How Much Do You Plan of Spending for Each Child for Christmas?

The bolded is us, exactly. I get great pleasure out of finding a super great deal, and getting things for the kids we probably wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. I grew up with getting one semi-expensive gift and a couple of little things (usually mostly stuff we needed, like socks or clothes). We didn't have a lot of money. DH, on the other hand, has 3 siblings and they grew up with MIL going pretty overboard, and they all had huge piles of gifts to open.

So our compromise is to give the kids a fairly large number of gifts, but doing so on a strict budget LOL Little things and accessories to big things all get wrapped seperately, also, so there are more things to open. Any stocking gifts that aren't edible also get wrapped.

 

Our plans got changed. I was hopeful to put money towards a needy family. Well everytime I went looking for a family I didn't feel the family was the kind that I wanted to put my money towards. For example the kids would be asking for a new game for their game system. To me that is not a need. Anyway yesterday my dh got his 2 weeks notice. It is a few weeks earlier than expected so I have decided to make batches of Christmas cookies and put them in a tin with a Bible tract. I plan to give one to everyone staying in this apartment complex (about 40). The tins I can get very cheap at the thrift shop next door. The kids are very excited to help with this. We hope to do it tomorrow.

 

I'm embarressed to say. However, I usually dont spend so much. This year Ds#13 is getting a piano and DS#2 is getting a lego robotics system. Both of those things are very spendy (although I got great deals on each). the younger 3 I didnt spend nearly that much on.
Like someone else above me mentioned,Christmas is the only time I really buy for the kids so I dont mind spendy $$$.

 

Some "presents" are not under the tree. I still have some finishing touches to do on my daughter's room after the change over from the nursery's Noah's Ark to the young lady's Princess with horses theme. Then there will be horseback riding lessons with necessary gear also.

 

Yes - we spoiled everyone this year.... netbooks and ipod touches.... then stuff on top of that.

We usually do 1 big gift per kid and then smaller stuff. We did a ton of black friday shopping online and that's how we got a bunch of stuff (including the netbooks for $249 for the upgraded ones)......

My side usually spends a certain amount of $$ per family. Depending on what my kids wants - I am happy getting new slippers - but this year I asked for a digital camera (super "lightening" sale at amazon) for $89 that was the model up from the one I was looking at and it is the first time I've asked for anything big....DH asked for a knife sharpener that does serrated blades and that was higher than my camera! The kids aren't getting huge gifts (well they are big size-wize being video game bean bag chairs) but I think they'll like the gifts.

I think we over-spent honestly..... but I did feel good that we over-spent on giving as well.

 

Oh, I SO want Phillip into Lego Robotics!!! I'm hoping he'll be on a team next year.

I got the girls a CD from CBD; just found out that my mil thought I was ordering them FOR HER!!! Sigh.... So I have to think again at this late date. I REALLY hate the stress of Christmas!!!

 

To answer someone's question, we've never had anyone who gives our kids lots of presents. My dh's parents send us a little money, and we add a little to that. Quality is now most important for the kids, as opposed to quantity. They don't want much now that they're older. They have specific things they want, and we help them get that. We do a few stocking stuffers still too. DH and I rarely "do" Christmas for each other. We usually get what we need as we need it, and don't need to get each other anything. Usually we use what we would on each other to get the kids more stuff.

We always do a "project" to help others in some way each year. This is the first year we haven't done Angel Tree gifts or shoeboxes or something---just don't have it. but we DO have a child in India that we sponsor, we're doing that again, so that will be our only project this year.

We don't feel sad or bothered by having less this year at all, though. I'm just happy my family is home, and we can spend this time together! AND, that I ahve friends like you all to spend time with over the year!

 

I am late to posting on this thread but we didn't spend more than $30.00 on Ems. She had a watch my mom gave her that broke so she has been asking for a new one for a while now. So this is what we bought her along with a few stocking stuffers.

Next year I am hoping that we will be able to put all our Christmas money into missions. Ems is always blessed with gifts from other people throughout the year, no matter how big or small, so she isn't missing out on anything. Once upon a time Handsome would spend sooooo much money on her but as we go through each year, Christ is constantly leading us down a simpler path.

The one gift we give to each other is our outside Christmas light display. Every year we add to it and this year we were so blessed with a Christmas card from a complete stranger thanking us for sharing our display with the community. So this was a gift in itself.