How much do you spend on your children for Christmas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between $50 and $150.

I suspect $500 is at the tail end of the bell curve.

Wow $50? That's like one or two toys under the tree.

Yes, and they get presents from grandparents, uncles and aunts. They probably end up with 10 presents each. And they appreciate them all.

Spending what we do our house has ended up stuffed with legos, nerf guns, games of every description...there is no shortage of toys. I can't imagine what the houses of those of you who spend thousands of dollars must look like. I guess you probably end up throwing stuff away a lot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between $50 and $150.

I suspect $500 is at the tail end of the bell curve.

Wow $50? That's like one or two toys under the tree.

Yes, and they get presents from grandparents, uncles and aunts. They probably end up with 10 presents each. And they appreciate them all.

Spending what we do our house has ended up stuffed with legos, nerf guns, games of every description...there is no shortage of toys. I can't imagine what the houses of those of you who spend thousands of dollars must look like. I guess you probably end up throwing stuff away a lot?

Some children don't get gifts from grandparents or any other family members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We spent $500 on each of them. I'm wondering where that lies on the bell curve.

More than that. Too fucking much. DW really needs to stop shopping online.

How does where/how the shopping occurs matter?

Ps: do the fucking shopping yourself. They are your kids too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between $50 and $150.

I suspect $500 is at the tail end of the bell curve.

Wow $50? That's like one or two toys under the tree.

Yes, and they get presents from grandparents, uncles and aunts. They probably end up with 10 presents each. And they appreciate them all.

Spending what we do our house has ended up stuffed with legos, nerf guns, games of every description...there is no shortage of toys. I can't imagine what the houses of those of you who spend thousands of dollars must look like. I guess you probably end up throwing stuff away a lot?

I'm not sure how $50 a year would stuff your house full unless you buy things at times other than Christmas. Our kids only get things from us on birthdays and Christmas. I did not grow up throwing things away, I grew up with nothing.

[Anonymous]

And I don't mean DC metro poor. I mean Appalachia poor. The people that are poor here would have easily been middle class. Some of my family didn't even have indoor plumbing in the mid 80's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between $50 and $150.

I suspect $500 is at the tail end of the bell curve.

Wow $50? That's like one or two toys under the tree.

Yes, and they get presents from grandparents, uncles and aunts. They probably end up with 10 presents each. And they appreciate them all.

Spending what we do our house has ended up stuffed with legos, nerf guns, games of every description...there is no shortage of toys. I can't imagine what the houses of those of you who spend thousands of dollars must look like. I guess you probably end up throwing stuff away a lot?

Many kids don't get presents from grandparents or aunts/uncles.
My kids' grandparents are all dead and they have one aunt and one uncle.

[Anonymous]

Eldest is getting a bed and I am wrapping up bedsheets as gifts. 1 y.o. is getting toothbrushes, also wrapped up.

I don't know how they, at such a young age, have already collected a mountain of clothes (some still with tags) and toys.

Brother came over to hang out and his family already gifted 3 enormous toys!

They have enough. I have a feeling the character sheets and toothbrushes, plus a lollipop each for their stockings (coal or treat? Coal or treat?) Will go over just fine.

I am sure the $$$ will go up the older they get and start asking for specific stuff (or not--maybe I will make them work for spending money).

[Anonymous]

About $450 each - kids are 10 and 13. Was much lower when they were younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I spent more on dinner than most of you do on your kids! I take it no one lets their kids play video games because those cost $60 not including the actual system. No one's kid has a bike. No Legos. No movies. No need guns. What exactly is the one $50 toy people buy heir kids? It must be a hell of a toy...a single tickle me Elmo perhaps? Obviously no one's kids have a computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, their own TV, stereo, MP3 player, doll house, etc.

Bike was a gift for DDs birthday. Doll house from craigslist. And we haven't gotten into any computer stuff (games or ipad) yet. DD is seven.

[Anonymous]

About $250-$300 per teen this year (we have two).

In my worldview, super-generous.

[Anonymous]

About $700 each teen. DD needs a computer for H.S. and son is into photography- and then a few clothes, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I spent more on dinner than most of you do on your kids! I take it no one lets their kids play video games because those cost $60 not including the actual system. No one's kid has a bike. No Legos. No movies. No need guns. What exactly is the one $50 toy people buy heir kids? It must be a hell of a toy...a single tickle me Elmo perhaps? Obviously no one's kids have a computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, their own TV, stereo, MP3 player, doll house, etc.

No, mine don't have any of the above. But, they're only 1 and 4 years old, so obviously don't need any of that. The $50 gifts they are getting are a push toy and book for 1 year old and an ikea balance bench for 4 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I spent more on dinner than most of you do on your kids! I take it no one lets their kids play video games because those cost $60 not including the actual system. No one's kid has a bike. No Legos. No movies. No need guns. What exactly is the one $50 toy people buy heir kids? It must be a hell of a toy...a single tickle me Elmo perhaps? Obviously no one's kids have a computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, their own TV, stereo, MP3 player, doll house, etc.

Thank god a voice of reason. We are not extravagant but the first few pages of responses are nutty. These are the same people who love to tell you how they don't have a TV. We have a 4 and 2 year old and will spend a few hundred on 4 year old, maybe 100 in the younger one. Plus some travel and hotels etc. Even like the intro basic v tech lap top style toys for 4 year olds are $100... which it seems to me almost everyone had. But according to DCUM no one is buying them. It's like how the Eagles sell a trillion records yet no one admits to being a fan. Y'all telling stories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow I spent more on dinner than most of you do on your kids! I take it no one lets their kids play video games because those cost $60 not including the actual system. No one's kid has a bike. No Legos. No movies. No need guns. What exactly is the one $50 toy people buy heir kids? It must be a hell of a toy...a single tickle me Elmo perhaps? Obviously no one's kids have a computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, their own TV, stereo, MP3 player, doll house, etc.

Thank god a voice of reason. We are not extravagant but the first few pages of responses are nutty. These are the same people who love to tell you how they don't have a TV. We have a 4 and 2 year old and will spend a few hundred on 4 year old, maybe 100 in the younger one. Plus some travel and hotels etc. Even like the intro basic v tech lap top style toys for 4 year olds are $100... which it seems to me almost everyone had. But according to DCUM no one is buying them. It's like how the Eagles sell a trillion records yet no one admits to being a fan. Y'all telling stories.

I shop mostly year round at thrift shops and get puzzles and family games (making sure all the pieces are there) or at stores like Walgreens, Michaels and also thrift store for things like decorative notepads (found some personalized ones with my son's name), gel pens,and knick knacks (a maze pen): design books, craft kits, decorate your own electronic toothbrush, chap sticks, science kits, books, toys, design kits, etc. I then supplement all of those things with maybe $30-$50 of items they really want: legos, costume, purse, etc. I probably spend $75/kid and they have a massive amount of items under the tree.

This is just an example: last year I got this for $2 at a thrift store. Kids use it all the time and love it. http://www.amazon.com/Diggin-00130-Wobble-Deck/dp/B000GAYMDA. I would never buy this for $40, it wasn't on a list, but I just grab things like that when I see them.

Those mini laptops for kids are so cheap at thrift stores....maybe $5 max.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow I spent more on dinner than most of you do on your kids! I take it no one lets their kids play video games because those cost $60 not including the actual system. No one's kid has a bike. No Legos. No movies. No need guns. What exactly is the one $50 toy people buy heir kids? It must be a hell of a toy...a single tickle me Elmo perhaps? Obviously no one's kids have a computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, their own TV, stereo, MP3 player, doll house, etc.

Thank god a voice of reason. We are not extravagant but the first few pages of responses are nutty. These are the same people who love to tell you how they don't have a TV. We have a 4 and 2 year old and will spend a few hundred on 4 year old, maybe 100 in the younger one. Plus some travel and hotels etc. Even like the intro basic v tech lap top style toys for 4 year olds are $100... which it seems to me almost everyone had. But according to DCUM no one is buying them. It's like how the Eagles sell a trillion records yet no one admits to being a fan. Y'all telling stories.

I shop mostly year round at thrift shops and get puzzles and family games (making sure all the pieces are there) or at stores like Walgreens, Michaels and also thrift store for things like decorative notepads (found some personalized ones with my son's name), gel pens,and knick knacks (a maze pen): design books, craft kits, decorate your own electronic toothbrush, chap sticks, science kits, books, toys, design kits, etc. I then supplement all of those things with maybe $30-$50 of items they really want: legos, costume, purse, etc. I probably spend $75/kid and they have a massive amount of items under the tree.

This is just an example: last year I got this for $2 at a thrift store. Kids use it all the time and love it. http://www.amazon.com/Diggin-00130-Wobble-Deck/dp/B000GAYMDA. I would never buy this for $40, it wasn't on a list, but I just grab things like that when I see them.

Those mini laptops for kids are so cheap at thrift stores....maybe $5 max.

Meant to say I shop those bolded stores after holidays (Xmas, halloween, etc.).