do. Totally depends on the kid and the time of year. Pool toys are really easy and affordable to give a lot of them. Wii games are not cheap even if they are used. I never include a gift receipt - I tell the parents where I got it from and they can go exchange it, but I don't like them to know what I spent. Even if that's bad. Honestly, my kids like $. They are 4, 6, and almost 8. We are going to Disney in a few months and they want spending $. Plus it leaves me with less junk around the house. BUT - how you are saying that many parties a year, I'd go with 10-15 and not feel one bit bad!

$15 is our max... but I usually stick to $10. At that age especially. Barbie is usually anywhere from $5 to $10 and matchbox cars or Hot Wheels are $1 a piece so you can get some good stuff for that budget and that age group.

We spent $10 a kid for my daughter's classmates. I got birthday wrapping and cards at the dollar store so all told each present was under $15. I don't think it's stingy- there's a lot of parties! Plus- we're pretty much broke. I always forget about the gift receipt too. I've never heard anyone say anything about not having a gift receipt.

If it is one of those invitations that everyone in the entire class gets, then $10-15 is absolutely FINE. If it is your kid's best friend that you are also besties with his/her mom, then I might go a little higher if I knew of something in particular that they would really enjoy (an affinity for dinosaurs and I saw a Lego dinosaur set or something that cost $23 or something like that). But I don't bother with gift receipts. And I have RARELY had a gift receipt included in any gifts my kids have received, so I am obviously not the only one who doesn't think that is a necessity. :)

No, it isn't stingy. It's called wise with money. ;) What 2 or 3 year old cares if you spent more or less than $10 on their gift??

p.s.
I also don't do much regarding wrapping paper or cards.. I get paper from the dollar store, and also keep a roll of plain white shipping paper on hand (from office depot or wherever). If I don't have an appropriate dollar store wrapping paper (it's a boy party and all I have is pink colored paper or vice versa) then I wrap the gift in the white and have my kid color or decorate the plain white shipping paper. If it is an odd shaped box, then cut the paper and lay it out flat and let your kid decorate it, and THEN wrap with it. My daughter LOVES doing this. She also will make her own cards out of a piece of construction paper. :)

I think $10-$15 is reasonable and is what I would plan to spend. If I can get an item that is normally in this price range on sale for $5...even better yet! I don't think not having a gift receipt is a huge deal. If you have one great, if not no worries! I hope your son enjoys all of his parties :) He has a busier social calendar than many adults :)

I usually spend between $15-$20. This goes for my MIL, FIL, mother, sister, brother, goddaughter, etc. Usually if it's a child that they are not the closest with, I spend closer to $10-$15.

I do $10 max (unless it's for a close friend), and don't include a receipt. For kids that age, I've given either puzzles or animal/alphabet magnet sets from Melissa and Doug. 1 nice book would also be a good gift.

I never spend more than $20! If you can do it with $10 then that's even better! Birthdays start to add up after a while! :)

Anywhere between $10-$20 is fine.
If they are in the 2-3 yr range right now - a lot of them are thrilled just to get a bottle of bubble fluid or a small stuffed toy.
Stay away from anything with small pieces or things that make noise (unless you despise their parents :-) ).
One Mom from my son's preschool class gave slide whistles out in goody bags and I think we were all just - ahem - thrilled - with her for a few days after that.

That is about the price range I typically spend. For younger kids that is typically enough to be able to buy a decent present (doll, car, blocks, play-doh etc). Sometimes I have included gift receipts and sometimes I haven't. Sometimes I don't want someone to know what I spent (especially when I get good deals) or I bought the gift far in advance so the receipt is no longer valid. However, sometimes gift receipts really are nice for times that you receive duplicate gifts.

I never include a gift receipt! LOL ~ I always forget to ask, it is not intentional, but I have noticed that I rarely get them for my kids either. In the situation that you are describing, I would spend $10 MAX!! for kids that I know/have known, are family members etc., I will spend about $25. I certainly don't expect people to spend a bunch of money on my kids. I try to find a little board game that they can play - you can usually find them for around that price! and in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with re-gifting!

I spend $10-12 for classmates and aquaintances and more for close friends. I usually forget to put in the gift receipt, so I don't worry. It is nice to get one but not necessary. I think 10% of my duaghters' gifts come with gift receipts.

$10 is great. I spend about that much unless it is a best friend. then maybe a little more. I do not put in gift receipts unless it is clothing.

$10 -$15 is fine. Frankly, for all the day care parties (up until Kindergarten) we said "no gifts" b/c the kids don't really need anything. Maybe you can start a trend! As far as giving, get something "new to the birtday person" from your own home collection, or from a garage sale, not necessarily brand new from the store. If you don't have a gift receipt, then don't worry. Don't feel stingy. Just do what you can afford. It's not like the kid doesn't already have tons of stuff. I regift all the time and frankly, don't care. It's nice stuff.

$10 per child is fine!
But I wouldn't give a gift without a receipt.

If it is a child my daughter is good friends with $10-$15.
If it is a child my daughter is a classmate with but not good friends under $10.

Last year was the first time my daughter invited friends to her birthday party. We focused on spending time together and having fun with the kids and families. Since they were close friends they did bring gifts, my guess is under $10 and no gift receipts.

In the end it is a gift, the person recieving it should be thankful for it no matter the cost or if it is exchangable.

I think you sound right on track. I wouldn't worry about not having a gift receipt either.

I aim for $10-15. We've regifted before. Plan on doing it for a party this Sunday. Our son received two of the same Lego sets on his birthday and didn't have gift receipts for either one, so I kept one and planned to use it for another boy's party. I don't see anything wrong with that. Gift receipts are helpful but not a deal-breaker.

I think $10-$15 is perfectly fine, especially if you'll be going to that many parties per year and not including family. It is NOT stingy. The point is you're there celebrating a child's bday, not about how many high dollar gifts they can score.

On the gift receipt, I have no problem giving a gift w/o one. I normally try to get with the mom for gift ideas and hopefully she hasn't given everyone the same list.