Hi Ladies,

Just want some advice really.

We are having a joint b'day party for Noah's first and his, first cousins 3rd in July (there is only 10 days difference)

Its going to be a teddy bear picnic theme where they bring there fav teddies.

We are going to provide picnic boxes and going to hire a toddler bouncing castle.

This i going to cost me and SIL about £200 between us. So thats £100 for me and OH.

Now the question is how much is ok to spend on actually presents, i have already brought him his first pair of trainers for then. Do you think an extra £100 on toys and a few clothes is ok or is that tight lol.

Thanks

Char

hahaha i wrote about this the other week - we are absolutely skint and between the 2 of us we are only spending about £50...the other ladies seemed to agree that really that's plenty.

we are just going to get a few things that he will play with and he has a couple of christmas presents that we put away that we will bring out, then later in the year as the weather changes/he grows we will buy more stuff as and when rather than all at once

i feel a bit rubbish that we aren't doing a big thing, but really i think at 1 they don't know any different (we are going out for the day too)

i reckon 100 is too much aswell as 100 for the party!

i think im stickin with my mums budget she brought us up on, £50/60 for birthdays and £150 for xmas.
but we are skint too lol. Although we have had parties for birthdays for them so far so aswell as the 60ish on toys it cost us £60 for party x

Taylas bday has just been and blimey it cost us a fortune! We did the same teddy bears picnic and bouncy castle. We spent £50 on a bouncy castle, £40 for cake, £100 for food, prob another £50 on party boxes-pass the parcel etc. Play house for her bdy £70, fish tank £30, halves on her kitchen £60....then for her actually bday a day at chessington £100
This is the last Bday she is ever having, shes going to be 2 forever i think haha!
But it was fab

You're throwing a lovely party (which he'll enjoy more than any presents). We only spent about £50 on ellie as she didn't need anything and didn't play with toys then. It never crossed my mind that I was tight. I'd spend what you van afford and avoid going overboard just for appearance sake. Ellie is september baby which is a bit poop as you can't really do garden toys. Last week we bought her a slide which she loves but we knew at Christmas and at her birthday that we'd prefer to wait and buy things when shed appreciate them more.

I've older kids too and they cost a fortune so I'm enjoying ellie while she's the cheaper kid

I think your party idea is wonderful by the way xx

Thanks ladies, i do want to make his first b day specially. There will always be photos to remind him lol. I will be getting him a few gardens toys and maybe a trike bike . I go back to work this month so will start saving a bit.

Terri that is alot of money u spent there, i cant help it sometimes lol.

Mari i am sure will have a great day which eli will love.

Char

i spent about £100 on presents but some were leftover from Christmas as we'd went a bit overboard. think mari's right though, it's more for us than them, Ava is at her happiest ripping up paper, emptying drawers and banging on stuff.

I didnt actually realise how much we spent until i just typed that
Was defo worth it though everyone had a great time. But defo not going mad next year! Just posted some pics of the party too.
Remember he will get lots of toys/clothes from other people so no need to go mad urself!

We actually spent around £120 on pressies £90 on bouncy castle £50 on party food aswell as plates/cloths/balloons.
We spent too much actually but it was his first birthday he aint having the same this year

Its a long way off but i'm just planning to have the family over for tea and buy a few token bits for his birthday and christmas (a few days after). I can't imagine his actually going to need anything and i'd rather buy him a climbing frame for the garden next summer. If we're still in the flat i'm going to tell everyone else not to get him much too because we just don't have space for it

For Wil's first birthday we bought him a swing for the garden and it was about £100 plus a few other little bits. Then on his actually birthday OH got carried away and bought him a bouncy castle for another £100! It was silly really because Wil didn't need it and he could have had it this year.

We didn't have a party as such just family over for a BBQ.

We are doing similar for his 2nd birthday, family over for the day and he is getting a playhouse from us and we have signed him up for football classes starting just before his birthday.

You are definitely not being tight. I think we spend too much on Wil but I understand why my OH does it.

The best present you can give your children is your time and attention.

We've decided for Stephen's birthday just to get him a few little presents and then take him out for the day. He is going to be spoiled rotten by all our family and friends so will get loads of presents so I think it's more important that we just make sure he has a nice day. We are taking him to a farm with loads of activities and then out for lunch (food is his favourite thing ever!) and then later in the day the family are coming round for presents and cake so I think we'll have nice memories of the day which is the most important thing xxx

i always see what clothes he needs so even if not his brithday/christmas he would need them, normally pjs and then he gets them wrapped up, he gets one big pressie, around £50 although now he older its £100 and then little bits.
we have family around for tea and thats it.

hes never had a party with friends, because its difficult with his school friends, they dont go to parties, but we might this year as a treat.

i did have to only spend £50 on him for birthdays and £100 for christmas for years, he gets more now because we both working,

they get so much through the year, so we try to be practical with pressies and my family always ask what he needs

im pron not the best person for this heehe

paiges birthday we spent alot. well we hired a hall thing for three hours at 27.50 and had the kids bit there.

then we had a min party back at home. we spent about 100 on food for both. mil brought the cake, that was 60 odd quid.

gift wise.. oh god i hate to think. maybe easily over 100 quid,, mixture of clothes and toys.. in the end she got soo much from every one, we didnt have room from it

paige the day after her b;day n gifts

OMG wow what a lucky girl, its a shame u cant pass it to ur little boy lol.

Congrats on pregnancy

Char

Niamh's party is costing about 150quid, teddy bears picnic too! It would be less if I'd not had to have allergy friendly food, but I decide early on that I didn't want to have to chase round picking up any thing she can't eat. In a way its Oscar's party too cos he never got one for his first or second due to the time of year. We've only spent 30quid on presents, she literally doesn't need anything, her uncles have got her clothes and a trunkI and I think we'll get her a smart trike when she's a bit bigger.

Oscar had no party and we spent probably 150 on presents, which Niamh now enjoy's, so it all balances out really.

Your definitely not being tight hun Xx