When buying a gift for a child's birthday party, are you more likely to err on the side of a smaller, cheaper gift or the side of a larger, more expensive gift?

I’m more likely to err on the side of a cheaper but useful toy – something developmental, gender-neutral and something my kids enjoyed.

Less expensive as the kid having a party is going to get a bunch of stuff, and I don’t believe in giving children really expensive toys.

I’m rotten. I buy clothes. :)
I usually figure that for birthday or holiday parties, kids are going to get lots of “fun” stuff from other people. I like to buy practical, but cute, things. I don’t spend very much, but I don’t have much to spend.

For my grand kids, I buy a more expensive gift because I spend less on them at Christmas because there are so many to buy for. For other people’s kids, I tend to stay in the $20—$30 range.

You give what you can afford and according to how well you know the person or child in question. In your scenario specifically I would definitely err on the side of cheaper. I personally spend between £5 and £8 on other children’s birthday parties (from school) that my son goes to…because I don’t know their likes and dislikes and we can’t afford a great deal.

I tend to go with bigger but cheaper.

When my kids were little, I stuck to as close to $10 for classmates as possible. The only time I’d go higher is if it was a special friend, or one whose parents had helped a lot. Then I’d stretch to closer to $15.

I am the guy trying to stop the out of control spending spiral. I figure less is more. When I’m buying, the kid gets a book that is below the target limit.
I will not exceed the limit for several reasons:
1) It looks like you are showing up everyone else.
2) It shows you cannot follow directions.
3) The kid already has too much junk.
4) It is a waste of money.

I set a limit, usually around $10, and spend wisely. There is a local store that frequently has 40% coupons so I shop there for most parties and end up with a nice, but not over the top, gift.

I usually spend a bit more if the birthday child is a good friend.

I tend to go more expensive if I am in doubt.

When I had small children, I was always struggling to make ends meet. I opted for the less expensive gift or a recycled gift and even let my child make a card instead of incurring the expense of buying a card. That was true in gift giving to them and for them. My kids only had new clothes at Christmas and birthdays (usually from other people). Otherwise, it was yardsales, thrift stores and hand-me-downs.

I sometimes offered sleepovers and lunch dates as gifts. All the kids loved that.

Now, when it comes to buying for my one and only granddaughter or my sister’s one and only grandson, I have to be reigned in by my husband. Not just in buying one big expensive something-or-other, but going overboard in quantity. But, hey, that’s what grandmothers and favorite aunts are for.

Always one to go with the flow, I tend to match what others have spent. In our old place people seemed to spend about £10 so when we moved recently I spent that on the presents for the first few parties. But then my daughter had a party and the presents she got were more around the £5 mark. So I’ll probably spend that from now on. Esp as we don’t have much money just now.