Christmas & B-day reality check please

**Mochashello** · 10-07-2008, 11:35 AM

I was wondering how much money you guys spend on birthday gifts for your teen/pre-teen children? Particularly milestones such as turning 13. (or 10, 16, 18)

And the same for the holidays- what do you spend on your kids? What about nephews and nieces, aunts and uncles, siblings, parents, etc? Mostly the kids though. We only have 2 nephews in the family, and our 3 kids. The rest on our list are adults.

I know this will vary considerably based on ability, but I am just trying to find out a realistic amount from a good cross-section of frugally-minded people.

*side note: NO CREDIT ALLOWED.

Thank you!

**Maine Girl** · 10-07-2008, 11:43 AM

I am trying really hard to spend $10.00 a person, will spend more on my best friends son who is nine. This includes Birthdays and Christmas.

**nodmicks** · 10-07-2008, 12:25 PM

I spend 75 for b days and 150 for Christmas on my kids.

**Izzy0906** · 10-07-2008, 12:28 PM

I spent $50 for b-days and $100 for christmas for my daughter. If I get a HUGE bonus (usually do) then I get her an additioanl one or two items. All kids (10 total) that are otherwise on my list I spend $10 each, if not less. Would like to make it $5 this year but not sure WHAT to get for $5.

**BlessedMomof2** · 10-07-2008, 12:29 PM

My kids are not teens or preteens. We have a set money allowance budget for the holidays, and we trypically spend the same amount for birthdays as we do on Christmas per person. For our children we typically spend $100 each, nephews/niece we spend $15. We don't buy for aunts, uncles, or siblings anymore (we decided once we all had kids that it was just too much money being spent and decided to keep the gift giving to the children). For our parents we typically spend $50 for Christmas, and $25 for birthdays. We also have $75 to get something for eachother as well. For Christmas I always make cookies and candies and give each family that share the holidays with a big goodie basket full of the homemade baked goods.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-07-2008, 12:58 PM

I spend about $50 on the kids for birthdays and $150 per kid for Christmas. I may lower the second figure a bit given that I have more people to buy for this year.

**Mochashello** · 10-07-2008, 01:14 PM

Thank you for the responses! May I add one more category? How much do you and your spouse spend on each other at Christmas?

**tmffv** · 10-07-2008, 01:22 PM

This year for DS' birthday, we are spending a little less than $50 on his 2 gifts, but he's only turning 4 so this was very easy to do! For other children's b-days, I usually spend around $15 - $20 on a gift.

For Christmas, we are putting aside enough for $100 each for dh, ds and I. As for extended family, on my side the kids (7 of us) usually all get together to pitch in for a gift for my parents, and then draw names for each other. There's never any official limit on what to give, but everyone knows to keep it in the $20 - $40 range. I only have 1 nephew so far (10 mo old), so no real need to worry about additional nieces/nephews yet. When this number grows, I'm sure the family will have to re-evaluate our gift giving set up.

**Lora88** · 10-07-2008, 01:32 PM

my children range in age from 35 to 19 there are 4 of them and my daughter is married so also son in law and eldest son has a fiance. I give my children 100.00 for bday son in law 75.00 sons fiance 50.00 For Christmas all 4 kids get 500.00 each son in law 150.00 sons fiance gift and 50.00. I know its alot but there great kids and thankfully I dont have to do anything else for them all year except the 19yo he still lves at home

**lovestolaugh** · 10-07-2008, 03:07 PM

I have a DS12 and a DD11 (will be 12 on Jan.2!) I set a limit of $350 each for both at Christmas and $250 each on Bday. Mind you, my budget is that, but with watching sales and shopping year round, I get them stuff worth $350 but costing a lot less. We also do the Want/Need/Wear/Read 4 gift limit plus there stocking which is filled with $ Tree stuff. I am actually done shopping and everything is wrapped and hidden away! I finished last weekend. I have to wrap it all because my DD is a huge snooper! Everything was paid for in cash!

**lilac_city_mommy** · 10-07-2008, 03:19 PM

For Christmas with our children we only do stockings, $20 each. We do a gift exchange with DH's family, we each buy a gift for one other person, limit of $10. That makes for a total of $100 for Christmas. We don't buy anyone else gifts, we make homemade candy, etc and that cost comes out of our regular food budget.

For kids' birthdays we do $30 each, we don't spend anything on adult birthdays.

**Neeley** · 10-07-2008, 03:41 PM

We have no credit cards so nothing is charged and everything is paid for in cash/debit card.

Our kids are 13 & 15. We have always budgeted $300 for birthdays. They can either have a $300 gift or a party and gift that equals $300. It is whatever they choose. Their 13th birthday party we do a little more. DD had a hotel party for hers and it was around $350 plus a $100 gift. For DS we rented out the paintball facility for he and his friends. His party was around $400 plus $100 gift.

DD will be 16 in May and it is looking like her party will run in the $1000 range. We are having a surprise catered dinner party for approximately 35-50 guests with a DJ. The facility is free, but the DJ is $450 plus tip and the dinner will depend on the final number of guests. She is getting a car so that will be her biggest gift ever.

Christmas we spend $500 per child.
2 Nieces/1 Nephew: $50 each.
Each one of our parents: $75 each (or $150 couple)
Each of our grandparents: $35 each (or $70 couple)
SIL and her hubby: $35 each (or $70 couple)
2 Aunts/1 Uncle:$30 each
3 cousins: $20 each
DD's 2 best friends: $25 each
2 Dogs: $15 each
2 Cats: $15 each

DH and I do not get each other birthday gifts or Christmas gifts. We take a family vacation every Christmas to Disney World for a week to ten days and this is our gift to each other.

**AmyBoz** · 10-07-2008, 03:50 PM

I don't really have a limit for my kids, but I don't go overboard, either. I think maybe $100 or so per kid. Some years, maybe more, some years, maybe less. It depends on what they are into or what I find for them.

That being said, this year, I am hoping to cut back...WAY back on that amount, and not sacrifice a nice Christmas. We've been working hard on it's not what we have, but what we do with what we have with the kids, and they are getting it. I think we won't need to go crazy to have them feel pleased with Christimas.

Our neices and nephews are a different story. There are 14 grandchildren, and so each child draws a name and "buys" for that cousin. So, since we have 3 kids, we'll buy for whichever 3 nephews or nieces we draw. The limit there is $30 per kid.