Comments on: Birthday Spending. What’s Normal?

By: Mimi aka pz5wjj

Mimi aka pz5wjj — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:08:00 +0000

I'm el-cheap-o.

I refuse to spend more than $10 unless it's a close friend.

First off, kids don't really need lots of toys (mine don't anyway). Secondly, there are a lot of really great toys in the $10 range.

By: Domestic Accident

Domestic Accident — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:30:00 +0000

Wow, great question. I was spending about $15, but then realized my gifts were not on par with others. Now I spend between $20-25. I do try to get things on sale, so if there’s a great board game on sale, I’ll get 2 or 3 and keep it on hand. Saves time running errands, too.

By: Kimmylyn

Kimmylyn — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:24:00 +0000

I usually spend about $25. I normally have the tissue paper and bags laying around the house (get them at the $1 store in the beginning of the year so I am not always looking for a gift bag).

It is crazy though, with how many birthday parties are popping up.

By: Momo Fali

Momo Fali — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Usually $15.00 to $20.00.

The kids at my daughter’s school do gift exchanges at all their parties. For instance, everyone buys a Webkinz, then they exchange them so all the kids get a gift. We’ve done socks, beach towels, High School Musical stuff…it’s fun! We also went to a party where the child requested everyone bring dog toys to donate to a local shelter.

By: just4ofus

just4ofus — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:05:00 +0000

I usually spend $10-20 per child.
And I only buy one thing, usually, unless it’s a family friend etc.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:58:00 +0000

i try to never really go above$20.00……but my sons are invited to it seems a million classmates’ parties a year….

By: Sheila

Sheila — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:32:00 +0000

For family members we have a $25-$30 limit. For school friends, etc. we have a $10-$15 limit. We also re-use gifts bags and tissue paper when possible. Sometimes tissue paper makes a great wrapping paper as well.

By: Marketing Mommy

Marketing Mommy — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:22:00 +0000

With the ever-increasing number of birthday party invites, I try to keep gifts in the $10 range. And I save more money by reusing or creating wrapping paper and making our own cards.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:21:00 +0000

I normally spend about $15-$20 on gifts. Thing 2 picks out the gift himself but I gage the cost.

By: Melody

Melody — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:31:00 +0000

I’ve had two birthday parties from my kids classes this year (and a couple we skipped), and I spent $5 on one, and $10 on the other (only because Barbies are cheaper than Transformers). The way I see it, if your kid get invited to all the other parties, and assume that only 2/3 of the kids have birthdays during the school year, you’re still looking at around 10-12 parties. If you spend $25 a kid, that’s WAY TOO MUCH! lol!

And I have two that are that birthday paty-going age. I don’t have $500-$600 in my yearly budget to buy gifts for kids who aren’t mine…

Just my opinion, I let the boys pick ut the presents, but I either tell them which toys they can pick from, or if they pick something outrageous, I tell them “that’s too expensive”.