I normally do 35$.

Veteran gift giver and receiver
I think most of the previous suggestions are a bit high. Here are my general guidelines for preschool/elementary school:
$8-$10 for a classmate or acquaintance--basically the cost of a book, action figure or doll, small Lego set, small stuffed animal etc.
$10-$15 for a friend, small party or someone with judge-y parents. Usually a craft kit, 2 books, larger stuffed animal, board game etc.
$20-$25 for a best friend. I let my child make the choice on what to give, and only give input if it's wildly price inappropriate. (This can mean too cheap as well as too expensive--one time my kid just wanted to give his best friend a cheap keyring attachment that cost $3 at CVS.)

Price limits go up slightly as the kid gets older, since there are fewer parties and the kids are usually closer friends. Rarely over $25 though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I post this all the time, but the answer is:

Friendly acquaintance/not super-close: Retail value $20-30, I spend $4-8 max. These folks especially are getting generic but hopefully fun/decent quality gifts that I've stocked up on when they were on clearance for 75-90% off.

Closer friend: Same thing, but probably up a notch to $40 value, $10 spend.

Closest 2-3 friends and godsisters: Here I may go out of my way and buy something very specific to their interests and pay closer to retail, at least for part of the gift. Value still around $40, maybe $50, but I might actually spend $20-25.

I like to give something substantial in all cases, but there's no way I'm sending my kid to 15 birthday parties a year and spending $500!

I guess I end up spending more like $175 annually.

HHI is $120k in DC.

How do you find so many things on clearance for 75-90%??

NP. You go to Target/Michael’s/etc. and when you see stuff on clearance, you buy it and put it aside for gifts. My mom was a pro at this. I don’t bother with this as my kids are 10 and 11. I just buy gifts cards - usually a video game the kid likes to play.

NP. I did that too. I had found about the Target 70% toy clearance that occurs end of Jan and when I had my first kid, I went crazy and spent $400 thinking its a great deal. I still have some of that crap and am trying to get rid of it on craigslist or give it away at 1st birthday parties.

Last year, I stocked up on so many toys for kids the ages as mine, and now mine have told me they no longer like those since its not the in thing. Again, I have to try to get rid of these.

And I forgot to take out the clearance sticker 2 years ago, so that was embarrassing. I hope I was not judged. The toy is worth more since I bought it at 70% off and spent under $10, but the receiver may have judged me.

Not sure if it is worthwhile doing clearance shopping anymore.

Anonymous wrote:$25. Usually a $20 gift card and a $5 something DC picks to wrap.

+1

20 dollars

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I post this all the time, but the answer is:

Friendly acquaintance/not super-close: Retail value $20-30, I spend $4-8 max. These folks especially are getting generic but hopefully fun/decent quality gifts that I've stocked up on when they were on clearance for 75-90% off.

Closer friend: Same thing, but probably up a notch to $40 value, $10 spend.

Closest 2-3 friends and godsisters: Here I may go out of my way and buy something very specific to their interests and pay closer to retail, at least for part of the gift. Value still around $40, maybe $50, but I might actually spend $20-25.

I like to give something substantial in all cases, but there's no way I'm sending my kid to 15 birthday parties a year and spending $500!

I guess I end up spending more like $175 annually.

HHI is $120k in DC.

How do you find so many things on clearance for 75-90%??

NP. You go to Target/Michael’s/etc. and when you see stuff on clearance, you buy it and put it aside for gifts. My mom was a pro at this. I don’t bother with this as my kids are 10 and 11. I just buy gifts cards - usually a video game the kid likes to play.

Having thrown several birthday parties, I will say I couldn't care less what people spend on presents. I don't judge, and I won't think you're too cheap or too lavish.

$15-20

$15 in the younger grades when there were more parties. Now in late elementary and middle school my girls only attend 3-4 birthday parties a year, all of close friends, so we usually spend $25 and it seems on par with what others are doing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably about $20, and up to $50 for a best friend. I don’t worry about the price too much / it’s more that you didn’t grab a piece of plastic crap at the chain drugstore.

Really?! I’m floored. Kid is five, so we’re new to the birthday party world. His old preschool didn’t really do them. May I ask your HHI? I’m just trying to determine if that’s a wider norm, or just people who live in a nicer part of town than we do.

$90k is my salary.

NP and same, but the close friends didn’t happen until mid to upper elementary. Definitely not in K. For us, it’s more of the best friend who you consider an extension of your family and vice versa if there is one. Most parties it was about 20. DH and I together make about 200k.

Anonymous wrote:I post this all the time, but the answer is:

Friendly acquaintance/not super-close: Retail value $20-30, I spend $4-8 max. These folks especially are getting generic but hopefully fun/decent quality gifts that I've stocked up on when they were on clearance for 75-90% off.

Closer friend: Same thing, but probably up a notch to $40 value, $10 spend.

Closest 2-3 friends and godsisters: Here I may go out of my way and buy something very specific to their interests and pay closer to retail, at least for part of the gift. Value still around $40, maybe $50, but I might actually spend $20-25.

I like to give something substantial in all cases, but there's no way I'm sending my kid to 15 birthday parties a year and spending $500!

I guess I end up spending more like $175 annually.

HHI is $120k in DC.

How do you find so many things on clearance for 75-90%??

The price of a nice book, age appropriate, usually a new release so it’s less likely the other child has it.

Recently had a party and got several gift cards (upper elementary). They were all for $20-25.