Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

This topic has 34 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 4 months ago by ebcsmom.

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December 11, 2011 at 12:45 am
my3boys
Participant
Each year I/we wonder how much to spend on the kids. I/we enjoy shopping for them and find pleasure in getting them some much needed/wanted gifts. As the boys get older I can see that their gifts will become more meaningful (cause that’s what I’d like;), more expensive (so therefore less of them), and more useful. We are already starting that with my oldest (more useful/meaningful) and my middle boy, to a degree. We are starting some book collections and already have certain things we buy for the boys that we add to each year.
Anyway, just curious as to where we fall in the budgets this time of year.
As a side note: We don’t purchase much for them throughout the year, except at bday’s, and even then, it’s 1 gift + party, so this is the one time that I enjoy splurging on them. They receive some gifts from others (not a ton), but the bulk comes from mom & dad. Since my kids are still a bit young (2 under 10) we do consider how many they get to open, as well, and not always on how much. Just because we have a certain amount to spend doesn’t mean that we have to, especially if it really seems unnecessary.
Thanks in advance.
December 11, 2011 at 1:28 am
MamaSnow
Participant
Our are all still quite young (6 and under), but this year we’ve probably spent $35-50 on each of them. Each of them is getting 1 “fun” gift (something I thought they’d really like) and 1 book. They will also get things from grandparents, although we have asked them to give things for the family to enjoy together, rather than heaps of stuff for each person. We have been trying to get the emphasis less on the gifts aspect of Christmas and more on Christ and being together as a family. They tend to get more at their birthdays, although still on the conservative side there (I think I probably spent $50-60 on dd6’s birthday gifts back in October). We also don’t do stockings at Christmas anymore, but because I took such great pleasure in filling them they get a little “stocking” at their birthdays now. (I made a little drawstring bag for each of them that I fill with stocking-stuffer type items.) Anyhow, that’s just us! This year is actually on the high end for us – mostly because we are in the States this year. We are normally overseas and so get less because of the high shipping costs.
Jen
December 11, 2011 at 1:45 am
Bookworm
Participant
We spend $30 per child. I do try to make them each a few things they especially appreciate. We do “stockings” but it is a family game in each stocking or something similar that the whole family can enjoy (video, etc.)

December 11, 2011 at 6:54 am
chocodog
Participant
They were getting 3 gifts. My thought on that one was if Jesus received 3 gift then what is good for him is good enough for my kids. I would just get them one thing they really wanted. Usually $25 or less. But now that they are getting older it is between $35 – $65. they get what they want 2 times a year. They look forward to this. I however have been celebrating Hanukkah last year and this year so we have been changing it around. I still get them the one present that they want but I get them little gifts leading up to the big gift. It was a little of a change but the children really are looking forward to our new celebration. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, so what was good enough for him is good enough for us…:)
December 11, 2011 at 11:54 am
Tristan
Participant
I’ve got 6 ages 10 and under. We don’t do stockings and we only buy gifts at birthday and Christmas. Our budget varies a little with the income for the year but is usually up to $50.00 per child. That’s what it is this year too. If we find what they want and spend less that that it’s great, we don’t try to spend exactly $50 for everyone to the penny. We also never ever go over. We happen to have all birthdays but one between October and February, so we have to budget money out or there is none. Baby # 7 will be born soon and his birthday will fall in there too.
December 11, 2011 at 2:24 pm
AprilMayJune75
Participant
I have one 5 year old. We also typically do three gifts, although this year, she will get four. (Something she wants, something she needs, something to wear, and something to read.) Her stocking is usually a mix of little ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. This year I will spend somewhere between $60 and $70 on her presents, stocking stuffers, etc. but I have used resources like Amazon gift cards, really good Kohl’s coupons, and buying new things off eBay for a fraction of their normal cost to keep the total down from about $150, retail. Two of her presents are things that I would have eventually purchased for homeschooling time (book of ‘complete stories and poems of Winnie the Pooh’, and a weaving loom for handicrafts), so it worked out well that she really, really wanted them anyways. 😉
Next year may cost more out of pocket, since she’s outgrowing her Little People Nativity Set, and I want to get her a nice wooden one that will last through the years, and someday she can pass down to her own children. I know that’s coming, though, so I can save back a little extra money here and there to prepare for it.
April
December 11, 2011 at 3:19 pm
my3boys
Participant
Thanks ladies, for sharing your thoughts.
We tend to spend a little more than what was shared…we usually get them what they have been asking for (which those can cost very little, except for my oldest boy’s) then add in things We/I would like them to have. We also get them new p.j.’s/slippers, ornaments, etc. that I don’t count as “what they’ve asked for” since they’re not really “into” getting clothes for Christmas. I don’t purchase those type of things throughout the year, so I count on these as “stuffers”. Usually, if family (which is only my dh’s side) asks what the kids need/want I tell them jammies.
If we had more than 3 children, I can see where the costs would have to be cut way back.
I appreciate all of your thoughts and especially the: Something she wants, something she needs, something to wear, something to read. This year the boys are getting some books that I feel they will really appreciate.
December 11, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Monica
Participant
We do three gifts as well: Gold (something they’ve really wanted), Frankincense (something to bring them closer to God), and Myrrh (something for their body). They also get a stocking and one gift from Santa. We stay within a budget, but we don’t necessarily set a per-person budget (my 2YOs three gifts obviously cost less than her 10YO brother’s gifts). This year in particular we spent a lot on our boys because we’ve signed them up for six months of Karate (as their Myrrh gift), which is something they have wanted to do for years.
December 11, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Tecrz1
Participant
It has varied but we usually shoot for $100 per kid, and we have three children. We also do not buy lots of things throughout the year, only at birthdays mostly. I also get them things they need like clothing, or things for their room like a new bedspread or sheets. I usually get one nice thing they have really been wanting, one nice church type outfit, a few smaller toys like coloring books or doll clothes, and then some things they need.
Seeing that others actually spend even less than us is astounding to me. I have taken a little heat for not buying more for my kids! Most of my family members and friends will spend $300-$500 per child. We just could not afford that and made the decision early on to keep it simpler. We don’t use credit cards so that settles it. I am selling baked goods this year to help with the cost.
I really do wish we had not ever let the children get into the Santa thing – but now I’m not really sure about just being like “oh never mind he isn’t real”. It creates a lot of problems like children not understanding when mom and dad are not able to buy expensive items or wondering if they aren’t as good as other kids who get video game consoles and bicycles AND toys for Christmas.
Has anyone else ever made the switch from letting your children believe in Santa to not before they figured it out on their own?
December 11, 2011 at 8:07 pm
sara p.
Participant
Ok, we must be the odd ones here. We don’t buy a lot for our kiddos, ages 3, 6, and 8, through the year. So, Chirstmas is the time we really splurge and get them some things they really have been wanting. This year we spent $400 per kiddo. We don’t use credit cards either. We are very blessed that my hubby is given a lot of overtime during the holiday season so we are able to get them some things they have been wanting. I don’t think they are spolied. They realize how blessed we are and have been very good about buying gifts for children in our commumity that don’t get a lot for Chistmas.
Anyway about Santa, I have mixed feelings about that too. My daughter wanted to know the truth this year so we told her. My husband doesn’t want to tell the boys yet. I want to because I feel like we are lying to them. Anyway that is a battle I don’t want to start. So we just let them believe until they want to know the truth.
December 11, 2011 at 9:34 pm
my3boys
Participant
Well, Sara, you’re not alone. We actually spend about $125 per kid (my oldest’s will probably be closer to $200, but not sure), not including their stockings, ornaments, jammies, games/movies for the family. We have spent alot more on my oldest boy when he was younger (he was the oldest for a few years and then some), but we don’t spend near as much now. My dh was really into over buying but has calmed down alot about that. I really enjoy this time of year and splurging a bit on my boys, especially when I really don’t do that much throughout the year. I really do enjoy it.
@Tecrz1, we have done the whole Santa thing from the beginning and don’t have any regrets. My oldest boy has known for several years that Santa is not the one bringing the gifts, but mom and dad. He asked several years ago and we just told him the truth. He was ready and it was the right time. He does understand now that we are under no obligation to get him everything on his list (not that we did all the time anyway, but we tried if we could afford it), so his lists are short and to the point. He’s so funny….he even gives tips on where to find the items he’d like at a discount and makes sure that we know that he does not need everything. He is so understanding of our finances and that we do the best we can. Even my younger two know that just because it’s on the list doesn’t mean it’s a given and their happy with what they get. If we were unable to get something (for whatever reason) for the younger two they just say, “Well, maybe next year,” or they know they can ask for what they’d like for their bdays. Our kids (I hope/think) know they are blessed (and we are not rich in $$$). They know they have food, warm beds, family, parents that love them, etc. We will tell our younger two when the time is right, as well.
Blessings to you all.
December 11, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Laura.bora
Participant
Well, I’m glad that some of you with larger budgets chimed in!! I was begining to think we were some of the very few who spent “a lot” (in comparasion to some of the others) for Christmas. We usually buy between $100 – $200 per kid, and we pick things that will not be tossed aside quickly. Things like wholesome Movies, books, audio dramas or book on tape, some fun stuff – liike this year we bought our daughter a small hope chest full of crochet stuff and Sonya’s Crocheting DVD) We also budget for it, since we are debt free and use no credit cards….well, we were debt free….because this Christmas WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! 🙂 We move in this Fiday. I’m so excited. We don’t do Santa, and haven’t from the begining, because of the confusion it could bring. (If my parents said Santa was real and he wasn’t, couln’t it be the same for Jesus?) However, we do have a soft spot for Santa…when we were unsaved and newly married, we took our first born to go see Santa at a light show. “Santa” bought our picture – one for us and one for him, shared the gospel with us, and prayed that the Lord would reveal Himself to us. By next Christmas, we were saved, and when my sister (who was with us during the first year, and was saved during the year as well) returned to see if he remembered us, he did – and had our picture framed and prayed for our family daily. And this was not a church function – it was a public light show! He played Santa every year in order to share the REAL reason for the season! 🙂
December 11, 2011 at 11:39 pm
AprilMayJune75
Participant
Laura — What an amazing testimony of love and witness for Christ! That’s so neat! Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
I didn’t want to “do Santa” for the same reasons you mentioned you don’t with your kids. That is exactly what happened with me when I was a kid. We only went to church a handful of times a year, and didn’t actively read the Bible at home, and I think that also played a big part in not being able to distinguish the difference. Unfortunately, the family I babysit for plays up Santa BIG TIME with their kids, and are afraid that we will inadvertently spoil it for their kids. This is my third year there, and the first two years, we just didn’t even acknowledge it at home, and it was a non-issue. This year, their youngest is almost 4, and constantly talks about Santa, his reindeer, the Elf on (their) Shelf, etc. DD (age 5)is asking all sorts of questions. I think that if I just spell it out for her, she’ll tell him, because she would not think it was OK to lie (“play a game”) with her friend, if he didn’t know it was just pretend. So . . . I am staying vague, continuing to teach her about the true St. Nicholas, and focus on Christ. I don’t think I’ll work there next year, at which point I’ll connect the dots for her.
April
December 12, 2011 at 12:42 am
Sue
Participant
Wow, Laura! That’s fantastic, and I’ll be praying for that “Santa” and others like him who play Santa in order to be able to touch others with the real story of Christ in Christmas.
You know, if I had $100 per child to spend (I have 3), I know I would spend it on worthwhile Christmas gifts. I am in a season now where I have $20 per child to spend from their grandpa (he never knows what to buy them, so I shop for him), and I don’t know what, if any, I’ll have to buy gifts from myself to them. But I’m not worried because God has always provided some Christmas money and/or gifts somehow. One time, my sister’s office co-workers bought presents for the kids when my husband was on disability; last year, a friend was led to give us money to buy gifts; and sometimes there is extra money in the paycheck (I work part-time from home on commission). And….the kids’ dad buys “big stuff” like a Wii system last year, a Kindle Fire for one and a Nintendo DS for another this year. (Yes, I think I’ve gotten over my initial jealousy about the Kindle….besides, dd told me if she gets one she will share it with me…..yipee!)
I have been forced to evaluate carefully what our emphasis is during Christmas, and having a meager income has actually helped. We have seen how God has provided all year long, and we enjoy a lot more about Christmas than presents. I have made bookmarks to pass out at our church’s children’s Christmas party next Sunday that say: I like presents from Santa, but I LOVE the presence of JESUS! That’s really how we feel during the Christmas season.
December 12, 2011 at 1:09 am
delaney
Participant
We are odd too. $300-$400 for the kids. Usually about $2500 for the whole group of them. It is really hard to not spend more on the bigger ones. Oldest DS is 16. He is getting 1/2 of his ski trip to Montreal paid for, new soccer cleats which alone are $150. I do throw in pratical stuff like jammies, socks, favorite snacks and drinks for their own….
I know it sounds so material but we have always done it that way. We have the means so I guess for us it works.