How much money do u spend on Kids?

[mandifour]

About 800 on the oldest and 400 on the youngest.

[motoXmom]

I am a single mother on a very limited income (and no child support!) but my children get a really really nice christmas in part by me clearance shopping all year long and by my christmas bonus! I would never even be able to tell you how much I spend. And it dont help that my oldest daugthers birthday is on the 19th of December so I always have to make sure to keep it out of her christmas pile. I usually try to make sure they each have the same number of presents usually between 35-40. And they are not all that expensive they just look it!

 

WoW excellent job! I don't know how you do it, even with the clearance sales it must be hard. I was in your postion many years ago with my oldest and remember how hard it was. Nice Job!!:)

[bellastarr]

I spend alot on my daughter, about $800 so far this year. It varies year to year depending on what she wants. This year it's alot of nintendo ds games, movies, cds, karoke machine ect. and I all adds up pretty fast. We pretty much spoil her but we are the only ones that buy for her as we don't exchange gifts with family, and grandparents are gone. It's good to hear that we aren't the only ones. I've been told we do too much but I think we do just right for our family.

[Sunshyne]

Last year $400 on oldest son (then 4), $75 on youngest son (then 4 months)

This year the estimate is $300 on oldest son, $150 on youngest.

 

I really went way overboard on my oldest last year....this year his big items are a train table and a desk for his room...so I am using Xmas to furnish his room since we just bought this house and he finally has the room for bigger stuff in his room.

 

I am trying to be really conscious of deals this year too. Last year I started in October and kept saying I was done, but I still kept buying stuff and then I wanted to cry when I was still up at 3am wrapping stuff!

[alimfp]

One lady on the news tonight said she spends around $300 per child, and she has FOUR kids. My jaw hit the floor.

 

My kids get many things all year long from us and their Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. So really, my "only" spending $75 or so per child isn't so low compared to some.

[christib327]

and anything that costs $5 or less doesn't count.

Yes! I love this!! I spend way too much on our kids too, but this is my new motto!! I find SO many good deals that lots of their stuff just isn't going to count!!!!

[Serling126]

Our girls are ages 3 and 1. Money is tight this year- ususally we buy gifts from the money in our checking account, but this year most if it will have to be on a credit card. I'm going to try to stick to $50-$75 per child. They are too young to have any concept of how much we're spending, plus they get gifts from grandparents and aunts & uncles so they will have plenty of presents to open :)

[amyers12345]

right now we only have 1 daughter who turns 4 on 11/28. with her bday 1 month before xmas, we tend to not buy her a lot since her presents from her bday are still new. and a lot of people buy for her(her grandparents, 3 aunts plus dh and I).

 

for xmas she gets 1 big thing from santa and then we get her usually about 10 presents... so i think we spend about 200-300 on her. next year we will be different since we will have 2 kids, lol. we are expecting a boy next month(12/31). but they will be 4 years apart and different genders, so that has to help the budget for when they get older.... right?????? someone tell me im onto something here, lol.

Mine are 5 years and 1 week apart. DS7, DD2. I think it's kind of harder, because you can't buy them anything together. For example, board games, video games, toys, movies, etc. You can't buy anything universal.

[mom2boys1girl]

On all 3 kids total I've spent around $500 probably spend about $30 more each kid before its all said and done

[sm1kla]

I'm always afraid to add it up.

[3cuties4me]

WOW! I'm so happy to see this... lol! Glad to know I'm not the only one spending a lot on my kids at Christmas!!!

 

I have 3 children... ages 3, 2 and 10 months :) I spend $500/child!! Everyone thinks that is INSANE! I don't know... I shop all year long and really try to get awesome deals!

 

OH - and my kids bdays are January 3, January 30 and February 6!!! We have like bday season around here right after Christmas! Tons of fun! Teehee....

 

~ Erin (23 y/o SAHM to 3 cuties ages 3 and under)!

[CamoCo]

wow! I must be waaay overboard after reading these postings. we have 3 children 4,3,2 in age and we have spent almost $1200 on the oldest ($1000 of that was a 4wheeler) and then about $500 apiece on the younger ones. Even before this big ticket year we usually spent around $300-500 per child. My oldest's b-day is Jan 2nd so the 4wheeler is 1/2 christmas 1/2 b-day. My hubbie and I do not buy gifts for each other and we are kind of chintzy for the extended family. We spend it all on our kids since they don't get much from anyone else. I know it may sound stingy but I would rather give my kids nice things than people I see once a year. On average we spend about $3000 on Christmas altogether although I think this year we may be stretching the seams a little.

[amberleigh2]

I have three kids, 2 boys ( 10 & 8) & my little girl is 5, I'm having a real hard time this christmas, I recently stopped working & that has made a huge difference in what we can spend. Up until this year I really did'nt keep track of how much I spent I would just try to make sure they had about the same # of gifts to open. My dd is easy to buy for & cheapest by far, the boys are into the video games & I've already spent over $300 on one w/ just a psp & 3 games so I'm trying to figure out how to even the presents out. I hate for my dd to open a bunch & the boys only have 4 or 5 to open. It's hard & I imagine it's only gonna gets worse w/age!! If anyone could give me ideas to help this situation or you have been in the same boat I'de love to hear how you handled it!! Thanks & happy holidays to everyone:)

[Tjalfi]

To even out the number of presents, try wrapping small gifts that you might otherwise use as stocking stuffers. At 8 and 10, your boys are old enough to understand how much things cost. When I was a kid, I asked for a Gameboy (black and white, of course!) but knew I'd never get it because it was so expensive. On Christmas morning, my brother and I each had six presents under the tree. From "Santa," I got my Gameboy-- and from my parents, a game and four individually wrapped batteries. :) It was the best Christmas surprise I could have imagined, and I had great fun exclaiming over each of my gifts.

[Annettecummings]

Wow! What a scary thought- add up how much I spend! Ok.... I spend all cash except for when I use the AmEx; Macy's, JCPenny's,etc credit cards --- OK, OK ...I can't do it-- gotta go.

[droolbug2]

I have 3 boys (oldest will be 7 in Jan,a 4 y.o. and the baby will be 1 in Dec)....I usually spend around $150-$200 on each...give or take. I stash stuff all year that I find on clearance so that by this time every year I am just about done shopping. Right now I have 1 more gift to buy...my 1 y.o. big gift which Im not going to spend more than $40 on. I love clearance...my kids are able to get a lot of nice things without me having to spend much!

[thedeva]

I usually do layaways and lot of stores are doing away with it like Walmart just stop doing it this time last year I was done because I did most of my kids who are 15 and 12 on Ebay and got a lot of great deals and didnt spend a lot of money either. The most money I spend on a gift was $78 and that was a game console so you just have to bargain shop and God will make a way for you.

[jeanne0006]

With three children, I spend app. $500 each on the two younger ones (ages 19 and 17). This also includes needed items such as pajamas, slippers, gloves, etc. My older daughter lives on her own, with a SO. I will spend about $250 on her. Does anyone else a have an older child where you feel badly not as much is spent, but they are now adults?

[Catrinaf25]

I have no idea. i dont keep track

[DramaQueenLucy]

This year I spent more then I usally do my boys wanted the wii and I over did it on games got 10 Then I got oldest ds a PSP and youngest ds a ds lite both with 1 game. A bike, clothes, a few movies and maybe heelies if I can find them at a good price will round it out all and all about a total of $1,500 for both kids + new TV for the familyroom

[mom_of2boyz]

This year for the 10 year old it's going to be close to $500. I don't normally spend that much but he's getting a computer this year, and a few games for it, along with some small things, 20 questions game, flash drive.

The older one is less because he's on his own now. But I will be spending about $3-4 hundred on him and his girlfriend together, because I feel guilty spending so much on the younger one and about $100 on her 3 year old.

[mom_of2boyz]

And the above total doesn't include what their dad is getting them. (We're separated). He wanted to get the 10 year old a PS3. But now he has decided on the WII. And he usually gives the older one/his girlfriend and the 3 year old money. I think last year he gave them each $200.

[sbixby]

Wow. This one really made me think! I pulled out the receipts really dreading what I would find but it wasn't so bad. We spent @450 on my son (including a Wii) and he has about 20 gifts. We spent @300 on my stepdaughter (she lives far away and only asked for an IPOD so we got her that and some jewelry and pj's--gotta remember to get them shipped out next week:cheesy: ) We also spent about $500 on family gifts (we only buy for my nieces and nephews since they are small(under 5) and not my brothers and their wives, my parents, my grandmother, his mom and family gifts for his 3 brothers who all live far away and have older children). Our family has a $50 limit for each family member so that no one goes crazy (and to take the pressure off my brother who does not earn as much as the others but would try to keep up with the overspending if we allowed it to happen). My 2 brothers and I usually go together to get a nice gift each parent wants. This year dad is getting a gas weed eater with attachments and mom is getting a M&M collectible from Danbury Mint and earrings.

 

I don't think that's too bad @1300 total. I begin buying in August and go from there. I am done by Thanksgiving and Black Friday is just a bonus day. If I get a deal on an add on gift great...if not...that's okay too. I do buy the gifts for my husband's coworkers at the afterChristmas sales at Pier one and yankee candle and such. Every year they get gifts that look like I spent @ $10 per person but really only spend about $2---shhh--don't tell.

 

The $50 limit really helps and prevents someone from scooping up on the parent's big gift for their kids. The parents buy the big thing (in my case the Wii) and my brothers are each buying a game he wants for it and my parents and grandmother are getting him extra controllers and accessories. This lets me buy him clothes he will really wear instead of "Grandma clothes---OH NO!":)

 

So after all this rambling, the short answer is @450 each on kids and @1300 total (but regular cost of everything was almost $2000--I wonder if I could use that argument for my husband to buy me something super special...haha)

[staceeu]

I'm with ms_mckenna. I usually spend around $400 each for our three kids, but we're the only ones who buy for them, except for a small present for each from the godparents. I alwyas set the bar much lower at the beginning of the season, then ignore it.

[houseof5]

I've been told by my girlfriends that I spend WAY to much money on my kids but they can say that since their parents are RICH and come home with truck loads of toys so the cost burden fall on the grandparents and not them. My kids grandparents get them each 1 kinda big toy and a few little ones equally $100 and 1 set of grandparents also contribute $100ea to their college fund for christamas and birthdays so that helps. But I'll spend anywhere from $300-$500/each for 3. I don't buy my kids toys and electronics all year round like alot of ppl. They get "fun" wants at birthdays and christmas, clothing of course when they need it.

[Grants Dad]

Spend about $75/boy, might seem too little, but we want them to understand Christmas ain't about how much, and how many presents you get.

[cleverbffool]

about 300 per kid.

[Shortness]

I have three and typically spend about $75-$150 each. Sometimes it's more and sometimes less. We try not to raise our kids to be expectant of lots or expensive gifts at Christmas.

[Kat07]

LOL I spend too much...I am glad I am not even close to being the only one. I just love buying gifts for the kids and the family. Every year I say I will go over board and I do anyway. I have two kids DD4 and DS11. This year I really did manage not to buy extra presents just so they have "stuff" to open.

 

I usually spend $300 on each. And used to try to keep the gift numbers the same for each so I had to keep evening up every time I found something else for one or the other. Ugh

 

This year my son is old enough to realize the cost and I told him his sister is going to end up with more gifts than him, but his cost the same or more than hers.

 

This year I had no idea what to get my son so I bought him a bunch of new board games and other items Ipod, robot, models. Then I managed to get the Wii and of course I had to get a couple games for it, but I can't have him open only 5 things on Christmas morning(how boring for me) so I kept most of his other items, so he is at about $500. I have to return some stuff, but I probably won't.

 

If I start shopping early I keep finding cool stuff they gotta have and I buy more and more. If I shop late there are great sales for things I have to buy or there are a million commercials for stuff my daughter says she neeeeeds.

 

But, I did good this year the only thing I put on the credit card that I have to pay off is the Wii console. :)

[Tyandmacsmom]

I shop pretty much all year for my two kids, ages 5 and 3. This year, I cut back because of behaviour issues from Last Christmas. They each will have 13 things under the tree: Tyler, my five year old: Gameboy advance with all accessories, and 8 games, a huge remote control truck, batman viewmaster set, Crash Dummy Set, Phantom Lagoon, Video, Another Crash Dummy, Christmas Search and Find book, Game boy Bag, 2 Game boy videos, and a few marvel superheroes. Then his stocking stuff. I spent about $165 on him.

For Macayla: Baby Alive, Baby Alive clothing set, Koala Bros. viewmaster set, Remote control car, Sweet streets 3 piece set, 2 polly pocket sets, Video, Christmas Search and Find Book, Cinderella dress up magnets, and a few more disney princess, strawberry shortcake type stuff...And after stockings, hers added up to about $165.

I got great deals though. I saved I would have to say more than on average 50% on everything I purchased. They will have a ton. Plus, they get from two sets of grandparents, three sets of greatgrandparents, two aunts/uncles, and five sets of great aunts/uncles. They get a TON. Definitely more than they need. :)

In total, my budget for everyones shopping this year was $700. That's for parents, kids, brothers, sisters in laws, grandparents, and I do lots of goody making for the aunts and uncles, and teachers/bus drivers.

 

P.S. We live every other paycheck to paycheck. I budget pretty well, but if DH's health was to fail, we'd be screwed. But we pay for everything with cash, (Or put it on CC and pay it off as soon as the bill comes in.) I wonder how many people that are spending over $1000 per child are paying cash? I just simply can't afford to spend that much, unless I was to charge it. And I DON'T want to pay interest! (We got into credit card trouble when we were younger, and learned our lesson! )