How Much Do You Spend on Birthday Party Gifts?

Usually $10-15. I usually look for something on sale so that my $10 gets a slightly more expensive gift, but yeah, around there.

Anyone expecting an extravagant gift from a classmate, will have to just live with being disappointed.

I try to keep it about $10-15 per gift. However, there are parties that both my children are invited to so I buy two gifts so that each child can bring one, so it still gets expensive. Truthfully though, I cannot remember the last time we went to a party where gifts were opened at the party. So, I really don't think that there will be any public shame there....

I usually spend about 15-19 $ but I notice the presents he recieves are often more like 25$ so I feel cheap, but I do put a lot of thought into the present

$10-15 max for friends. $20-25 for cousins.

I usually spend between $10 and $15. I will maybe go up to $20 if it's a close friend.

$5-20, depending on what I can afford. That's really sad that your son is already comparing "gift size". My kids have never mentioned it, even if I sent them with $5 worth of stuff from the dollar store during our leanest times. Remind your son it's the thought, not the size or the cost, that counts.

I always get a 40% off Michael's coupon and purchase a craft kit. So a $30 kit is $18, etc.

My son is still young, most parties say "no gifts please". So we usually have him make a picture/do a card and put a pack of stickers inside.

For "yes to the gift" parties, I think $10-15 maximum. I, too, have gone to some birthday parties where some of the gifts were $20-30 from classmates. Yikes! Awkward.

20 - 30 for my friends kids that we have known forever. 15 - 20 for classmates.

$15 to $20, preschool/elementary age, $25 to $35 for older kids (luckily not nearly as many parties in that age group!)

Sons friends..10 to 15 dollars. Family friends 20 to 25 dollars. I usually get my sons friends McDonalds gift card. They seem to love them.

Between 20-25 dollars. My kids are teens and get a lot of Barnes & Noble or iTunes cards, so we give what we received from them which lately seems to be $25 denominations. When they were smaller I would buy toys on sale at Walmart and just keep them in a bin (craft kits, some dolls, some stickers, Princess t-shirt, cute purse, those packs of lip glosses) and when a birthday came up the kids could choose about $15 worth of items to put in a bulk-bought single color gift bag. Sometimes we would add a favorite candy bar. The kid does not know you only spent $8 for that $18 doll a year ago.

I don't have a set amount, but usually it's below $10. When I find a great item on clearance, I buy ten or more and put them away for birthday parties. Costco has these great Angry Bird blankets for $12, I bought 6 and we have been giving those as gifts. Micheal's has some terrific crafts too, and I buy those with 40% off coupons. They sell a fashion plate type toy for $7. With the coupon it's 3.50. I usually have my son check out with a coupon too for the colored pencils. EVERY TIME we have given that gift, I am told it was an absolute favorite. I MIGHT spend $6 total. I have never felt the need to compete or compare.

$20-25. Maybe more if its a best bud.

I'm going to say $15 or so for a friend, $20/$25 for one of my grandchildren. I hear ya, money is tight so I look for sales and try to buy ahead of time and stash the gift(s) until needed. I also try to wrap gifts in a cute, fun way to add to it. A gift is an expression of your regards for the person and certainly not an obligation. You do what you can :)

BTW, one of the sweetest invitations we've received was from a 6 year old girl who wanted no gifts for herself but donations for pediatric cancer which she donated to CHOC Hospital here in Orange County, CA. Her family provided food, cake, games and goodies for all, but insisted we adhere to her request, and no donation was too small. She has asked the same for next year as well.

Family and close friends 25-50 dollars. School friends and the 20 parties my daughter gets invited to, 20 dollars. TJ maxx usually has perfume sets for the girls or a pocket book/wallet for 19.99. Century 21, Marshalls too. You didn't mention an age for your son, so I don't know what to suggest.

$25 for kid parties.

For classmates I do 15-20. For close friends - depends on how many kids are invited: 1 kid 25-30. More kids: 40-45

$20.00 is the average. With 5 dollars either way. The better the friend the more apt I'd go closer to 25. Someone we didnt know to well closer to the 15. But if things are tight a $5.00 gift can work also. At my daughter's bday parties we always say we want the child not the gift. She is not allowed to open her gifts at the party. We give thank you for comming at the party. Its never been the price tag but that you showed up and spent quality time with our daughter and treated her right.

$15. Max for classmates..

But also keep in mind, some of the children attending, may be also close family friends. We live on a street where we are all very close. We have known each other since our children where born.

One of our neighbors, the girls called each other cousins..

We spent a bit more on their gifts, so anyone that did not know this history, might think we had spent a lot on their gift. Maybe up to $25.00

It is not the cost or size of the gift, it is the thought put into picking the gift.

I ususually do about $15 but at my son's 9th bday he recieved several $25 gift certs, ( Toysrus) I was taken aback,

I wish friend parties would stick with something small like a book or a small lego set this huge or expensive presents arent' necessary. we have so many people buying for our kids it gets rediculous.

I try to shop kids clearance all year long and then pull something out for a gift. A lot of times it looks like and expensive gift and it only cost me maybe $10.

I usually buy a $20 giftcard (Toysrus/Target) and a book (about another $5).

I spend anywhere between $10-20, depending on how well we know the child and how close my child is to the host. My kids have never had a problem of being concerned that someone else's gift may be better. They just need to be satisfied with what they give. My son went to 3 birthday parties in the spring and we spent $10 on one gift that was a really cool water gun with double barrels. We spent at Walmart. Sometimes we shop on Target and rare occasion we shop at Toys R US, only if we happen to be there for something else and don't want to make an extra trip but then I look at clearance shelves to get more for my money.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

I posted a similar question about a year ago because I feel that it's a little out of control what people spend. I spend about $20 on my nephews for their birthdays. My thought was that for a kid I don't know, $10 seemed good but then I started to see what other people were giving as gifts and I was shocked. I try to spend around $15 now. How old is your son? My son is 4 so he doesn't have a concept of what's expensive or cheap. For his birthday, one kid brought him these two green lantern toys, both were pretty sizeable, two books and one other small thing. He thought it was so cool and he got so much stuff. The next week, I saw all the same toys at Five Below. The mom probably spent around $12. If they are young enough the physical size or quantity can go a long way.

Updated

I posted a similar question about a year ago because I feel that it's a little out of control what people spend. I spend about $20 on my nephews for their birthdays. My thought was that for a kid I don't know, $10 seemed good but then I started to see what other people were giving as gifts and I was shocked. I try to spend around $15 now. How old is your son? My son is 4 so he doesn't have a concept of what's expensive or cheap. For his birthday, one kid brought him these two green lantern toys, both were pretty sizeable, two books and one other small thing. He thought it was so cool and he got so much stuff. The next week, I saw all the same toys at Five Below. The mom probably spent around $12. If they are young enough the physical size or quantity can go a long way.

Usually no more than $15; I watch for sales throughout the year; I shop at dollar stores, Walmart, Target, Big Lots, TJ Maxx, Ross etc. and watch for things that would fit most any child around my son or daughter's age if they get invited to a party. Sometimes it's a handful of items in a gift bag; sometimes it's just one gift. Giving a gift is a nice gesture and shouldn't matter how much it cost or how big it is. Remind him of values or giving and receiving. I actually took a couple of my son's friends along with his sister to a game place for his Birthday and told them their presence was enough. He didn't get a gift from either child and that was totally fine; spending time with them was enough. He has enough "things" anyway.

We have 3 big craft stores near us. Every week there is a coupon for either 40 or 50 percent off a non-sale item. The nice craft items are usually anywhere bet $19.99 - 25.99 retail.

For 4 or 5 year olds, about $15-$25. Depends how well we know them, and perhaps how "lavish" the b-day party is (I always think, for a wedding, I'd do enough to "cover" the meal for me and my hubby, so I apply similar logic to bday parties).

We don't spend more than $10 on friends birthday gifts.
Family rule.