Same budget or same amount of presents?

[monkee12]

Do you tend to stick to the same budget or same amount of presents?

Do you pick things up over time or smash through a couple of paydays? X

 

[Bevziibubble]

We do same budget.
We tend to start around now and get a load done and then the extra bits throughout the next few months slowly

 

[leoniebabey]

Neither tbh! i buy what they will like and they have never compared or complained.
I try to keep to a similar amount but sometimes they don’t have exactly the same amount sometimes one might have one bigger item and the other a couple more smaller bits .

I don’t stick to a certain budget either as sometimes I manage to get bits on better deals than other bits. I wouldn’t get one super expensive things and the other not though there’s usually not too much in it.

I usually start after youngests birthday in September although this year I started sooner.

 

[kirstybumx3]

Neither here.
I pretty much buy what I think they will like and hope that the piles end up looking similar. This is harder as they get older, Rio's pile is going to cost more but look less this year.
It balances itself out really though, they definitely dont wake up on christmas morning thinking one has been treated better than the other.
When they get older, i'll stick to a budget more so.

 

[kirstybumx3]

Missed the last question, I buy over a few months in the hope that ill be sorted by December but the reality is I am never sorted by December

 

[SmartieMeUp]

I try to stick to a budget and make it fair but they don't see the price, it's just my guilt and affordability. They tend to get similar amounts as previously I've bought almost the same things for them just alternate styles. Atm DD1 has 31 presents and DD2 has 44.

I've started as early as March before, September is a common date for me while DD1's birthday is in October. My wage is paid weekly which helps a lot, even more so I can pick up whatever while at work and try to get as much done when I can. Luckily I took last week off to get thorough shopping before half term. I'm getting a covid bonus end of November so I'll keep that aside for December and see if the girls ask for anything else in particular.

 

[c1403]

My two have very similar interests at the moment so I go by number of presents. That could change but with only two years between them hopefully not too much.

I'm normally half done by now but this year due to finances and a few big payments I haven't started properly yet, it's killing me waiting but I don't want to put it on an account or credit card.

 

[Buttercup84]

Mine will be 9, 6 and 4.5 at Xmas. I do budgets and previously my oldest's was slightly higher than the younger 2's. This year it'll be the same as they're all school age and the younger 2 are showing more interest in technology now. I try and keep the amount of presents roughly similar but I don't drive myself mad with it. As far as shopping I start getting the odd thing in summer and am usually done by December other than any random little bits I see. This year I'm mostly done already which is quite early, I blame covid and having our holiday refund money so Xmas was already sorted, silver linings and all that! Just need to make sure I replace it as we do want to have the holiday aswell at some point

 

[Rags]

Same budget, and I try to keep it to about the same as last year. When we 'blended' 3 Christmases ago I became very aware that the older children had a good idea of the cost of things where the younger ones didn't, I wanted to make sure they realised everyone gets the same amount spent - so this year the 14 year old wants an expensive phone, she knows this will be her only real gift apart from some wee stocking fillers (and that it will come from myself her uncle and aunt). Her big sisters have boyfriends who are incredibly generous to them so they both know that they will get less in value from me. DS's will look more substantial but be of the same value.

 

[Babybump87]

We do the same amount of presents ! This might change next year as DD1 gets older and into more expensive things. DS won’t get the same amount as the girls due to his age. We are just buying what we know he will like .

I usually start buying in September once they go back to school ! Started late this year tho as we had to self isolate !

 

[monkee12]

Thank you, the reason I’ve asked is because my DS and DD have more spent on them then my older DD, however she is getting a brand new bed, bedroom furniture and her room kitted out a couple of days before Xmas as we are due to move into our new house then. It’s not really an xmas present but at the same time it’s costing over £700 to do her room but I feel guilty that xmas related the younger ones have had more spent.

 

[Rags]

I think you're very justified having fewer gifts for your eldest, she is old enough to understand what she's had and I'm sure she will be delighted having her new, wonderful room to enjoy what she does get.

 

[monkee12]

Thanks Hun, I think part of me just needed someone to tell me I shouldn’t feel guilty, she will be 13 beginning of Feb so I know she will understand. I guess it’s mummy guilt lol x

 

[Rags]

Your fine, 13 and beyond belief in Santa, you've absolutely no reason to feel any guilt.

 

[AngelUK]

Mine always get the same amount of presents (and since it very rarely is more than ten each, they would notice the difference) but the budget can vary as I try to buy what they each really want. But I wouldn't buy something super expensive for one (say a bike) and then only a book for the other.

 

[monkee12]

As it stands I’ve got:

£308
£318
£192

so quite a bag gap but she wants a whole new bedroom suite x

 

[wildflower79]

I just buy what I think they'd like and hopefully end up with about the same number of presents.

 

[motherofboys]

I try to keep it roughly the same for both things, so for example we could have one child with 10 presents totalling £90 and another child with 11 presents totally £85. I'm not strict on it but don't like there to be a noticeable difference.
When my big ones were younger I just did number of presents, and now they understand value I would just do budget, but with having the younger ones as well who won't see the value it feels fairest in everyone's eyes to try to match both budget and pile size.

 

[monkee12]

That’s my problem, there is about £130 difference in price between my younger 2 and my older one, however her bedroom stuff comes to £698 and that’s before I buy curtains etc. My sons birthday is end of November so I also have that to do, all in Christmas is costing over £3500 this year because I have to do the stuff for the new house too x

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

We do a budget.