How much Christmas is enough?

Katie&Dan · October 2009

This has probably been discussed before, but how did you and DH decide how much to buy for your young kids for Christmas/holidays? We discovered last Christmas that we were on totally different pages. This year, DSs will be 3 years old and 15 months old. He thinks 4-5 gifts each is plenty. I think that's enough for the baby, but I was wanting to do more for the older one, since this is the first year he really understands.

I will admit that I had excessive christmases as a kid, but I've seen the family videos of DH as a kid - his tree was surrounded by piles of gifts too.

How do you approach this? Did you set a total dollar amount you want to spend, or number of gifts, or types/categories of toys you want them to have?

MrsHK · October 2009

We haven't discussed it much, but I think we're pretty much on the same page with expectations for general Christmas spending now. When we first met I generally gave $20-$50 gifts for family. DH tried to spend $100+ per person. Ya, that's just not possible. We've continually cut our income while increasing our expensive every year. So disposable income is in much shorter supply.

Now we generally stick to $20 gift per person and we've cut our Christmas list to immediate family and kids only. Otherwise, we used to have a very long list. I liked the long list because I shop year round and I LOVE wrapping presents.

As for our kids, just a few gifts will suffice. We're under the theory that less is more when it comes to gifts. Maybe one large gift and a couple of extras. This year DS is getting a toddler recliner ($25) and a Home Depot workbench set ($20). I'm stopping there because I know the grandparents and aunts are likely to go a little nuts.

JulieandBen · October 2009

We don't discuss how much or how many gifts to buy. I do the purchasing and then DH usually chimes in with something he insists Jack have.

mrshutch · October 2009

I go by a dollar amount. I buy 3-4 toy type things and DH ends up picking out clothes related things for DD. So she probably ends up with 7-8 things from us? But it's also really important to me that we don't go overboard b/c we're very conscious of saving as well.

MrsCorbin · October 2009

I have wish lists of toys that I want for the kids. We have a huge family so almost everything gets bought. I buy the stuff that they don't get. I don't have a $ amount because sometimes I have a big item in mind (playground) or sometimes it is small stuff. I think when they are older I will say you have x amount of dollars to choose toys with.

HawaiiBrideGrm · October 2009

Ditto pp. We usually do 1 large item and maybe 3 or 4 small items, plus a stocking with small stuffers.

When the kiddos get older, we will set a dollar amount, just as was done for me as a teen.

brightning · October 2009

JulieandBen:
We don't discuss how much or how many gifts to buy. I do the purchasing and then DH usually chimes in with something he insists Jack have.

Exactly this.

I like big Christmases. I'm commercial like that. It's the one time a year that you get to unabashedly show someone how much you love them by giving them things that you think they'll like. I really don't have a problem with that.

mrstarawalsh · October 2009

We'll be going by dollar ammount this year, $100 for gifts for our son no limit on eachother as it's comming from our personal reserves (normally under $20). Last year we had a huge fight about DS's gifts I'm hoping to avoid that this year.

Read2Me · October 2009

brightning:
JulieandBen:
We don't discuss how much or how many gifts to buy. I do the purchasing and then DH usually chimes in with something he insists Jack have.
Exactly this.
I like big Christmases. I'm commercial like that. It's the one time a year that you get to unabashedly show someone how much you love them by giving them things that you think they'll like. I really don't have a problem with that.

This is so me too! ?It drives DH nuts but I always had big Christmases as a kid (my mom still overdoes it!). ?I know money is tight but I am bargain shopping. ?I want Eva to have a bunch to open Christmas morning- that is the joy for me- seeing her eyes light up and then swimming in wrapping paper.?

GLynn2009 · October 2009

I do to much for my kids for Christmas but I have saved the money from my bonus and it is not taking from anyhing else. I have two teenagers and a two year old. I put $1500 back for Christmas and may go a little over if we get the 17 year old a laptop comupter but he can use it for collage next year.

Calips · October 2009

First, I do the Xmas shopping and managet the $ so Dh really doesn't have much input. He leaves it to me.

That said, I usually to do one bigger item ($80 scooter this year, $130 piano last year), 3-4 small items ($30 and under range -- some way under). That is plenty IMO. I buy her things all year round, her b-day is 2 weeks before Christmas, and Family buys her a bunch too.

Before last year, we did very little because she just wasn't aware, and like I said, she gets 'gifts" all year.

We are fine with $$ but I also don't want to set the expectation that Xmas is only about gifts and it is over the top every year. As kids get older, their taste gets more expensive and there will be know way we could shower the kids with 7-10 gifts each. Plus, who knows if our financial security will always remain the same.

Christmas should not be a financial strain on anyone and it makes me sad that some parents of lesser means work their butts off or take on 2nd jobs to keep up with the Jones's and a commercial holiday. Son't gert me wrong, I love Christmas, but I mostly love the tree, the food, and the family get togethers.

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