Anonymous wrote:$300.00 on 16yo--guitar
$100.00 on 20mo--toy trucks, toy trucks tower;
$20.00 on 7mo--Christmas picture outfit.

Our relatives sent in some toys and books for the kids, so we have plenty.

Will it be tacky to ask for a 529 plan gift cards instead next year?

It's kind of tacky to ask. We make a deposit in our nieces and nephews 529s for xmas each year - anywhere from $250-$1000/kid - but we initiated it. But I am not sure the kids even know about it, much less have any idea what a 529 is. It takes some of the fun out of gift giving but we know this is more useful to the kids down the road than more stuff.

I've never heard of a 529 gift card. We deposit the money directly in the accounts which is kind of a hassle. Where do you get the gift cards?

$300.00 on 16yo--guitar
$100.00 on 20mo--toy trucks, toy trucks tower;
$20.00 on 7mo--Christmas picture outfit.

Our relatives sent in some toys and books for the kids, so we have plenty.

Will it be tacky to ask for a 529 plan gift cards instead next year?

Somewhere between 50 and 100 each for my 6 and 8 year old

$200 each for 2 kids. They are older now so the gifts are fewer but more expensive.

Maybe $100 per kid? I don’t believe in super consumerism for Christmas.

250 each for the big items I remember and then other small stuff like books, racing drones (20/each), gaming keyboards (16/each) and some cool stuff that I got on clearance at target or tjmaxx. Also ods got a melted clock (some toy store) and a mirror of erised (target).

With stockings it probably added up to 400 each? I am not sure.

About $1000 per kid. They are older so too old for toys. Last year one got an IPhone. This year that kid got a dress coat plus some other clothes. Another got a pair of ski boots as the primary gift. A lot of it is things we might buy anyway.

It depends on the year- one year, I spent a lot because we have one child and I wanted to see the area under the Christmas tree filled. It was a mistake, he got completely overstimulated opening gifts and didn't play with half of them.

This year, age 12, we went with a generous something you "want, need, wear, read." So board games, trading cards, gift certificate to game store. Ski clothes for an upcoming trip. A few of the "name brand" sports shirts that he likes (clothing and ski outfit was bought with his tastes in mind). Action/adventure books. We also put some good stuff in the stocking (compass, candy, card packs, etc.).

It was a really nice Christmas. Probably $400 overall- we're going to follow a similar pattern in the future.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:500 on each.

Obviously the people saying $100 or whatever don’t buy electronics. Their kids are probably the only ones in school without an iPad, Nintendo, or Xbox. Or they have no iPhone and they are in high school. They probably buy soap and deodorant for their kids for Christmas to be frugal.

I spent about $400-$500 and my kids don’t have those electronics. It’s funny - you are judging those who spend less for not buying electronics and others are judging you for buying electronics.

That’s fine, they can judge me for being normal. They are abnormal. They are weird. Do you know how many electronics get sold during the holidays? The people filling stockings full of soap from Giant can think they are superior but in reality they are odd-ball weirdos to everyone else in the country.

It’s electronics for kids as gifts or else you’re a weirdo who gifts soap? That’s all you got? Maybe you’ve been on electronics too long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:500 on each.

Obviously the people saying $100 or whatever don’t buy electronics. Their kids are probably the only ones in school without an iPad, Nintendo, or Xbox. Or they have no iPhone and they are in high school. They probably buy soap and deodorant for their kids for Christmas [b]to be frugal.

I spent about $400-$500 and my kids don’t have those electronics. It’s funny - you are judging those who spend less for not buying electronics and others are judging you for buying electronics.

That’s fine, they can judge me for being normal. They are abnormal. They are weird. Do you know how many electronics get sold during the holidays? The people [b]filling stockings full of soap from Giant can think they are superior but in reality they are odd-ball weirdos to everyone else in the country.

You have a weird obsession with soap in stockings...

Did your parents never have soap at your house when you were growing up? No deodorant? What’s the story?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:500 on each.

Obviously the people saying $100 or whatever don’t buy electronics. Their kids are probably the only ones in school without an iPad, Nintendo, or Xbox. Or they have no iPhone and they are in high school. They probably buy soap and deodorant for their kids for Christmas to be frugal.

I spent about $400-$500 and my kids don’t have those electronics. It’s funny - you are judging those who spend less for not buying electronics and others are judging you for buying electronics.

That’s fine, they can judge me for being normal. They are abnormal. They are weird. Do you know how many electronics get sold during the holidays? The people filling stockings full of soap from Giant can think they are superior but in reality they are odd-ball weirdos to everyone else in the country.

So it’s either spend hundreds of dollars on each kid (like bubble dwellers such as yourself think is the norm in this country even though most people really can’t afford it) or fill their stockings with generic soap? Nothing in between?

You are the abnormal — and completely out of touch — one.

$125/kid for 13 & 8 Yo...Maximum
Got 13 Yo son an echo dot,a few small Lego sets,New board game,and that brought the total to about $80. $45 left. Not afraid to look in thrift shops and buy used items. Half the things I find look just like new. At a garage sale a few weeks ago I found a unopened Lego set for $4 that is $12 in store. My son also likes beanie babies, especially birds. Found 4 of them selling 0.75 each. Got a few books he wanted on sale on amazon. I scrounge for deals and shop late. For my 8 Yo daughter I got a gently used iPod shuffle for only $65 I stuffed stockings with candy and a few beanie babies. Also got some books and board games for her. I'm total spent less than my budgeted amount and don't look cheap.

Last year it was $200 on our only child, and this year it was closer to $600 because we got him a $450 chromebook. He also got an echo dot, a jersey, switch controllers and a game.

He knows he gets 5 gifts. I find it really challenging to keep the cost down because I hate buying junky stuff that just breaks and/or clutters up the house.

2.5 yo.
About $400.

That was a large secondhand ~$100 item, repair & accessories for it (~$50), 3 ~$50 medium-sized toys (Magnatiles, Lincoln Logs, a kid camera), plus stocking stuffers (books, art supplies, consumables, & a couple small toys).

Three aunts, an uncle, & 2 grandfathers probably spent another $50-100 each (things like a bike and trucks and trains / accessories) So another $300-500.

Grand total of $700-$900. He’s not spoiled and he’s not overloaded with toys. We’re pretty thoughtful actually about what we select. We planned our gifts in advance and didn’t pick up random extra things. Family bought things off our wish list. We don’t pick up toys here & there throughout the year as so many families do, so this is our equivalent of a monthly impulse buy at Target. No guilt here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:500 on each.

Obviously the people saying $100 or whatever don’t buy electronics. Their kids are probably the only ones in school without an iPad, Nintendo, or Xbox. Or they have no iPhone and they are in high school. They probably buy soap and deodorant for their kids for Christmas to be frugal.

I spent about $400-$500 and my kids don’t have those electronics. It’s funny - you are judging those who spend less for not buying electronics and others are judging you for buying electronics.

That’s fine, they can judge me for being normal. They are abnormal. They are weird. Do you know how many electronics get sold during the holidays? The people filling stockings full of soap from Giant can think they are superior but in reality they are odd-ball weirdos to everyone else in the country.