WWYD: birthday gifts for joint birthday party

I need some input on how to handle the situation. DS is invited to a birthday party jointly sponsored by 3 other kids in his class. Normally I budget like $10 per gift, but does that mean I need to have $30 on 3 gifts or can I get away with smaller gifts, since the families are sharing the costs? And I guess I need to find identical gifts?

Silver Member Joined: Sep 03 2007 Posts: 631

we have our kids' parties joint all the time as their bdays are 1 month apart and have the same friends. I'd say that you don't have to buy the same present, they are going to different homes and each kid may not know what you give the other kid. plus each kid might not like the same thing that the other kid likes. I'd get 3 different presents (unless you can find something that each child will like that is the same gift). you can spend whatever you want. I try to also have a $10 max, but you may be able to find something like at target for $10 for each child. I know it's hard on the pple attending the party to give a gift of the same amount for each kid ($30 sounds like a lot) but truthfully, you would have spent that much money if the parties were not joint-right? don't jip the kids b/c the parents wanted to share the cost of the party. that's my opinion