Santa is being mean this year!

[nikkip75]

And i mean it this year! I am sick of spending far to much money on toys and stuff that never get played with. They sit in the toy boxes never being used and i come along a few months later bag them all up and take them down the carboot sale and sell them for pennies!

Well im not doing it this year! My 4 year wants a bike so thats what she getting and im going to get her the pink wooden castle from elc with some figures and thats it (how cruel am i) my 14 month old is getting a jessie doll and some little bits, we already have all the fisher price little people stuff , ride ons, dolls, prams and mega blocks which is probably what i would have got her anyway. And my 14 yr old is getting a camera and some costume jewelry and make up. And she is perfectly happy and told me
Please mum dont buy me all the usual crappy little bits this year lol

And i dont really feel guilty, i think it will do them good actually.

Anyone else being a meanie this year?

 

[Eala]

I don't see it as being mean? I see it as being sensible, especially if your kids themselves are saying that they don't want all the stuff you usually get .

We are being so strict about how much we spend on birthdays and Christmas. Partly because we just don't have the spare cash to go mad, and partly because we don't want her to grow up with those occasions being all about the material things.

I think it was special_kala who said, on another thread recently, that when she thinks about Christmases from her childhood, she doesn't remember the presents, but the happy time with her family. I think that's so lovely I remember one or two Christmases when I got something I *really* wanted, but I couldn't tell you about all of them, or what other things I got that year. I do remember the fantastic meals, the laughs, and seeing all my family and friends

So what I'm trying to say is - don't feel bad, it sounds like you're making the right decision for both you and your purse

 

[nikkip75]

Yea your right! I should have really called this thread santa is being sensible this year

And what i remember of christmas as a kid is sitting round the table having dinner with top of the pops on tv and abba singing waterloo

Oh and getting my cabbage patch doll! My fave gift ever and ive still got her!

 

[momandpeanut]

we are the same here !!

a bike for logan and a few stocking fillers and as we have his birthday on the 18th im sure he will be fed up of prezzies by xmas anyway

 

[jenny_wren]

we're being mean to the adults

emily's got a main present and then
a few £5/£10 ones and the kids in the family
are getting one pressie each and the adults
are getting token guestures

xxx​

 

[nikkip75]

Kelly is logan nearly 2!!

Jenny we have a rule in our family, once you have kids of your own you dont get pressies anymore. The baby starts getting them instead lol
Apart our parents ofcourse

 

[Laura2919]

Chloe and Jaycee only have 3 presents each from me and OH... The family buy them loads and loads too and we end up sitting there all day and opening them..

 

[ames_x]

Ditto! Kane got so much stuff for his birthday its unreal. We had used the Tesco double up things £5 voucher turns to £10 we had like £100 worth so went abit crazy lol, but we bought things that will last him for ages so he won't get bored - still has stuff un-opened so may re wrap them for xmas

Anyway, I'm just going to get a trike for him and some clothes

 

[Blah11]

I dont think it's mean either. I think we often do go OTT. I budgeted £300 for christmas and bday but i think i'm going to go over it cos I keep adding to my list I cant help it

 

[amylw1]

there is another option - the money you save on all the extra gifts put it aside for a day out in warmer weather or towards a weekend away somewhere. i'm sure they would enjoy it.


i would love to say i could it BUT i couldnt. even though we never had much money growing up mum and dad ALWAYS got us loads for xmas - even if it was loads of small stuff with 1 main pressie. and i'm the same with mine. however, i dont buy "silly stuff", but things like dvds, crayons n books (we use loads), cds, action figures, lego etc

 

[jenny_wren]

Jenny we have a rule in our family, once you have kids of your own you dont get pressies anymore. The baby starts getting them instead lol
Apart our parents ofcourse

same! we do token gestures though and
the adults without kids get proper pressies lol

xx​

 

[nikkip75]

there is another option - the money you save on all the extra gifts put it aside for a day out in warmer weather or towards a weekend away somewhere. i'm sure they would enjoy it

.


i would love to say i could it BUT i couldnt. even though we never had much money growing up mum and dad ALWAYS got us loads for xmas - even if it was loads of small stuff with 1 main pressie. and i'm the same with mine. however, i dont buy "silly stuff", but things like dvds, crayons n books (we use loads), cds, action figures, lego etc

Thats the thing Amy, we already have lots of days out in the summer anyway. We are always at the zoo, the farm, taking them to the parks and on holiday. It's not really about the money tbh. If I wanted to we could spend hundreds on the 3 of them but I would just end up giving it all away or binning it cos they don't play with it! Lol

 

[polo_princess]

See now i agree, but we do tend to spoil Brooke because her birthday and christmas are so close, but what i do is i put half of her presents unopened in her toy cupboard and then once every few weeks i give her some new ones to open and put older ones away just to switch it up. She doesnt have a birthday in the middle of the year and i dont believe she should miss out because of her birthday being so close to christmas so i do things that way.

That said, we have dropped our "budget" this year, hers is £300, £150 for birthday and £150 for christmas. Sounds a lot but you all know, toys arent cheap!!

 

[leeanne]

I am.

I am so tired of it all too! My kids are getting a main present and then clothes and some DS games.

I learned a lesson last year. I had my kids open up half their gifts in the morning while my stepkids were here and then they were to open the rest at night when my stepkids went home. Well, after they openned their gifts in the morning they were quite happy with what they got. Proved to me they didn't need all the stuff they got in the end.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Its not mean. You have to stick to your means. Kids never notice anyway xx

 

[AnnaHughes]

Me! I am a meanie!

I have spent £72 on 4 fisher price little people sets and a ton of accessories off ebay - therefore second hand, no boxes, and already played with. However, in mint condition, and i got the ABC zoo i have been wanting for AGES!. my parents think it is terrible to buy second hand for xmas, but my point is that i can get twice as much, for the same money as new. I have then bought a peppa pig set, some play doh, and a shopping basket with food in, THATS IT! Then, some cars/crayons/books as stocking fillers.

I am done, and not buying anymore, as i know it will get silly else!, i do feel mean, only 3 'new' presents, then stocking fillers, but he will get loads from family if last year is anything to go by!

 

[sabby52]

Santa is being very mean this year at my house. Dec has already got 5-6 presents to open on his birthday, then whatever everyone else buys him, then he starts playgroup on his Birthday so I think going overboard at christmas will be a bit silly of us. He has 2 main presents and a few little bits and thats it. Dan is getting a new bike and a few little bits, but he is also getting a trip to Paris which we said we would pay for as part of his christmas present, so he is well chuffed with that. We are saving hard for a holiday and I feel the kids will enjoy doing things on the holiday more than getting presents which are going to sit in the corner after christmas.

It has taken my almost 13 years but I have now decided Christmas really doesnt have to be expensive and the boys will be happy with whatever they get x x

 

[nikkip75]

Yay im glad its not just me

Its taken me 14 years sabby and ive just realised like leanne says that the less they have the more they actually play with the toys they do get.

And polo princess yes £150 does sound a lot but the price of toys now you will maybe get 3 or 4 good quaility toys with that but isnt it better to get good toys that will last and actually get played with than little bits that lay round and eventually end up in the bin

Anna im on ebay now looking for ELC rosies world toys for my 14 month old lol, i love a bargain