A’leasha is a mom of 2 from Queensland, Australia. She has been preparing for the holidays all year and has come to realize that she’s spent $1,400 on Christmas presents for her daughter. The truly amazing thing is that she hasn’t been working with a budget and plans to buy more before the holiday arrives.
Compensating with Christmas Presents
During an interview on Kidspot, A’leasha stated, “I was a little surprised to realize I’d spent around $1,400 on my daughter’s Christmas presents – but we were planning on buying the bigger items anyway, and I know that she will love it.” The mom of 2 explained that because their family has gone through significant changes recently, she’s putting extra effort into Christmas presents for her toddler. The family moved from their home in Townsville to Brisbane and are now farther away from their extended family. A’leasha’s daughter won’t have her cousins or grandparents this holiday.
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Other Big Changes
Additionally, the family welcomed a newborn, and the 3-year-old has had a hard time adjusting. “Given her issues with adjusting to having a new baby in the house, and the less attention she is getting, we feel as though she needs to be spoilt and have more focus on her this Christmas,” A’leasha said. The list of Christmas presents already purchased includes a princess costume, LEGO, and Bluey’s figurines.
Read: Mother-in-Law Slammed for Buying Grandkids Matching Christmas Pajamas Except One
Skillful Opinions on Christmas Presents
A group of moms and children’s psychologists has shared some tips for keeping on a budget. With the advancements in technology and battery-powered toys, Christmas presents are overwhelmingly expensive. According to a 2017 survey, parents spent an average of more than $400.00 per kid when buying Christmas Presents. The cost has only increased since. Not only are products becoming more expensive but when the pandemic hit people were forced to isolate themselves. As a result, parents were inspired to go overboard when shopping for Christmas presents in an attempt to compensate for the unfortunate year their children, and the whole world, encountered.
Average Spending Habits
A survey conducted, also before the pandemic, on RetailMeNot, shows what people spent on average for Christmas presents. According to the survey, around $60 on Christmas presents was spent for closest friends. Nearly $200 was spent on Christmas presents for their significant others. Lastly, around $100 on Christmas presents for parents or siblings. Inflation, company profits at an all-time high, and people recovering from their financial losses from Covid make it seem nearly impossible to spread joy this holiday season.
As a result, people are desperately trying to find the balance between making the holidays special and making it through the holidays. According to Dr. Gurwitch, there are some options for staying on budget when considering Christmas Presents. Dr. Gurwitch, a PROFESSOR IN PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, has years of expertise in regard to how people think and function. She recommends:
Alternative Options
- Start managing expectations early. Speak with your family all year to let them know what your holiday plans are for Christmas presents. Dr. Gurwitch. Said to avoid saying things like “we can’t afford it” because kids may stress about financial security. She suggests, saying instead things like, “We’re going to downsize a bit with presents because we’re saving for a vacation,” or, “We want to make sure we can take care of the things we need all year.”
- Substitute toys with experiences. Add family activities to the holiday wish list. They can be as simple as playing a game together as a family or favorite dinner requests. And as extravagant as going to see a holiday play or for a weekend trip. Dr. Gurwitch said, “Explain that there might be fewer presents this year, but you can brainstorm new traditions together instead.”
- Get the kids involved with charitable giving. Just telling children how they should behave, or feel, isn’t enough to make them really appreciate how lucky they are. Allow them to be part of the donation process. “If you’re going to donate food to a pantry, let your child help you pick out which cans to give,” said Dr. Gurwitch. “If you’re buying a gift to give to a kid in need, have your child pick it out.”
- Explain that your family’s rules are different from other families. If your child believes in Santa, Dr. Gurwitch suggests telling them, “Santa checks with parents before he chooses what gifts to bring you, and he picks things based on where we live and what’s important to us.”
- Get grandparents onboard. Grandparents have a special kind of bond with their grandchildren. As a result, they may want to go overboard to spoil the kids with Christmas presents galore. Ensure the whole family is on the page when it comes to budget and gift themes.
Ways to Help
If you’re on an extreme budget, or looking to give back this holiday season, consider visiting the U.S. Post office website. As of 2021, they launched a program called “Operation Santa”. The program allows children with parents who need some financial help with Christmas presents to ask Santa for what they want. Parents who want to help are given the Christmas Presents list to “sponsor” a child. They can donate money or buy the items on the list, or the closest available alternative.
Keep Reading: Mom puts ban on Christmas presents as she says they cause ‘stress and debt’
Sources
- “Mum spends $1,400 on Christmas presents for toddler: How much should you spend on toys?” Daily Mail. Shania Obrien. November 25, 2022.
- “This simple ‘rule of 4’ can tame the holiday overspending parents do on their kids.” MarketWatch. Nicole Lyn Pesce. December 8, 2018.
- “The average amount parents spend on Christmas presents per child might surprise you. Pop Sugar. Alessia Santoro. December 1, 2017.