At this time of year there's usually just one thing on parents' minds and that's Christmas.
But instead of being able to relax and enjoy the festivities, they often end up stressing over what to buy and how much they can actually afford to spend.
We've been talking to parents in Manchester about their spending habits at this time of year.
Sharing an image on our Manchester Family Facebook page, showing a tree piled high with presents, we asked families about their own budgeting - and were inundated with responses.
Perhaps unsurprisingly in these times of austerity, most told us how they refused to go into debt for Christmas.
Mum-of-two Sarah McClure, from Worsley, said: "We have a budget and we stick to it, we don’t go into debt but save up during the year.
"I wouldn’t buy the kids more if we had more money as where on earth would it go and when would they actually have time or emotional resource to appreciate it all?
"I had one Barbie as a child and loved it to pieces, literally."
Mum Debbie Jane said: "[I] never spend more than I have got. Refuse to go into debt.
"Start early and spread the cost over a couple of months.
"I usually start getting little bits like stocking fillers in around September then wait for bigger bits until Nov /Dec and shop around for the best deals."
And Jennifer Rawlins agreed, saying: "I spend what I can afford no more than that.
"I start in September and spread the cost that way never going into debt or buying things I can't afford.
"I get my kids a lot at Christmas and birthdays as they get no toys etc through the year and in my opinion they deserve it.
"I don't buy for the sake of buying though, it's items I know they'll like and enjoy."
Layla Stenson, from Limeside, Oldham, has five children and sticks to a budget of £150 per child.
She said: "We also limit the amount of presents to five each.
"Makes Christmas less stress and the kids are just as happy."
Joanne Franks thinks that Christmas has become too much of a competition and said: "I think children expect too much, I think it’s become a game and it’s unfair and loses the value of what Christmas is about.
"I have money, not loaded but enough to buy some presents, some people overdo it."
Pamela Huxley says she knows she spends 'too much' on her toddler, but she 'cant help it'.
"It's not even like she asks," said Pamela.
"Though her list is pretty long.
"I just want to spoil her because she's incredible and her being happy makes me happy.
"In all honesty I think she'd rather not have all the presents and have me at home full time - every time I go to work it's 'no mummy stay home with me' - but I want to show her that by working hard you can treat the people you love."
The photo of the giant mountain of presents tends to go viral each year as it's shared on social media.
It belongs to mum Emma Tapping who received a backlash after first sharing it in 2015, with many saying she was 'spoiling' her three children.
She later came under fire after appearing in Channel 5's 'Xmas Excess: Parents Splash The Cash' when she declared she would be spending more than £1.5k on her kids.
Christmas 2019
But Manchester parents told us that if children are not taught to be grateful, then they can be 'spoilt' no matter what parents spend.
Jodie Thompson said: "I hate this photo and ones similar.
"Always sparks the 'spoiling your child' comments.
"I say this every year, buying your child lots of gifts does not spoil them, one person could spend thousands on their child and have a lovely, grateful polite child.
"Another person could spend £50 and have an ungrateful, demanding, obnoxious child.
"It is the values (or lack of) you teach and the way you let them behave that spoils a child."
And Stephanie Lee agreed, saying: "It really doesn't matter the money you've spent or the amount of presents under the tree.
"If you have brought up your child to be grateful then they will love whatever is in front of them."
Other parents told us it's the memories that children will remember from Christmas, not how much was spent on them.
Mums Carla Michelle and Zea Grantham admit they both call on their own experiences when planning Christmas - to focus on what matters most.
Carla said: "As someone who was ridiculously spoilt as a child at Christmas - three large black bin bags of presents and it would take hours to open them all - I can honestly say I will not doing the same for my son.
"It will be limited to five presents and nothing over the top at his age.
"He’s three and doesn’t really have a real list yet.
"I cannot remember half of what I got as a kid at Christmas but remember the smell of the real tree we had each year, the excitement of opening the advent calendar each morning or the true belief that Santa was going to be coming and had eaten the mince pie I had left him.
"I don’t judge anyone else for doing it but I just don’t think it’s necessary."
Zea Grantham, who has seven children aged between one and 15, said: "I do set a budget.
"I also try to get a wow present between them.
"I don’t go into debt, what’s the point.
"Bar the odd thing as a child, I don’t remember much of what I got at Christmas, even the most coveted things.
"I remember having to give my wrinkly granny a kiss for giving us the latest Disney video and selection box between us, I remember the excitement of going to midnight mass, I remember the family meals and the silly hats and feeling full then slobbing on the sofa watching Only Fools and Horses and all the Christmas specials together as a family, I remember the pantos and the trips out.
"If my kids have asked for a special present I do try but wouldn’t get it if it meant debt because that’s not fun because there is always something else to spend on and before you know it you’d be in a mess."
Zea, who lives in Stalybridge, added: "My husband and I work hard for our money and we set the budget based on what we can afford and what we think is an appropriate amount.
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"We always set a budget for giving to charity at Christmas as well so that the children know that it’s better to share what you have and help others and so they know that they are very lucky whatever they get, whether it be £20 or £200."
So how do you budget at Christmas? Do you have a strict limit that you stick to? Would you go into debt to get your child the gift they've asked for? Let us know in the comments or share your views on our Manchester Family Facebook page here.
