spend on your kids at Christmas?

I realize that it is kind of a personal question.   Sorry.   I just always get down because I feel like all of my kids' friends get more than they do.  I have great kids though...  they never complain. 

As they get older, the things they want are so expensive.  I just hate that they only get a few things.  I know that that is not what Christmas is about but I can't help feeling like I'm not doing enough.

PF wishes!

Jeannie

Amount per child varies each year with the available funds budgeted. I use performance awards from my employer for Christmas gifts,so the year end balance is the budgeted amount

I know that's not much help.....but for this year it's 300.00 per.

B

Never really went overboard, and never "bought into " all of the commercialism..................and depending on the year.
I also feel that throughout the year I give them both things, so it's really okay if we just spend the time together and not concentrate on the material things. And we have each other.
This year is a tough one,, and have not decided if I will buy them anything.  My son is buying the tree, and we will just be thankful that we are here to enjoy the season.
We will have a houseful for Christmas Day, I will prepare homemade appetizers, a lovely meal, etc. OH!! & thanks to Dennis I found out what a Cupcake Tree is and am busy looking for an awesome idea for one of the desserts!
Whatever you decide, Jeannie, will be a great decision. Believe me, your kids are better off getting less than their friends.  They will appreciate things more.
debs

Nothing like previous years Jeannie !

The adults have all agreed we can only give "recycled" presents this year i.e. secondhand or unwanted gifts. Have found some gems of things for people in our charity shops and on Ebay for pennies!

Oddly, my son's Santa letter had a much smaller list on it than previous years which is really unexpected as he is 9 and usually always wants something expensive.

Luckily the credit crunch here has caused huge discounts online so have managed to get the Wii games he wanted quite cheaply by shopping around online generally and on Ebay where prices have really plummeted. Some presents are secondhand.

His "Santa" presents and Christmas stocking presents are just fun stuff which costs a few £'s (he is still convinced or pretends to be convinced Santa exists- I think perhaps he is just being "cute" because he knows it means 2 sets of presents)

I would guess the total of all of it for a 9 year old has been about £45 (about $60 I think?) which sounds a lot but is much less than any other year.

Luckily I only have one kid!


Bless him, he has made all his presents this year, and lovely they are too. Wooden bird feeders and Christmas tree decorations made from pine cones for everyone whether they like it or not!

Wendy


P.S. Just a thought but if money is really tight- presents mean nothing really and are soon forgotten or discarded. How about an I.O.U for a day out when Mummy does no chores or work, and your kids get to choose what they do with Mummy (within reason) OR a day when they get to BE Mummy and call the shots (a bit dangerous that one!)

The MOST precious thing we give our kids is our time and attention so I bet they would love a Mummy IOU.

My girls are 24 and 22 now. A month or so ago I was trying to explain how broke we were when they were growing up. They didn't believe me. They never really took note of all the crap we didn't buy them. You do the best you can and you love them. It all works out!

Joe

I only have the two cats and Rasco... so I'd guess I can do the whole celebration of Christ's birth for under 20$.

They will undoubtedly pout and compare their gifts with the neighborhood pets gifts but I will sit them down and explain that it is the birthday of baby Jesus. Not a celebration of consumerism.

Each year starting in october I have a niece in-law who begins her very aggressive lobbying efforts for her 3 children. She actually has the balls to call me and ask what on the list I will get them.  

She is working full time makes a great salary and her husband works no less than 50 hours a week. Together they bring home around 140k a year.

I make somewhere around 7k a year.... I tell her that I will buy them each a box of frozen fruit popcycles... when they're done with the healthy treat... they can use the sticks to build things.

... I'm not a scrooge... nor am I cheap... I just hate this blatant commercialism and all of the emotional damage it encourages.  


with warm regards,
Tony

Thanks guys!   I really do know that Christmas is not about what I give my kids.  I really don't mean to sound so shallow.     I'm guessing that we'll spend about $150 to $200 per child.  My 10 y/o wants a North Face and a bike and some Knock off Ugg boots.  That will be about all she gets.  She says that she'll be happy.  My son, almost 16, wants money and maybe some basketball pants.  As Pat said, it will look pretty bare under the tree!  

I have to say that I am very grateful that my kids don't seem too upset about not getting EVERYTHING.  I guess I should learn from them!

Jeannie

When our drought was at its worst, people were allowed only four minutes in the shower and that was that. 

There's three kids I know who for almost a month secretly cut their shower-time down to three minutes so that, come Mother's Day, they'd built up enough "water-credits" that their mum could treat herself to a real bath.

There's giving and there's giving.

I usually decide on a budget, but I've already forewarned my daughter that there is a necessity to be extra careful with money this year, of which she's well aware.  She also goes to a private school where most kids already have anything she wants, so it's hard for her not to want the same.  But she's got a good head on her shoulders and has worked had this year to get where she is, so I saved up ahead of time and got her ONE gift that I would never otherwise have purchased.  Anything else is gravy.

We adults had agreed not to get eachother anything for Christmas, just the children.  Things are tight all around but to me, I'd like to give something.  

Reading your comments..You all just gave me a wonderful idea.
Things I will give:  a full Saturday of housecleaning and re-arranging furniture, as preferred...two weekends of Saturday night baby-sitting... a full dinner, start to finish, on any designated evening of a weekend....a daytime or evening playdate, on any Friday, Sat. or Sunday (day).  

These are all things that I just know the grown-ups want or actually need and its definitely different.  

Thanks for the inspiration!!

Pepp