How much do you spend per child on Christmas presents?

The national average is about $422 per child (2016 study, so it might be higher now).

http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/02/pf/parents-holiday-spending/index.html

I know it’s early to talk about Christmas, but I like to start saving in October to make sure we have enough to cover presents when Christmas comes around.

Based on what we’re planning on getting our two kids (ages 5 and 1 if it matters), we will be spending about $181 per child this year. We buy a couple of items to put in their stockings (games, glow sticks, small toys) and then buy one big shared gift, so I added everything up and divided by two. This year the shared gift is a Step2 Rollercoaster that we’ll put in our playroom, so that makes up most of the budget. We intentionally try to keep Christmas low key so it isn’t too dominated by gifts. It also allows us to save for trips, annual passes to museums and amusement parks, etc.

What about you? Do you add up what it’ll cost ahead of time or just buy as the mood strikes you without keeping track? Is there a spending limit you feel like is appropriate (percent of income? or a certain dollar amount across the board?).

Let’s leave spouses and relatives out of the equation, since kids get the bulk of stuff and many families differ in what kind of gift is expected (if at all).