Cutting back at Christmas...

[FloRidaLvr]

Originally Posted by 2littleboys

Every year I have the same dilemma, as my boys get older it gets harder and harder to buy for them!

I started my Christmas Shopping last week and so far have:

Nintendo Switch £280
2 x Bikes £220
North Face Jacket £90
PS4 Game £50

So that's £640 already!

I refuse to get myself into a mess financially over Christmas as we go to Florida in May and have started a house extension!

My boys get all year round and to be honest do not need anything!

I would be interested to hear from others who have cut back and how it went down at Christmas?

See more...

When my 2 got bikes for Christmas that was their big gift with a few smaller ones and an Xmas stocking . Now they are older they just get money and an Xmas stocking and realize that now they have left home and are earning that they don't get as much as when they were younger. In fact the Xmas meal and games played after are always very much looked forward to with family time being very important.

It is tempting to overspend and think kids expectations have changed over the years especially when they think "Santa" can bring whatever they want. Good luck OP in trying to cut down when they have become accustomed to their pile of presents !

[MrsBC]

Originally Posted by Irishlass

Sometimes threads like these make me so sad, esp when it's regarding little ones.
Kids are made to grow up far to much these days that they aren't allowed to enjoy the innocence of childhood and actually have a childhood.

Here we have no limit. But we don't go over the top either. Don't get me wrong we're not rich but we are a very traditional family and we don't spoil the children throughout the year so Christmas is the one time of the year that they get spoilt rotten by Santa. They get most of the stuff from Santa that the parents have said no to, and one big gift and lots of little ones. Their big gift is usually something that they haven't asked for - depending on the cost of the most expensive on their lists.
This year it's a new bike, along with whatever else it is they've asked for. They will sit down at the table mid November, catalogs in front of them and write their lists. The younger ones will cut out their wishes and stick them into a template we have for them. It's what we done as children so our kids are being brought up the same way, it's the excitement etc. that makes Christmas aswell as spending time with each other. Once their list is posted they can't change their mind. We make a big deal of the lists and making of the lists and we all hop up warm and walk to the Post Box and post our letters.

We spend time with each other and make memories everyday, we don't need a certain time of the year to do that.
We also have a very large, very close family, and we're all very traditional, and simple living. They don't get mobile phones etc until they are 14 years of age - they don't need one before then, they don't have tablets until that age either, and actually a lot of the kids don't have one at all still. Games consoles are a shared gift and limited to a certain amount of time a day.
Stocking fillers are very simple, orange, apple, Some coins, a few silly toys, chocolate coins and bubble bath lol.

Over 30 of us go to the Pantomime before Christmas - a tradition that's been in our family for over 60 years,

Extras are usually a pair of pyjamas, 2 sets of clothes, a pair of shoes, boys always have a new football, girls always get a new pair of Irish dancing pumps, those who don't dance get something they're interested in - a few toys, reading books, puzzle books and colouring books and crayons/markers etc. and the most important extra of all a new schoolbag, pencils and notebook - again, the school items is a family tradition going back over 60/70 years.

For birthdays they don't get big expensive gifts, so Christmas is a special time when they get more than usual. Which is what keeps the excitement and innocence alive for us and the kids.

We do hampers for our priests in our church, homeless shelter and pensioners day center, and write cards for those in care homes as some of the residents won't have many cards.

We go on a foreign holiday once a year, and we have a caravan also, so we don't use the excuse, oh you'll not be getting this or that because you're going on holiday... They didn't choose to go on the holiday so in our eyes the children shouldn't be getting punished by losing out on something.
We put money away each month from January so come November we've enough to cover all costs. We would also pick up bits and pieces during sales, or if the kids see something on holiday that we know they would love for Christmas then we sneakily buy it then.

See more...

This sounds lovely.

[Sue]

I thank my lucky stars that my family have always emphasised being together over presents. We have often set a limit of no more than £20 per person with some leeway in amount spent on the children.
I’ve never gone into debt over Christmas and never will.

In my book birthdays are way more important and family and friends get spoiled then

[roxie2001]

We are giving Dd, 17 money this year, which will probably just about cover a pair of DMs and a lazy oaf dress in the sales.
I have got her a few bits to open, all in the sale. I picked up some lovely champagne flutes and other house stuff for uni next year. Plus concert tickets, it’s easy to get carried away and more expensive when they are teenagers.
Dd is great, she doesn’t care about getting loads of presents.

[stink08]

We have always told dd7 that Santa only brings 1 present for her, and it's usually the thing she most wants, last year was a £20 science thing, year before Santa bought her a visit to bibbidi bobbity boutique, year before that I think was a some £10 doll, we buy her presents and she has presents from other family members, but I didn't want her to think Santa brought her tons of stuff, as there could be a child in her class who's parents can't afford so much, so they would either not believe in Santa or think that they aren't as good as didn't get loads, if that makes sense! We have definitely cut back on all our others, once they hit 18, we spend around £50 each on them, but we do treat them a little throughout the year.

[not2old4disney]

Originally Posted by stink08

We have always told dd7 that Santa only brings 1 present for her, and it's usually the thing she most wants, last year was a £20 science thing, year before Santa bought her a visit to bibbidi bobbity boutique, year before that I think was a some £10 doll, we buy her presents and she has presents from other family members, but I didn't want her to think Santa brought her tons of stuff, as there could be a child in her class who's parents can't afford so much, so they would either not believe in Santa or think that they aren't as good as didn't get loads, if that makes sense! We have definitely cut back on all our others, once they hit 18, we spend around £50 each on them, but we do treat them a little throughout the year.

See more...

We went along a similar line to this - our children never thought everything came from Santa but in our house it was always the stocking that was from Santa and then everything under the tree was from either us or family/friends. It certainly made it easier to explain why there was a limit or a budget on what could be expected as they didn't think someone just magically dropped it all off from them.

[ziggyzag]

My daughter is 7, we have always done 3 presents from Santa as he has lots of stuff to send to other kids. She never chooses expensive presents, this year she wants roller skates, slime and a squishy! We buy her the other stuff, of us she wants a TV for her bedroom, we told her if thats what she wants of us, that will be the only present. (It won't be but don't want her to think she can have everything.

[Guest]

When did a restricted budget result in the loss of a childhood?

I think it’s a great idea. Lord knows how much I’ve spent on pink plastic rubbish over the last 7 years. That ends up going up the hoover or into storage boxes never to be seen again. I have learnt that my daughter is interested in her iPad and Lego. So that helpfully narrows down the Christmas shopping as shes already got an ancient iPad.

Perhaps I’m biased though as my mum stopped buying me Christmas presents at age 18...

[vampiress88]

I know that some said they wait until Xmas for new clothes etc but I think im opposite. If I see or kids see something they want I would get it them (within reason of course)
I didn’t like having to wait until Xmas for something neither did my hubby.
Both mine are little and I’d rather them grow up without the expectation of loads of stuff for Christmas.

[ziggyzag]

My daughter is 7 , so I don't buy clothes for Xmas... I buy them year round as and when she needs them