Holiday budget
How much to spend on Christmas gifts per child
There is no correct number. The useful move is to fix a total for the kids on your list, then divide it. Enter your total and how many children you buy for, and, if you like, how many gifts each child gets.
Quick table: total divided by number of children
Plain arithmetic, no survey data. Find your total on the left and the number of children (1 to 4) across the top.
| Total | 1 kid | 2 kids | 3 kids | 4 kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $50 | $25 | $17 | $13 |
| $100 | $100 | $50 | $33 | $25 |
| $150 | $150 | $75 | $50 | $38 |
| $200 | $200 | $100 | $67 | $50 |
Four gifts per child, one simple rule
Some families give each child four gifts: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. It is a family tradition, not a rule, but it makes budgeting easy: divide the per-child amount by four and you have a limit for each gift. The calculator above does that division for you, and you can change the gift count to match your own plan.
Keeping it fair across ages
- Decide the per-child amount first. It is easier to explain "every child gets about the same" than to adjust after the fact.
- Spend by number of gifts, not just price. A younger child may prefer more small gifts; an older child may prefer one bigger one. The total can stay the same.
- Leave room for extras. Batteries, wrapping and shipping add up. Set aside part of the total before you divide it.
- Log each purchase. Kids' gifts are often bought in many small orders, which is where budgets quietly drift.
Kids are one part of the season. For the whole picture (food, travel, decorations) see the full holiday budget calculator, or the worked examples for $500, $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000.
Want to track it in a spreadsheet?
The $7 Holiday Budget Planner has a budget per person, a purchases log that turns red when you overspend, a weekly savings plan and a checklist. Not what you expected? Email for a refund within 30 days.