How much do spend on Birthdays?

bamamomto4 · 09-19-2005, 12:40 PM

My sister and I were talking last week and she asked me this. We normally ask the kids what they want and if it's reasonable,thats what they get. For instance..Katie wanted a FUR REAL baby panda (that jayme has completely taken over and wont leave the house without lol) So..we went to Wally World and found one..it was $19.97....Ashley wanted a Game Cube game...$25....But my sister said they spend $150.00 PER child (they have 4 between them) and thats up from last years $100.00 each...Oh My Word! I bout fell over!

How much do you spend?!

nodmicks · 09-19-2005, 12:51 PM

We spend generally about 50-75 on our 2 kids. Usually closer to 50.
With our many nieces/nephews we send them 10. Friends b-day parties are 5-10.
We spend 20-30 on Ds's folks apiece and about30- 40 on my Mom plus take her for a meal and bring cake (as I have no nieces, nephes and only 1 living parent and Mom is alone)

sunshine · 09-19-2005, 01:14 PM

It varies-- but I typically spend more than average for birthdays, as I don't buy much for my kids over the course of a year. They get NEEDED items as gifts for Christmas and birthdays-- so they frequently ask for clothes, shoes and such for their birthdays.

I generally spend $50-$75 on each kid (my oldest this year got lots of GC's that I got free from points programs online and cashed out).

For my parents, sister, nieces and nephews we spend $5- $20 , depending on their needs at the time, my budget, and what I can find on sale.

YankeeMom · 09-19-2005, 01:26 PM

$75-100 per child. Lately that's been one or two high-end gifts. Dd (13) wanted an MP3 player, she got one $70. Ds (4) wanted a Leapster, he got one & a game to go with ($95). Dd (will be 11) wants a Gameboy, we managed to find one for $15 at a yard sale, so that means we can get her 2-3 games to go with rather than just one.

joyofsix · 09-19-2005, 01:51 PM

I spend pretty much in the range you're talking, unless I find something really cool and nice at a garage sale, lol. My younger kids, especially, are just as happy with that. Last year I got dd a $5 bike and she was thrilled. This year we forgot to get her anything, but she did have a rocking party, and she never mentioned a gift. Go figure!

bamamomto4 · 09-19-2005, 02:43 PM

I guess I am just cheap lol

We do spend alot at Christmas(just one item Ashley got last year was $200 ),so I guess it equals out. And we do buy for them during the year as well. So I guess I'm thinking "they get all yr long" so I dont tend to spend an awful lot on bdays.

And of course they get the cake (either homemade or store bought)of their choice and ice cream.

pqb57 · 09-19-2005, 02:55 PM

On the 4 grandchildren we spend between $50 and $75, plus we put $100 in bank accounts that we have for each of them.

Emerald_Mommy · 09-19-2005, 03:14 PM

We usually spend $20-25 on our kids (of course Ingrid hasn't had her first birthday yet). We don't have money for more than that and their grandparents and great-grandparents give them so much they have way more than they need anyway. Guess we're cheap but I haven't felt any guilt yet, lol.

voodidit · 09-19-2005, 03:38 PM

I don't really have a set limit, I usually just get a few things they need and a few things I want them to have, but I almost always buy on sale.

Dixie · 09-19-2005, 04:54 PM

Angie, looks like you just celebrated 2 birthdays, recently.

Happy Birthday to Wynter ad Phoenix.

PrairieRose · 09-20-2005, 11:11 AM

We give our grown dk's $100 for their b.d.s. They get to spend it as they please and I know I've been fair. This year we'll be spending about $150 on each for Christmas. This is way down and it's going to decrease over the next couple of years as well.

pkellyc · 09-22-2005, 01:23 PM

We are down from $100 to $50,both dd's hold jobs now and have more personal spending money than I allow for myself. We are giving both of them thousands of dollars for college and we generally buy the big things for Christmas. When they were little I spent less.

For all of you out there who don't go crazy buying gifts, I would like to say good for you!

I spent 6 years trying to get pregnant with dd#1. Imagine my thinking I would always be the aunt but never a mother. lol
When she did come along she was spoiled rotten. On her 3rd Chrismas both the parents and grandparents went nuts filling my living room so full of gifts we could not walk. We were up at 6 a.m. waiting for the little darling to wake up. When she did she took one look at the excessive mess and opened one gift which she promptly threw to the side, and refused to open any more! Why would she do that? Well everytime we took her out she came home with little presents. Christmas was just another day in the year for her. What it did do was to make us take a long look at what kind of child we were raising. We decided then and there we didn't like it much and needed to turn things around. The little darling threw fits in the stores at first when she did not get everything on demand but we stuck it out.

DD#1 is now almost 20 years old and dreams of her wedding some day. When I asked what kind of wedding she would like she told me a big one with everyone there. I told her that we could never afford a big sit down dinner with that many people. She replied that she did not care if she ate hotdogs for dinner as long as everyone who matters to her, every man, woman, and child was there. Well, I think we will be able to afford more than hotdogs but I am so proud of who she is now and so happy she is not that spoiled little monster we were creating so many years ago. Sometimes not giving so much is the most loving and best thing to do.

Michelle · 09-22-2005, 01:36 PM

It really depends on what they would like/need. Usually I'd say that we spend around $25-30 each