A mum was trolled for spending just £100 budget on each child's Christmas presents - but says she doesn’t want to "spoil" them.<br /><br />Samantha Mary, 35, decided to set a budget for main presents and stocking gifts for this Christmas for her one-year-old son, Jack, and nine-year-old step-daughter, Isabella.<br /><br />She spent £20 on stocking presents – filling them with items including scrunchies, car toys, and shower gel – and £80 on main presents.<br /><br />She bought her son a railway set and toys for his kitchen set and found her step-daughter an art set and Lilo and Stitch vest and pants.<br /><br />The mum said some parents on TikTok labelled her presents as “essentials” not gifts.<br /><br />But Samantha says they are things she knows her children will love and doesn’t want to “spoil” them.<br /><br />Samantha, a primary school teacher from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, said: “We thought about how much we wanted to spend. <br /><br />“I felt £100 was a realistic figure.<br /><br />“Christmas is getting out of control. There is pressure to Christmas Eve boxes and elf on the shelf.<br /><br />“It gets bigger and bigger.<br /><br />“We want the children to be grateful for what they have.<br /><br />“Less is more.<br /><br />“We don’t want to over spoil the children.”<br /><br />Samantha decided to set a budget this year with husband, Richard, 40, who works in local government.<br /><br />She said: “We're in a living cost crisis. Things cost more.<br /><br />“We're being conscious of what we spent.”<br /><br />She spent September and October picking up the presents from supermarkets, Primark and Amazon.<br /><br />For her son's stocking she bought biscuits, a water bottle, chalks, a bouncy ball, a book, a puzzle and a vehicle set.<br /><br />For her step-daughter, Samantha has bought some scrunchies, biscuits, shower gel, a Christmas cup, sweets, stamper set, hair clips, and a Lilo and Stich brush.<br /><br />For their main presents – Samantha bought an art set for her step-daughter for £30, a body warmer, some Lilo and stich pants and vests, a Disney bag, a pair of fluffy leggings and a hat.<br /><br />She found her son a railway set, toys for his kitchen set, a book, animal puzzles, bouncing bunnies, Play-Doh and blocks.<br /><br />Samantha was really happy with her purchases but was slammed by other parents on TikTok.<br /><br />She said: “There were a lot of people against it.<br /><br />“I have put essential items like shower gel in the stockings.<br /><br />“Christmas is about so much more.<br /><br />“It’s about what the children want as well.”<br /><br />Samantha said she wouldn’t choose to splurge on something like an iPad for Christmas or have a high budget for their gifts - even if she could afford to.<br /> <br />She said: “If you spend a lot of money that becomes an expectation.<br /><br />“But it’s up to parents what they spent on their children.”<br /><br />Samantha said she prefers to spend time with her children doing fun activities in the build up to Christmas – such as seeing the Christmas lights.<br /><br />She said: “I have memories of the things we have done rather than the gifts.<br /><br />“It’s about having that special day.”<br /><br />Samantha’s step daughter’s stocking gifts costing £20 –<br /> - Biscuits <br />- Shower gel<br />- Crazy foaming soap<br />- Christmas cup<br />- Stamper set<br />- Sweets<br />- Hair clips<br />- Lilo and stitch brush<br />- Scrunchies <br /><br />Step daughter's main presents - <br />- Art set <br />- Body warmer <br />- Lilo and stich pants and vests<br />- Disney bag<br />- Pair of fluffy leggings<br />- Hat<br />- Sewing kit<br /><br />Samantha's son's stocking gifts - costing £20<br />- Festive friends biscuits<br />- Christmas cup<br />- Water bottle <br />- Chalks<br />- Bouncy ball<br />- Socks<br />- Book <br />- Vehicle set<br />- 3 piece puzzle<br /><br />Her son's main presents -<br />- Railway set<br />- Extra vehicles <br />- Kitchen bits <br />- Toaster set<br />- Book<br />- Animal puzzles<br />- Bouncing bunnies<br />- Play- Doh <br />- Blocks<br /><br />Follow Samantha on TikTok @samanthamary1989
