What do you spend on a classmate birthday present?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For just a classmate with a low key park/home party, $10, definitely less than $15. A little more up to $25 for a kid he considers a friend, or if it’s a nicer party at a play place or a nice home party with bounce houses and actual food.

It's crappy that you give a lower-cost gift to a kid whose parents maybe can't afford a fancier party. Really crappy of you. It's actually the poorer kids I go out of my way to give BIGGER gifts to.

[Anonymous]

$20-30. I have 3 kids. I often give a $25 gift card for older kids and a Lego type toy for younger kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For just a classmate with a low key park/home party, $10, definitely less than $15. A little more up to $25 for a kid he considers a friend, or if it’s a nicer party at a play place or a nice home party with bounce houses and actual food.

It's crappy that you give a lower-cost gift to a kid whose parents maybe can't afford a fancier party. Really crappy of you. It's actually the poorer kids I go out of my way to give BIGGER gifts to.

We do this for kids who are not close friends - Escape Room or Bowlero parties get more $ because I think of it as subsidizing the cost of the experience. A family in our neighborhood has a pool party in their backyard with donuts every year. They are not poor by any means or at least from what I can tell (pool in the backyard, 1.5 mil house in suburbs). Their kid brings mine art kits from Michaels which cost $10. So we tend to match that when we go to their kid’s party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but I think the idea of stocking up on clearance items to give as gifts is weird. I like to get a gift for the specific person. Not every kid likes the same stuff and I can't think of any kid who would be excited about opening some random scarf from Old Navy or a water bottle? And if I'm your cousin's girlfriend or whatever and I'm coming to your house for Christmas, I don't expect or want you to give me some random item from your generic gift closet.

You save a lot of money on the actual items you're stocking up on but it still seems wasteful if you're just buying a bunch of generic stuff that you don't actually know if anyone would want/like.

+1 I remember another thread where a PP said they just stocked up on stomp rockets and gave every child that. I thought that was so odd. What if a child lives in an apt or townhouse without access to a yard? Also so many people bought stomp rockets during the pandemic that its highly likely a family already has that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but I think the idea of stocking up on clearance items to give as gifts is weird. I like to get a gift for the specific person. Not every kid likes the same stuff and I can't think of any kid who would be excited about opening some random scarf from Old Navy or a water bottle? And if I'm your cousin's girlfriend or whatever and I'm coming to your house for Christmas, I don't expect or want you to give me some random item from your generic gift closet.

You save a lot of money on the actual items you're stocking up on but it still seems wasteful if you're just buying a bunch of generic stuff that you don't actually know if anyone would want/like.

+1 I remember another thread where a PP said they just stocked up on stomp rockets and gave every child that. I thought that was so odd. What if a child lives in an apt or townhouse without access to a yard? Also so many people bought stomp rockets during the pandemic that its highly likely a family already has that.

Parents pass these along to the next kid. A friend gives all kids one of those mist bottles and bike lights. Kids love them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For just a classmate with a low key park/home party, $10, definitely less than $15. A little more up to $25 for a kid he considers a friend, or if it’s a nicer party at a play place or a nice home party with bounce houses and actual food.

It's crappy that you give a lower-cost gift to a kid whose parents maybe can't afford a fancier party. Really crappy of you. It's actually the poorer kids I go out of my way to give BIGGER gifts to.

It's crappy that you judge other people's gifts to children. Really crappy of you.

NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For just a classmate with a low key park/home party, $10, definitely less than $15. A little more up to $25 for a kid he considers a friend, or if it’s a nicer party at a play place or a nice home party with bounce houses and actual food.

It's crappy that you give a lower-cost gift to a kid whose parents maybe can't afford a fancier party. Really crappy of you. It's actually the poorer kids I go out of my way to give BIGGER gifts to.

We do this for kids who are not close friends - Escape Room or Bowlero parties get more $ because I think of it as subsidizing the cost of the experience. A family in our neighborhood has a pool party in their backyard with donuts every year. They are not poor by any means or at least from what I can tell (pool in the backyard, 1.5 mil house in suburbs). Their kid brings mine art kits from Michaels which cost $10. So we tend to match that when we go to their kid’s party.

They're probably house poor.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I buy what my kids says they will like. Sometimes it cost $20, sometimes $50. Normally around $30. I tend to get better gifts for closer friends and very nice gifts ($150) for my nieces. HHI DCUM meh.

[Anonymous]

At least $20, at most $50. Probably $20-$30. You can’t barely buy lunch for $10/15 so I’m surprised people say $10/15

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least $20, at most $50. Probably $20-$30. You can’t barely buy lunch for $10/15 so I’m surprised people say $10/15

? Lots of kid gifts can be found in the $10-$15 range. Art kits or just a sketchbook and some cool pens, a paperback book, sometimes you can find a puzzle or board game for that amount, even small Lego kits and Barbies can be found for $15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but I think the idea of stocking up on clearance items to give as gifts is weird. I like to get a gift for the specific person. Not every kid likes the same stuff and I can't think of any kid who would be excited about opening some random scarf from Old Navy or a water bottle? And if I'm your cousin's girlfriend or whatever and I'm coming to your house for Christmas, I don't expect or want you to give me some random item from your generic gift closet.

You save a lot of money on the actual items you're stocking up on but it still seems wasteful if you're just buying a bunch of generic stuff that you don't actually know if anyone would want/like.

+1 I remember another thread where a PP said they just stocked up on stomp rockets and gave every child that. I thought that was so odd. What if a child lives in an apt or townhouse without access to a yard? Also so many people bought stomp rockets during the pandemic that its highly likely a family already has that.

Parents pass these along to the next kid. A friend gives all kids one of those mist bottles and bike lights. Kids love them.

Not all kids though. That’s the problem w generic gifts. Some kids arent into bike riding or don’t even know how to or own a bike. Some kids would never ever use a mist bottle and that would be a weird gift to receive as a winter bday kid when you aren’t even in the right season to use it.

[Anonymous]

Some of you people are so cheap!
I do at least $25-30.

Question- if someone gave your child a gift for $20/30
You feel okay giving a cheap gift for $5/10 in return ?

[Anonymous]

The problem is inflation. If it costs more to purchase party themes, favors, and food, well, the gift might follow suit. We used to do $20 gift cards for classmates but now we have bumped up to $30 for gift cards or retail value of gift. For a close friend, it’s $30 gift card plus a $1-$20 physical gift picked out by our DC (who has to use their allowance).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you people are so cheap!
I do at least $25-30.

Question- if someone gave your child a gift for $20/30
You feel okay giving a cheap gift for $5/10 in return ?

No, I match the cost, but I don't think anyone is cheap for spending little on a gift. There are lots of fun things that don't cost much, and my children are going to enjoy that cheaper craft kit as much as any $30 gift.

[Anonymous]

25 bucks from Amazon. Gift receipt in the box in case they want to return it.