Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

i'd be surprised if I wind up spending more than $100 on DS but I still haven't seen the amazon deals this year so that is where I usually go off course.

DS is spoiled by his grandparents and aunts. It is sick!

I'm sure as he gets older I will spend more but he really has no concept of it whatsoever so I figure why go overboard myself when I know everyone else will and I can't stop them.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Posted by smdl

$300 maybe more. I have no limits. Well, sort of but I don't really count! I stop when I see my CC statement.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

I plan on scaling down this year, but we'll see.

Ava wants the Barbie Town House for about $150. Brody will be getting the Step 2 roller coaster for the back yard- about $100. The combo gift for them both is a bouncer for $200.

I will probably spend another $200 on Ava, but Brody doesn't know much, so he isn't getting anything else.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

I put 200-300. I am not sure because I never really add it up but I do go a little nuts. I don't buy toys often throughout the year other than birthday and crafts and coloring stuff so this is it.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Thankfully I have a friend who works for Mattel who gets us 50% off at the Mattel store here in CA. That saves me a bundle- I spent 140 there this year and got most of their stuff. I probably will spend about $30 more for each kid so $100 total kid.

ETA: We do get them stuff that comes up during the year- like DD got a tricyle this summer because that was when she started wanting one. Both my kids have birthdays soon after Christmas so I try not to get them everything at once.

Plus, we really don't have people buying them stuff. My sister puts money in an account for them rather than getting them gifts and I share what I get with my Mom since she has to travel so far to us each Christmas.

Message edited 11/22/2009 11:27:37 PM.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

By the time we get home from seeing both sides of the family my house will be sooo overloaded with stuff!!

I could seriously wrap up empty boxes for my little guy and he would be thrilled!!!
My older 2 told me all they want for christmas is cash wrapped up in a box!!

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

I plan to spend about $150 on DD, maybe a little more. DS I spent about $75. He's 7 months old so he doesn't really get it & he's already got everything handed down from DD.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

When they were really little I spent less than 100 and got a LOT of stuff. As they get older, it gets more difficult to get the things they want without breaking the bank.

This year we have to really tighten our belts - but the gifts my sons REALLY want more than anything are Nintendo DSi's! That's almost 200 on a SINGLE TOY.

Needless to say, chances are slim that they will recieve that particular gift. And I do feel kind of bad becuase they want it so badly.. but the rest of their list isn't much better - video games, scooters, cameras, a leather coat, remote control cars, etc..

This year we have decided to spend 250 each on the kids. It's going to be a HUGE stretch and really dig into our meager savings... but we think it will be okay provided Rob gets some side work.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Last year was her first Christmas and we kept it small. I think we gave her 2 gifts that maybe cost $60... and I didn't even give them to her to open until after Christmas. I plan to spend more this year because I want to buy a 'big' gift like a kitchen or a new table & chairs set.

Her birthday is in January and my mother goes CRAZY so she gets more than enough.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Last year we didn't spend much b/c she was 11 months, didn't know what was going on, my DH was out of work, and her 1st birthday was a month later. So prob about $75.

This year we're prob spending about $200 on her but only b/c we bought her 2 big items.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

this year it's about $300 for each. but they usually end up with 15 presents each.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

we have 3 DDs and I am not really sure how much $$$ we spend on each
my oldest is 13 and the gifts she likes are $$$$$ now where as youngest DD is gonna be 3yrs old and you can buy sooo many gifts for less money
I try to make an even amount under the tree because my 8yr old always sees who has more .
I wanna say its like $300 for my oldest 2dds and a little less for my almost 3 yr old

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Probably about $150 on Ryan this year if I can even think of what to get him - grandparents bought the big stuff already so I'm at a loss.

A few little things for Colin.

Joint gift is a flat screen for the playroom but I probably can't pass that off as their gift

I'm sure when they are older we'll spend in the $300 range but probably never more than that.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Well I have to buy gifts for both Christmas and Chanukah and I probably spend atleast $300, probably more, but I'm in denial.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

we spend $1200-1500 max on Christmas for everyone and about $800-1000 is for the kids.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

$150...he just had a birthday in October and received a lot of toys then. He doesn't need much. Plus I'm sure he'll get more from family on x-mas.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Wayyy under $100. My parents and in laws buy them sooooo much, that there is no need for us to spend a lot. We only got them 1 toy each so far, and that might be it. This will prob be the last year we get away with it as DS will be 4.5 next year and will know who Santa really is. We haven't even opened some of the things they got for last Christmas yet from my parents!

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Now that he is getting older and makes his own list and his toys got more expensive, def in the higher range of that poll.

Alexa is the lowest on the poll because what does she really get? Teethers, blocks, etc

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

We think of one or two big things to get DS and we get it for him...if it costs $50 then its $50, if its $200 then we spend the $200...we have a big family so he always gets a ton of stuff...if we went crazy every year my house would look like a toys store.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

TOO much!! It's sickening and yet every year I promise myself not to go overboard and every year it gets worse! I could honestly do without shopping because the amount of gifts they get from our families will make you I just cant help myself. I get so excited and once I enter the store,,there is no holding me back!
More than 1/2 the gifts end up in storage...and I bring them out throughout the year.

Message edited 11/23/2009 11:05:17 AM.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

Ryan will be 18 months on Christmas Eve. I would say we are 90% done with his Christmas shopping and thus far we spent about $200. And, that's about $50 more than what I wanted to spend.

It's hard because there are things DH and I want to buy for him even though he will get so much from family.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

$100 max.

We get him 1 big item and maybe 2-3 small items.

We have so much family who give him tons of things, so it's really not necessary for us to go overboard.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

That's tough. My DS is older and we have spent alot on him because things he is into (ipods, play station, computers) are way more than toys.

I used to get away with spending $100-$200 on a bunch of toys, but now I find that can't get much...good thing is when they're older you could also get clothes n other necessities as gifts.

Re: I have a very personal question if you celebrate Christmas....

We're spending about $100 this year. Last year DS was 2 months old and got a TON of toys and clothes from family. He still hasn't played with all of the toys. DS's birthday was also in Oct. so he got a bunch of stuff then. We plan on getting some small stuff and putting the rest of the money in his bank account. Honestly, my son is happy with a paper towel roll!