Christmas is less than two weeks away and, as usual, I haven't even started shopping for my kids' gifts. Part of the reason is that both of them have decided they want pretty expensive toys this Christmas and my husband and I haven't figured out what we'll be doing, since they're definitely NOT getting everything they've ask for.
All this got me thinking, how do you figure out how much to spend on Christmas gifts to avoid both bankruptcy and spoiling your kids?
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For us, it's not that hard. We simply don't believe we should spend hundreds of dollars on two little kids, who've demonstrated time and again that they're happy playing with any old toy.
My kids get three gifts from Santa and between three and five gifts from us, though these are usually smaller things such as books and inexpensive toys. But this year, things are a bit different because my daughter has asked for an iPod and for a Barbie house "with an elevator," as she wrote on her letter to Santa. Just those two gifts alone total more than $300, and she's only 7 years old. So, no, that's not happening.
Meanwhile, her little brother wants one of those Power Wheels, specifically the one that's a fire truck and costs several hundred dollars.
Part of me wants to get if for him because I know it'd be like a dream come true for him, but unless I find a used one for half the price on Craigslist in the next 10 days, it's just not happening. Honestly, it's not just because of the money–although that's something we definitely take into consideration–, but more because I don't want my kids to be two spoiled brats.
I may be completely wrong about this one, but my kids already have a TON of toys and I'm pretty sure not getting everything on their list is going to ruin them for life.
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