Xmas & presents

So I am a toy addict & have been since DS1, back then it was easier as I could buy what I wanted for him & only had 1 child to buy for but now with 3 & they all want what ever is out now it is just imposable.

I was cleaning out DS1 room the other day & found an Xmas present we bought him, a remote controlled helicopter still in the box as we had just out of batteries on Xmas day cost about $80, so DH put batteries in it & had a go & DS1 has played with it once since then...what a waste of money.

This yr I went & did a big lay-buy for around $700 of lego & other stuff I thought they would like, but since then they have shown no interest in it when seen things advertised. I look around their toys & see so many that are not played with or played with properly & the amount of $ we have spent on lego sets for it to end up in the "thousand $ lego blocks box" is quite sickening...well maybe I am just getting fed up with spending so much $ on toys...finally...

So now I am rethinking Xmas & what they will get & what I am having the most problem with is how many presents they will get each. There is a couple of things I want to get for them to share..but I have to keep asking myself am I wanting it for them or because I like it...

What are you doing for xmas presents this yr? Do you have a $ limit or maybe a limit of how many per child? Are they practical or stuff that is in now?

We don't have a present limit or budget (yet, we will have to when they get older) but after last year when DS was utterly spoiled by us and then his grandparents, it was a bit OTT and his birthday is mid-January so he was spoiled again a few weeks later.

This year we decided on outdoors and wooden toys only. The cheaper plastic type toys were forgotten about and he has so many of them already.

We are getting a swing set and DD is getting a separate baby swing to go along with it. An outdoor sports set and then some indoor wooden toys for them both along with some bits and pieces for their stockings like crayons and a couple of treats.

I love Christmas and can get a bit carried away, but it gets so expensive and I imagine as they get older it will only get harder.

We don't have the price limit...but this year have decided to get the kids 1 big shared present (outdoor trampoline so quite pricey but I know they will get lots of use out of it and it will last for ages) and then they will get 1 smaller toy from us (probably a car/truck for Tom and Ella is asking for some more polly pocket stuff so probably something like that- again they both play with those sort of toys all the time so don't mind adding to their collection).

They also both get a new outfit to wear on Christmas day (given on xmas eve).

For their santa stockings they get a couple of books each, a couple of smaller toys (matchbox cars, art stuff, dress up costume, hair ties & girly stuff for Ella) and some more clothing (which I would have got them for summer anyway but will wrap up and put in their stockings- Ella loves clothes so I know that she will like this).  I try and keep them both balanced but Tom still doesn't really care if he gets less presents than Ella- as long as he gets stuff with wheels he is happy boy.

 

 

This year we are getting a tramp for our kids, providing I can get one cheap enough. We had one but had to return it & the kids love it so need to replace it, good timing to coincide it with xmas.

Other than that, they'll probably get clothes & something small.

Christmas to me is about getting together with family & having a nice day not about all the presents. I hate how everything is so materialistic now days!

I'd be lucky if I spent $700 this year on ALL the family not just my kids. I plan to make things for everyone else ie cookies, jams etc cause they are super cheap & super easy.

We are on a really tight budget so the children each get one main present each and then a few small things - a couple of books each, a pair of summer pjs, a t shirt. Stockings will be small bits and pieces to eat, stickers and that sort of thing. If I had the money I could easily get carried away - leading up to Christmas there is a part of me that always feels bad that I can't buy them more - but on the other hand, I want Christmas in our family to be about the special traditions and our family and close friends.

Last year DD got a easel with whiteboard on one side & blackboard on the other as her big present (which she has used probably every 2nd day so was a great buy...on sale too) paints & brushes to go with it and some books. She got spoiled from her Nana's & Grandads though.
This year her big present will be a bike and probably more books & some clothes from us.
DP & I don't buy for each other so there is nothing spent there and we only buy small presents for our presents. We are lucky, Xmas doesn't cost us too much and because I put money away each week during the year the money is there to spend without being missed.

i buy mine through the year so dont really know how much we spend. I decided earlier this year - as i do most years - what the "theme" will be and it is musical instruments this year... so have a guitar for one a uke for the other and will get a keyboard or tambourine for the girl. there are things i always get, like a t shirt or pj's so look out for specials through the year of things i know they really like. one year it was all outdoor toys we got them, another it was bikes. most years the big present is from us, i hate Santa getting all the credit! lol! I do end up buying too much though.

Just remembered about the big rubbish truck I got DS (he asked for it) and the blackboard/whiteboard for their playhouse.   Jazzy I'm as bad as you.

My MIL cleans our house and has asked everyone NOT to buy them toys for Xmas!!! (I've said books or clothes if people want to get something!)

We put $10pwk into each of the boys accounts so that'd be $520pyr for each of them. That covers christmas presents which is usually joint stuff and birthday presents, plus any clothes, shoes or odds and ends through the year. Means we don't have to scramble for money. Its the only reason we were able to get the presents we're getting this year.

We were going to wait and get DS2 a ride-on for his bday in Feb but DS1s bday isn't til July and he's outgrown his bike *now* so we figured we may as well do them both at the same time. Thats the only problem I'm discovering especially as they both get older - keeping it somewhat balanced!!

I've added up what we'll spend this year and had a horrified moment but then remembered that last christmas and the christmas before we were so strapped for cash we weren't able to buy the boys anything at all. I must say it is kinda nice to be able to get them stuff this year

We tend to get practical things. Also cause our 2nd daughter will be so young this year (will only be 4 mths old) she will probably only get clothes or 1 of her older sisters toys wrapped for her.
We;ve splurged on Kiara this year and shes getting a balance bike which I think she will love (she like the 3 wheeler and 4 wheeler sorts her grandparents have) and that was $60.
As for other people (me/DP/MIL/FIL etc) we will be getting little things or getting presents in conjunction with other people so we can get something they really want. We're trying not to spend too much as our ultimate present to my MIL/FIL will be getting our own house and moving out in a couple of years!