Aimee, I think your daughter is over the moon that she can spoil you this year, now that she's earning. She is well aware of everything you have done for her over the years and wants to give you a bit back.

Don't worry that you have "only" spent £500 on her this year, that is still a huge chunk of cash and she will appreciate the gifts you have chosen for her.

In future years, instead of buying three expensive gifts, maybe you could buy her one expensive gift and lots of inexpensive ones, which will bulk up the number of gifts, without increasing the actual amount you have spent. I hope that makes sense.

£500 pounds is "still"  ALOT of money in my opinion ... jeez!!

Imo, xmas and the  amounts people spend has got WAYY out of hand ... Christmas is not about the amounts we spend. We have kind of lost the true meaning of it all, just a money spending racket.

I think Aimee is at the stage of realising her "girl" is growing up, and remembering filling presents with colouring pencils, books.........things that cost not a lot, but filled the room around the tree.................. I remember it too.......

We, like our children need to appreciate what we had and enjoyed.......and move on to the next stage 

Yes! I panic about this every year, but what I bought always turns out to be great. 500 quid is still a fortune! Your daughter won't be disappointed

i bet she will  i think she is expecting a new laptop but i couldn't quite stretch too it  i have got her the camera she wanted though  i just hope her mate has told me the right one 

Originally Posted by ~Sweet Winter Wonderland~:

Yes! I panic about this every year, but what I bought always turns out to be great. 500 quid is still a fortune! Your daughter won't be disappointed

i bet she will  i think she is expecting a new laptop but i couldn't quite stretch too it  i have got her the camera she wanted though  i just hope her mate has told me the right one 

See... in our house, laptops are only allowed to be requested as a birthday pressie...   & when requested it is agreed that it will pretty much be the only pressie they get!

the boy got one for his bday in Nov, we had a result in the end, bought a nearly new fabby one from my BIL for £300..      I don't mind buying laptops...   its not like they don't get used...    but they are a "major procurement"...   not something santa is likely to leave under the tree 

We don't have the money to spend on Christmas this year like we usually do. Our sons know we don't have it to spend and we all agreed that each of us would only spend £30 on each other. My sons have said they don't care what we buy just as long as we wrap it. Even though they are 21 and 31 they still enjoy waking on Christmas morning and unwrapping presents while we all eat bacon sandwiches. 

 Christmas isn't about how many or how much its about family. My mom is getting older and I know we are running out of Christmases so we want to enjoy the ones we have left without worrying about if we spent enough.

Very true Longcat 

We all get a bit carried away - the best bit for me is having all my family Under one roof!

Longcat, that's just how I feel about it too.

My mum retired a few years ago, and is now living on a state pension. We agreed this year that no one would buy adults presents (just the kids) to take the pressure off her bank balance...... and we're also not going out to a restaurant for Christmas dinner for the first time in years. But I'm more excited this year than ever before! I'm cooking christmas dinner for us all, and we have a whole day of Wii filled family fun planned.

It's been difficult to stick to the no pressie pact..... I have a good job, I could afford to spoil my mum a bit..... but I know if I break it, then next year she will feel compelled to buy me something, and I'd rather she spent her money on heating her house!!! She's a bugger for trying to cut back on heat.... despite me putting money in her bank for it every month! 

I'm taking her out for a posh meal on Friday night though, under the guise of it being a "yaay my son is home from uni for christmas" meal...... I don't think she's fooled, she knows it's my christmas pressie to her, but I keep telling her "if you can't wrap it, it's not a present"

Your Mum's had a hell of a year Ducks...    no wonder you are in such high Crimbo spirits..   it really is one for celebrating 

(and now I really must do some work)