How many Christmas presents is too many? The answer changes considerably depending on who you ask. Some parents love to go all out for the holidays and shower their kids with big-ticket items like iPads and Power Wheels. Others like to keep it simple and only splurge on a few small things. But, we're all human, and it's totally normal to wonder how much other people spend decking the halls. One curious mom recently got up the courage to ask other parents online how much they spend on Christmas gifts for their kids, and the answers she got were pretty damn surprising.
The mom posted on Mumsnet, trying to see if the lavish Christmas hauls she sees on Facebook are truly the norm.
She revealed that she has two kids, ages 8 and 10, upon whom she spends between £70–100, or about $90–130 each.
Of course, the answers she got were kind of all over the place. Some people were like, "I make it rain, and I have zero shame."
Like this parent, who admitted to having grown kids and still giving each of them about $600 in gifts and $400 in cash.
Or this person, whose philosophy seems to be that Christmas = a blank check.
This mom says she knows someone who spends over $1,000 ... per child.
And one mom said she buys her kids everything they ask for and doesn't mind spoiling them because "they're good kids."
But others weren't so into the "big Christmas" thing.
One mom said she only spends about $40 per child because she's living on a fixed income and can't afford more than that.
One mom of nine said she keeps it to $50–60 per kid, which is still a lot once you add it up.
And another mom said she spends about $150 total on her two kids, plus an Advent calendar and stockings.
But the most popular answer by far? "Who cares."
As many wrote, there's no point in comparing yourself to other parents. Each family has their own traditions (and their own budget!), and as long as you're celebrating in a way that makes you happy and comfortable, that should be all that matters.
