If you have a large family

**piney** · 11-13-2010, 11:14 AM

And most of them are togeather to open presents do you spend the same amount on each one? Even if you have to get extra presents for some to equal it out to $ amount?

**Missourimom** · 11-13-2010, 11:19 AM

We only had 3 children, so I guess we don't technically have a "large" family. We did spend an equal amount on each child. If one child asked for something expensive, they might only get one gift....it was totally up to them. Now two of them are adults and they just want money....makes it easy.

**AmyBoz** · 11-13-2010, 01:17 PM

We don't have a set amount, nor do we necessarily spend the same amount on each child. It's all kind of relative, I guess, to how old they are and what they are getting. DD loves books, so she might have a lot of books that I find second-hand which are cheap, so she can have a lot, but DS1 might get an expensive truck or train, so he only gets one or two. Still, they don't have to be the same amount. It's what they really enjoy.

**Syn D** · 11-13-2010, 01:27 PM

We have very small Christmas' now, but when my family use to get together, we would pick names and have a set price limit..

**Momto5RN** · 11-13-2010, 05:20 PM

no
i have 5 kids it would be silly for me to spend the same amt on the youngest as i did on the oldest who is 13 years older - i would end up buying extras we didnt need etc just to = the $ amts
( ie last 2 years oldest got a musical instrument- youngest wanted toys )
i also dont buy the same # of gifts- if one wants a larger more $ gift and one wanted 5 smaller cheaper ones thats how it is.

if they notice they never mentioned it and probably because they know they had darn well better not LOL !! i would be likely to scoop up all their gifts and donate them if they ever said he or she got more than me .

as far as family i buy mil and fil a gift and the kids godparets and dhs godchildren-
the last 2 set of people are not expected gifts i just like to gift to them .
mil and fil get whatever i find on sale through the year - i cant imagine they say oh it looks like they spent more on you than me .

we do a family pollyanna so its suppsoed to cost a certain amt - if you happen to get someone in my family as your pollyanna and ask for something other than just a GC you will probably make out well because i will find something worth 2-5x that 20$ for 20$ so you may have a more $ gift in the end than someone who asked for a 20$ GC - but they know how i shop and that i paid just 20$

**BlissMommy** · 11-13-2010, 05:22 PM

I tend to put an amount in my head, pick an item for it, and then try and get it as cheaply as possible.

**jas** · 11-13-2010, 05:31 PM

I only have two kids, spend the same amount on both. After this year though my ds will be married and I am deciding on what the new amount will be for ds and his wife to be.

Like this year ds and dd had the same amount and fdil got half of that amount. I am thinking that next year I will take the amount for both ds and fdil and divide that in two.

My thinking is that as thier family gets bigger I won't be able to spend a huge amount on each. I am sure when they do start having kids I will go nuts. Right now I am just trying to figure it out.

My dad was even steven right down the line. With any money he gave out. He kept track.

**Momto5RN** · 11-13-2010, 05:35 PM

i am sure when they are all adults i will just give out a GC of a certain amt or cash etc in the same amount .

**Neeley** · 11-13-2010, 09:24 PM

We have a large extended family and for many years we would always spend Christmas together. My parents have been divorced since I was 8 and even with them being divorced, I still always had both of them in the same house every Christmas, even after I was married and had kids. At one time we all bought gifts for everyone. I've always spent the same amount on people based on their position in the family. For example, aunts and uncles had the same amount spent on each of them, cousins all had the same amount, grandparents all the same as well, and so on and so forth. I still keep the same rule of thumb as far as Christmas, birthday and any other gift giving budget. It's all equal. Now that DH and I spend Christmas with just our kids in Disney World and not with our extended family, we still maintain equality in gift giving amounts for the extended family members.

With my own kids I always have and always will spend the same amount on each one. I am all about equality among my kids. I also spend equal amounts on the dogs and cats. The kids each know their Christmas gift budget is $xxx and select what they would like accordingly. They also know what their stocking stuffer budget is and let us know what they would like in that department as well.

**Missourimom** · 11-13-2010, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Neeley

With my own kids I always have and always will spend the same amount on each one. I am all about equality among my kids. I also spend equal amounts on the dogs and cats. The kids each know their Christmas gift budget is $xxx and select what they would like accordingly. They also know what their stocking stuffer budget is and let us know what they would like in that department as well.

I'm the same way.

**piney** · 11-18-2010, 05:59 PM

I have always tried spend same amount on my children,same way about grand children,and step grandchildren.I guess i took that after my mom when my children was young and my mom was alive when we went to visit usually on Sunday some of our neighbor children usually went with us and if she gave my children a $1. she gave their company the same at that time you could get coke and candy both for $ have change left over.

**Jenibelle** · 11-19-2010, 11:14 AM

We get together with my Mom's family every year. I buy presents for my grandparents (sometimes separate, sometimes together) as well as my 5 cousins. Each of the aunts/uncles buys for each of the kids as well. There is usually a $20 limit, but that's very flexible. Some years I will spend a bit more on one over the other just depending on what gifts I find, but it usually averages out from year to year. We will also go in together sometimes. Like this year I bought one cousin a $40 necklace so it is coming from my mom & me together. It all works out evenly in the end.