Holiday gifts -- How many/how much?

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

If you have kids, how many gifts do you buy for your kids for the holidays? Or do you do one big gift, plus whatever gifts from relatives? Or do you work within a price limit per kid?

This is only my second year with a kid old enough for gift-giving, and DH and I tend to disagree on how many toys our kids should get, plus we're working within a strict budget. Just wondering how others handle it.

Pintobean39 · December 2014

I just have a budget around $500-700. I tell the kids it's $500 but I always buy clothes and little stuff so I probably spend about $700.

We can't do # of gifts because their gifts always range in prices. Like this year my youngest wants a classical guitar that's close to $500 and my oldest wants a tool box for his truck that $300.

cawleyva · December 2014

We do 4 gifts per child and lots of stocking stuffers. I have 7 nieces and nephews so I do $25 cap on each kid

Lezzie82 · December 2014

I don't plan on spending over $100 on DS's Christmas. He is 2, almost 3, and doesn't quiiiitte get it yet. He knows there are presents, and somehow he recently found out he is supposed to open them so the ones already under our tree had to go bye bye for a while. He gets Santa to a degree, but doesn't get the full gist of the Christmas Eve-down the chimney-presents in the morning thing. He loves Christmas trees and lights and ornaments of course... and he wants to make cookies for Santa and thinks Snowmen are a HUGE part of Christmas lol..! He is still pretty weary of mall Santa, better than last year but he side eyes him HARD.

I am going to buy some little knick knacks, and two or three really cool things and do a stocking for him. I think that's more than enough for a toddler with the attention span of, well, a toddler. We already have the train tables and more than enough toys, I buy randomly throughout the year, and I get only the best brands either through consignment or deal watching.

RustyGirl3 · December 2014

We normally don't set a budget so to speak, but we usually don't go over $200 for each of our kids.

We see what their must have item is and its price and then go from there.

We do $40 for nieces and nephews.

kac22 · December 2014

We also stick with the something you want, need, wear, read rule. This year we aren't going crazy for DD cause she's not even 2 yet and definitely still doesn't quite get it and is completely spoiled rotten by grandparents and family anyways.

MrsPDX · December 2014

deziniki said:

I'm a FTM, but I usually only buy one present each for my niece and close friends kids.

My PLAN is something I saw awhile ago that I love. 1 item they need (hopefully non-wearable), 1 item they want, something to read, and something to wear. Plus a stocking with misc and maybe one or two little things in there.

I am sure I will cheat, but I foresee that LO will get toys from both grandpas, great grandparents, and our friends. I would like to keep gift giving to a do-able not crazy mound of presents because we aren't ever going to be rich and I think when they get a mountain of presents they start to care less about the items and more about the bulk. I also want less stuff to deal with as they grow out of it and get bored.

I saw this same idea, and loved it! I am a FTM so who knows if this will stick. However, I'd like for it to be our tradition. Here's to wishful thinking.

lgsdesigner · December 2014

$150 a child and that includes: stocking stuffers, a big gift from Santa, and 2-3 smaller gifts from us.

We have 10 nieces and nephews to buy for, and spend $10 a child = $100.

PsMomma718 · December 2014

We usually do 3-4 gifts for DD and try to keep it under $100 total. She is 5, so she still loves the act of just unwrapping presents, even if the contents are simple.

Jillibean68 · December 2014

Last year we did want/need/wear/read, and I made stocking stuffers for DS. This year there's no real rhyme or reason to it. We do secret Santa for the adults in the family, and I have a 20$ limit for all the nieces and nephews in the family.

maritimeme · December 2014

We spent about $100 on DD and that includes stocking stuffers. Her most expensive gift was $50 and boring (wool long underwear haha). She also is getting a book, two small toys, and things like onesies/socks/big girl undies in her stocking with stickers etc.

I have two nieces and we spend about $30 on them, but less on their parents now. We don't want to spoil the kids, but with a growing family (more on the way) we think Christmas should be focused more on them than the parents.

With my in-laws we all send around a list: something we need, we want, to wear and to read (1 item for each category) to help gives useful ideas.

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

Thanks for the input, ladies!! We celebrate Chanukah, so we have to operate within the 8 days boundary, and we're toying with the idea of just giving a gift one of the days instead of all 8, but DD is only 3 and I don't want her to be disappointed on the other days. DH is kind of anti-Chanukah-gift to begin with (he prefers to give money, but they are too young for this), especially since they do get a lot from relatives, but both of their birthdays are in June and they have barely gotten anything new since then because we keep saying "Maybe for Chanukah," so we've got to do something. I think maybe small gifts for the first 7 days (like $5-$10) and a bigger one for the 8th would be appropriate.

Pintobean39 · December 2014

Oh I miss the days would I could buy a handful of gifts for under $100.

littlecookie · December 2014

DS is 3. We've spent about 200 the last few years and I don't foresee that changing much over time unless there is a year here and there with a specific request that's expensive and we agree with it. He's getting one big gift a leappad plus several smaller things probably 4-5.

We only have 2 nephews right now and spend about 50 each on then.

lupineaura · December 2014

Eight gifts, since we are Jewish. Otherwise, it would be less. My daughter just turned two at the end of August and is only starting to get the concept of presents, so I don't feel the need to spent a ton/get a lot of extra things. Really, I'm trying to do this year as inexpensively as possible, since she already has a lot of toys and will be getting more from family. I did pick out one or two "nicer" things, but some nights she'll be opening coloring books- and I am passing off a new pillow I got her as a gift. Heh.

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

@lupineaura I know, I wish we could do 3 or 4 gifts instead of 8 silly little ones. My parents used to give us gifts in a kind of ascending order--first day would be a pencil case or something, middle days normal toys, last day the "big gift" -- a sega game gear or play kitchen.

pregoteach · December 2014

Same something they need (like coat or backpack), something they want, something to wear, and something to read. And the stocking is practical things like new toothbrush, fun band aids, new pencils, Chapstick, etc.

OnceInLoveWithAmy · December 2014

We usually do the want/need/wear/read, but I confess this year I have strayed away from it. We usually spend about 100-120 on the monster. This year his big gift is a train set that is a hand-me-down from my brother which is in amazing shape. Some of the other things he is getting is a digital camera, a new tool set, a new Lego set and some Paw Patrol characters.

For my nieces and nephews, we spend $25, or the gift they want. For instance, my 9-year-old niece wanted Ugg-like boots, and I scored this amazing pair on a Black Friday sale for $14. It works out because my nephew's Pokemon gift is probably going to be a little closer to $30.

tashad18 · December 2014

I make a list and a round about budget. My oldest is 12 and gets less than my 1 year old because he wants more expensive gifts. He would rather have 1-2 things he really wants than a bunch of things.

Next year I will probably do something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read. Then do a family trip somewhere.

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

ajzmommy said:

@Snapdragon750 Wait, I was under the impression you were Jewish? Do they do gifting in Chanukah as well? I mean this in the most loving curious way. I was just wondering what your traditions were.
PS. Forgive me if I spell it wrong.

No, it's a good question, and it's actually one of the reasons DH wants to make the gifts as little as possible. We're orthodox, and some orthodox families give Chanukah gifts while others don't. Traditionally money was given on Chanukah, not presents, i.e. Chanukah gelt. These days "gelt" usually refers to those chocolate coins, but it really means actual money and it was given to kids on Chanukah. It became a gift-giving holiday in recent years to mimic xmas. Philosophically I don't really like that...but what can I say...I love presents. DH and I grew up getting presents on Chanukah (as do most if not all reform and conservative Jews in the U.S.), and many of my daughter's (Jewish) classmates will be getting them. I hate the idea of making her feel left of something when we don't have to. When they are older I'd like to make the switch to money instead of presents, but my oldest is only 3 and getting money won't mean much to her at this point.

DH and I also did not grow up orthodox, and our families would get really upset if we told them no gifts for Chanukah. It's not a fight worth having, especially when I don't feel strongly about it.

ETA: I made the thread knowing that most of the answers would be xmas related, but it's still good info for me to compare to. I really have no idea if 8 gifts is overkill since we've always done it!

CamoBride2010 · December 2014

This is a struggle for us ( well me, DH doesn't care what I do/spend as long as all the bills get paid haha) since DD's birthday is Dec. 9th then Christmas is right around the corner. This year birthday was about $50, and right around $100 for Christmas. That being said I'm a fairly thrifty shopper and have been shopping all year long for the "little" things. Just a few weeks ago I bought her bigger presents ( duplo starter kit plus a smaller one with the animals for birthday, and a starter train kit for her birthday). I basically made a list earlier this year of the bigger things I thought she'd want and started price watching, once they hit the lowest price I snagged them. The smaller things are mostly books, activity books, and art supplies. Plus a few dvd's for the car. I'd say she has about 6 things for her birthday and...8-ish ( I'd have to check) for Christmas. I know as she gets older the price of what she wants will go up so I'm enjoy this time right now! We also have larger families that LOVE to buy presents for the kids so it works out nicely. I LOVE the idea of "something they want, something they need etc."

kac22 · December 2014

CamoBride2010 said:

This is a struggle for us ( well me, DH doesn't care what I do/spend as long as all the bills get paid haha) since DD's birthday is Dec. 9th then Christmas is right around the corner. This year birthday was about $50, and right around $100 for Christmas. That being said I'm a fairly thrifty shopper and have been shopping all year long for the "little" things. Just a few weeks ago I bought her bigger presents ( duplo starter kit plus a smaller one with the animals for birthday, and a starter train kit for her birthday). I basically made a list earlier this year of the bigger things I thought she'd want and started price watching, once they hit the lowest price I snagged them. The smaller things are mostly books, activity books, and art supplies. Plus a few dvd's for the car. I'd say she has about 6 things for her birthday and...8-ish ( I'd have to check) for Christmas. I know as she gets older the price of what she wants will go up so I'm enjoy this time right now! We also have larger families that LOVE to buy presents for the kids so it works out nicely. I LOVE the idea of "something they want, something they need etc."

I feel your pain! My DD's birthday is the 26th =/

la79al · December 2014

OP- I think you could totally do 8 gifts within a small budget and still make it fun but not too much stuff. Maybe look into what others are using as stocking stuffers.

mp03jp · December 2014

DS we spent $200 and he has 7 gifts but 4 of them are for his skylander game and those things aren't cheap! For DD since she's only 6 months she has 3 gifts. I didn't want her to be over whelmed on Christmas.

Also for DD only 1 of her gifts is wrapped the other 2 I'm just going to stick bows on. And everything will already be taken out of the packaging and put together for her. I learned that with DS they have a lot more fun being able to play as soon as the paper is off and nothing is tied down.

mylittleladies1229 · December 2014

We don't have a monetary amount on what we spend but we do want, need, wear, read so it usually ends up being reasonable. I have twins plus their b day is 4 days after xmas so they get plenty of gifts this time of year.

Lezzie82 · December 2014

For the menorah do you light the candles all at once or one per day?

Catholic Church uses 3 (or maybe 4, it's been a while for us, hangs head in shame) but they are lit at specific times to represent specific things

OnceInLoveWithAmy · December 2014

Lezzie82 said:

For the menorah do you light the candles all at once or one per day? Catholic Church uses 3 (or maybe 4, it's been a while for us, hangs head in shame) but they are lit at specific times to represent specific things

I'm not Jewish, but I have friends who are. They light one candle each night.

And I think you are talking about the 5 Advent candles. I mean this in the most un-snarkiest way possibly, but you do realize a Menorah and an Advent wreath represent two different things, right?

MooByrd · December 2014

We usually spend around $200 for DS (who is 6) between the gifts from us, stocking stuffers and "santa" gifts. There's no real rhyme or reason to what we get him, although I'm starting to lean toward the want, need, wear, read idea.

For DS's cousins (there's 9 of them) we spend $20 per kid, so $180.

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

Lezzie82 said:

For the menorah do you light the candles all at once or one per day? Catholic Church uses 3 (or maybe 4, it's been a while for us, hangs head in shame) but they are lit at specific times to represent specific things

@Lezzie82 I appreciate the question! We light one candle on the first night, two on the second, three on the third, and so on until 8. Though unless your candles are being lit to represent the miracle of the oil during the re-dedication of the Temple destroyed by King Antiochus in ancient Greece, our candles are not even remotely related.

Lalalady54 · December 2014

I love Christmas and go absolutely overboard.
My DD is 19months and probably has 20 gifts for under the tree, some are big (think a balance bike and a cozy coupe, she's more or less outgrown this but I figure it will be a good hand me down, plus she still steals our neighbors) while others are small, things like fingerpaints and stamps. I just remember waking up as a kid and being spoiled by santa and those being some of my favorite memories. That being said DH and I also do rather extravagant gift exchanges for the holidays and it is just something we build into our annual budget, when our DD is older we will set a price limit for Christmas gifts, probably somewhere between 500-1000 dollars.

Snapdragon750 · December 2014

@Lalalady54 my DD got a cozy coupe for her 2nd birthday and still uses it at 3 1/2--I can't see how a 19 month old would have outgrown it!

catmentzer21 · December 2014

We do a price limit and stockings with little stuff.

chailife34 · December 2014

We do usually one gift per person which they pick out themselves after Christmas. We get together for Chinese and a movie on Xmas day (Jewish tradition) and then go shopping with the person the day after so they can pick out their own gift. Works out much better so everyone actually gets what they want.

peteresa · December 2014

Last year my husband and I went to Once upon a Child and bought $80.00 worth of gently used toys for our DD, when we got home we researched each toy and if we had bought them new they would have cost over $300.00... she is to small to know the difference and I had no twisty ties to undo!

Lalalady54 · December 2014

Snapdragon750 said:
@Lalalady54 my DD got a cozy coupe for her 2nd birthday and still uses it at 3 1/2--I can't see how a 19 month old would have outgrown it!

She likes to kind of steam roll it these days and do more shoving it into things, pushing it over then cruising around in it, might be a product of fighting over them at daycare

Im hoping she will use it as intended more at home without others fighting to get into it

tinyjoys · December 2014

We don't really budget, but we start early and buy throughout the year. This year, we started later, but we're still right around $400, most likely, total, with probably $150 spent on our 3 year old when all is said and done.

annerz22 · December 2014

DH is Jewish and I am Catholic, and we are bringing our LOs up Catholic. BUT we still are teaching them about the Jewish faith and the culture and meanin of the religion. So we handle gifts a bit differently-

We celebrate Hanukkah with the ILs and we give DS 1 one bigger gift for Hanukkah and then the ILs get him the rest.

For Christmas we are doing around 10 gifts and we spent around $200. He gets one big gift from Santa (a wagon) andeverythig else comes from us. I am sure as he gets bigger and he understands the concept a bit more we will reevaluate what he gets and how much we spend. We don't buy him a lot during the year so we see Christmas as a fun time to "splurge". When LO gets here and gets bigger we won't do equal number of gifts, but we will do an equal price spent on each.

mp03jp · December 2014

@ajzmommy I love the game itself but, yes we might just go broke buying all the characters for it.

Lezzie82 · December 2014

This is old, but since I am using this site from my laptop today I am seeing so much more then when I use the app!

Oh yes I totally realize they are completely different in just about every way!

I was just wondering more about the order of the lighting. I feel like in pictures they are always shown totally lit... so I wasn't sure how that went!

zoeyny · December 2014

My DS is nine so we spent about 300 dollars on Christmas presents. 3ds xl and some games. The grandparents go a little over board, so we have just buy one big gift. When the baby comes I think we will start the want, need, wear and read tradition.

rivers714 · December 2014

My son gets one thing he really wants, something for both of us. Then Legos, kits, books

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