What do you spend on Christmas….

November 27, 2011 By Cassandra
This post may contain affiliate links.

It’s OK, I don’t really want to know how much you spend

But I do want to share with you something that I’ve found out recently about the amount that parents spend on their children each year. Research shows that in 1995 the average British family spent around £75.00 per child at Christmas with this figure increasing massively to an average spend of £168.00 per child last Christmas.

I’m not sure if the increase is due to the fact that parents are willing to spend more these days or if it’s because things cost so much more now. The top item on Miss Frugal’s wish list this year is an iPod touch and the top of Master Frugal’s list is a Nintendo 3DS – both of which cost in excess of £100.00 each so I strongly suspect that the increase in spending is more due to the fact that the toys available are so much more expensive now and the advertising in the media is so cleverly aimed at making children feel they NEED something.

I loved Christmas when I was young and I remember coming downstairs on Christmas morning and being so excited at the pile of presents for me under the tree. They weren’t massively extravagant presents but they were presents that my Mam and Dad had carefully chosen and things they knew I would love so when I was challenged to put together a stocking for Miss Frugal with a budget of £75.00 I knew I wanted to put together presents that she’d love and I’m really pleased with everything that I managed to buy, not a battery needed between them all….

Cinderella Doll Soft Toy

Cinderella Plush Doll – £10.00

Moshi Monsters Tree House – £14.99

Barbie Puppy Waterpark – £12.50

Hello Kitty Puzzleball – £10.99

This came with a free mini puzzleball worth £5.99

Zhu Zhu Carrycase – £7.99

Angry Birds soft toy – £5.99

Hello Kitty Designer – £10.00

I think I got quite a lot for my budget and I’m pretty sure that I got the best prices possible for everything I bought. I used price comparison sites to search for the lowest price for everything and to be honest I was quite surprised by the range of prices for a lot of the gifts – the Barbie Waterpark cost anywhere from the £12.50 that I paid up to £25.00 and the Moshi Treehouse ranged from £14.99 to £24.99 so it’s definitely worth using a price comparison price. Also being a bit of an eBay fanatic, I checked the prices on eBay for everything and like for like, most of the prices I found using the comparison tool were cheaper.

It’s all sitting upstairs now waiting to be wrapped ready for the Big day and I can’t wait to see her face.

Thanks to Idealo for asking me to take part in the challenge and for paying for the gifts I chose.

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Comments (14)

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Alyson Meridith · 1322 weeks ago

Fine job! More please.

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frugalqueen · 696 weeks ago

she's a lucky girl! how times have changed, my daughter is 19 but i can remember one gift at christmas and one for her birthday, the rest were tiny items, such as matey bubble bath - it's hard for parents to fight consumerism when so many parents capitulate. i genuinely believe some children are spoilt at the detriment of them knowing either the cost or the value, no wonder teenagers end up in debt at college when they leave home expecting such a lot

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@frugalfamily · 696 weeks ago

She is so lucky and I'm proud that she knows just how lucky - she helped me shop for and make hampers for homeless families a few weeks ago and would have quite happily given up some of her toys to put in them.

I worry that she will take things for granted as we do get sent some lovely things thanks to this blog and I do worry a fair bit about the things you've mentioned. Luckily she's very sensible but the minute I see signs of a spoilt brat things will change.

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Scarlet · 696 weeks ago

Will you also be buying an ipod touch? Apart from the expense it also seems strange to see all the toys aimed at a little girl and then for her to receive an ipod touch which I see as an item for someone much older - even an 8gb one holds over 1700 songs. I'm not criticising your choices, just interested. I know someone who bought their 3 year old a Wii for Christmas , and wondered what they would be buying them by the time they were a teenager. My younger daughter is 16 and has asked for a pair of Vans which cost £45 and I have bought her a ticket to see one of her favourite bands which cost less than £20. My elder daughter is 23 and lives with her fiance- their income is more than 3 times mine - she has asked me to knit her a pair of mittens, which I have done. I have also bought her a vintage Timex watch from ebay for less than £3 including postage, and a vintage dress for £15.

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@frugalfamily · 696 weeks ago

Hi Scarlet

Thanks for your comment - I have bought her an iPod touch as her school actively encourage you to do so - you can even buy them off the school and pay it off over 6 months (not that I've done this, i got a second hand one off eBay). It's more for the internet that they recommend them I think as they do get a lot if internet based homework - it's mad though isn't it.

I love the presents you've bought your two girls, it really is the thought that counts and not the amount of money you spend isn't it x

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Scarlet · 696 weeks ago

Wow - I'm shocked that the school suggest buying an ipod touch, and even more so that they facilitate the purchase! I was a trainee primary teacher , have been in a lot of schools during my 3 years training and before and have never come across this. Also, there is no means of implementing parental control on an ipod is there ( other than sitting with a child each time they use it). When schools preach internet safety it seems irresponsible to be promoting their use as a means to access the internet.

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@frugalfamily · 696 weeks ago

I think it must be a local thing then because at least three of the schools here not only recommend but offer the payment schemes to fund them. Our school are very pro-internet and spend a lot of time teaching children about how to be safe on the internet, a lot of their homework is internet based now and their homework books even have a list of internet sites for them to use. I think with the appropriate supervision and support it can be a good thing.

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Elspeth · 696 weeks ago

£168?! Holy moly. We spend £50 on each of the girls, and £50 on each other at Christmas.. and we all get a bloody good haul.

I can't even IMAGINE spending £168 on each child (especially since there's another on the way any week now).

Mind you, we don't buy things like ipods/DSs and the like, even if they DO ask for them because at 7 and 9 we still think they're a bit young. Though they both got a pink DS from Granny and Grandad last year- which they KEEP at Granny and Grandad's.

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@frugalfamily · 696 weeks ago

I've done a lot of Christmas shopping on eBay this year and am over the moon with some of the bargains I've got - you can make your money go so much further if you shop around and choose wisely. x

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humdrumum 52p · 696 weeks ago

I'm going to allocate about £50, but Elf's birthday is mid January so we will not be buying much then. As long as he's got the 2 or 3 Heroes he wants, then he'd be happy. He will be spoiled rotten by everyone else. Last year his requested present from Santa was a £12 Ben10 aeroplane! He was happy with that.

Well done with the £75, well chosen gifts. -HMx

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@FrugalFamily 96p · 696 weeks ago

It\'s great when they\'re little and are happy with smaller things isn\'t it and you can get so much for your money if you spend time looking. I hope you get lots of bargains for you money x x

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becky@babybudgeting · 696 weeks ago

well done you Cass fab gifts ! I paid lots more for the moshi treehouse!

1 reply · active 696 weeks ago

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Cass@FrugalFamily 96p · 696 weeks ago

Hi you ;-)

I\'ve seen it loads more expensive too - even on eBay. I\'m glad it\'s not just my two who are Moshi mad lol x x