The Staggering Average Amount Spent On Holiday Gifts For Kids 2024
So what is the average amount spent on holiday gifts for kids? The “average” isn’t always the average… most people will agree that the “average” depends on the family, income, how many kids, and how old the kids are.
Growing up in a small town in Michigan, I was fortunate to always have presents under the tree on Christmas morning. I was the youngest of four but we were spread out over 15 years. Dad worked for General Motors well over 30 years. Mom was our full-time mom and she picked up odd jobs when she could.
Christmas Expectations
We usually had oranges and a Lifesaver book in our stockings. Best I remember, we all had several gifts, but nothing extravagant… aside from the year my dad bought my sister and me and Odyssey. Odyssey was the video game platform that came out the year before Atari. So we never had an Atari, but by God, we had an Odyssey. In all seriousness, it was the coolest gift we ever got. I don’t know how we fit in with the average amount spent on holiday gifts, but we were definitely lucky.
Friends of mine would get bags and bags of Christmas gifts. We did not, but we had a nice, clean, safe home and that goes a long way. I saw a video on TikTok recently where a mom was asking people what the average amount spent on holiday gifts for kids was. She said she had heard people saying $1,000 per kid. She felt that her 3 kids didn’t need that much “stuff.” Here’s the video:
Comments Please
I was blown away by the comments. Some people said a number I consider low… as low as $30 per child, but they also said that instead of gifts, they use the money for a family summer vacation every year. One parent casually commented, “My daughter’s horse saddle was $1500 alone. That’s just one gift.” I saw that and thought, “Lady, do you think we all have horses?” I’m not trying to knock her for it, but most people can’t afford $1500 saddles… or the horse it goes on.
A surprising amount of commentors said they spend around $1000 per kid. Parents saying that especially if the kids are older the gifts or more pricey. Examples: Uggs, smart phones, clothes, etc.
Survey Says: The Average Amount Spent on Holiday Gifts for Kids
According to parenting blog, What To Expect, expect and average of $170 per child… but they limited their survey to people with children 5 years old and under.
Statista.com had a recent survey of a similar nature. 16% of respondents said they plan to spend $200 or more per child.
Reddit, where every question imaginable has been asked, also has a conversation on this topic. Prices ranged from $25 up to $1,000 per child.
So what’s the final answer? The average amount spent on holiday gifts for kids is not “average.” Every family is different. It’s not just income that is a factor but also age of children, how many children, and how the parent chooses to allocate money.
My Two Cents
You don’t need a ton of presents. If you have a ton of presents, I am not judging you, but I do not like a ton of presents. Our family is fortunate enough to have their life needs handled and be able to afford a certain degree of luxury. Just like the mom said in the video above, my kids don’t need that much stuff.
