Ask relatives to buy them as gifts for your kid.

We don’t buy the sets.

Costco has a big box of just the bricks for $30. We’ll do that for Christmas.

Otherwise I just pick up stuff online: bags of mixed legos or whatever. I love seeing what my son creates!

I want the LEGO VW van for myself but it’s like $120!!

Buy used.

I hate the lego kits of today. They're so specific and take a lot of the creativity out it.

Legos are a great way for kids to express themselves. Everyone in my house likes Legos. I rarely buy the sets any more. We focus on particular pieces, likes vehicles or mini figs. I'd love to get the Millineum Falcon, but I'm rational enough to realize the price is ridiculous.

Garage sales sell the stuff in bulk for cheap.

I spend $50/year on the extras I can’t find there.

Ugh, LEGO just announced a Harry Potter advent calendar (first one ever). I think sometimes I want the LEGO more than my kids do.

There are online resources for things that can be built with existing sets; directions and ideas beyond what was included in the box.

I get it, OP. My speech-delayed 4yo loves building the smaller vehicles ($10 sets) and it really boosts his confidence and language to work through the instruction manual. I've bought too many to count. Oh well. I guess we can sell them in a few years.

I bought he Lego advent calendar last year for the first time. DD liked it. Probably won't but it again though unless its different.

As your child grows, and you perhaps have more children, or no more closet space, or no money left, you will simply learn to resist temptation.

Regarding advent calendars. If you start buying them now he is going to expect one every year. I have one that is material and has velcro things to attach that I bring out year after year. So set your standards now for whether you want to do build it calendars every year.

If he likes Lego and you like doing it with him I dont think you can put a price on it, as long as youre not going without other things to buy it if course. My 7o loves Lego and I have not spent as much as you. I ask for Lego as gifts for her birthday and Christmas sometimes from other people.

OP, the problem is you. Your kid has enough Legos. Stop buying more instead of for birthday and holidays.

the advent calendar is a waste. It's just small, useless 6 piece sets. Don't want the $30.

I have already spend more than $200 on lego for my 3 year old over the last few months. I have purchased some sets of lego classic & city ones. He loves to build things with small pieces, and we read instruction & build them together. DH told me that he sold all his legos (of course not the classic, city ones) for almost a thousand right before he went off college. I wish he had kept all those legos for our sons to play since some of them he sold were the rare & out of prints ones.

Now the lego advent calendar is coming out, and I am tempted to buy as well. Lego seems like a money burning toy. How much is reasonable to spend for lego in a year for a young kid?