Kate Gosselin Reveals How She Budgets Her 8 Kids’ Christmas Gifts

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Kate Gosselin is prepared to deck the halls with the latest deals.   

With the holidays approaching, Kate Gosselin, known from “Kate Plus 8,” revealed how she manages Christmas shopping for her eight children – including her 25-year-old twins, Madelyn and Cara, and her 21-year-old sextuplets, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah, and Joel. She says it takes a lot of planning to get everything done.

Kate, a 50-year-old, shared in a TikTok video that she started asking her teenage children each Thanksgiving to create a wish list. She always asked them to rank the items from most to least desired, so she could understand what was most important to them. She didn’t care about the format, just the order of their priorities.

Because the former reality star likes to shop for holiday deals online, Kate asks her kids to include a direct link, size, color, and price with each gift they want. She then compiles all of their lists on her phone, organizing them by each child’s name to make planning easier.

Okay, so I’ve been following Kate for ages, and she just shared the cutest thing! Apparently, she’s officially with Steve Neild – you know, her family’s former bodyguard? Total power couple! Anyway, she said she always tells her kids when money’s tight or when they’re doing well financially. It’s just so sweet and responsible, and honestly, it makes me love her even more! I need to know everything about her life, it’s fascinating!

I typically review their wish lists during successful years and often add extra items. Even when things aren’t going so well, I try to fulfill as much of their list as possible. They especially appreciate it when I throw in some unexpected, spontaneous gifts that weren’t originally requested.

But sometimes, Kate uses a different budgeting method, one she learned from her mom’s holiday shopping habits. With four siblings, Kate understands the need to be resourceful.

I plan to do the Christmas shopping, starting with Cara’s list, and then quickly review Leah’s – I often find myself doing that. This means I’ll likely need to increase the budgets for everyone. I got the idea from my mom, who used to give us an envelope with the exact amount of remaining money after Christmas, and I always thought that was a really fair way to handle things.

Just like her mother used to do, Kate sometimes gives her children a set amount of money – a “square box” as they call it – if she hasn’t been able to get them everything they asked for.

I’ve seen firsthand how amazing this program is! Some families receive a small amount, like $10, but others get up to $150, especially if they’re understanding about the needs of everyone involved. Honestly, it usually works out beautifully, and the children are just thrilled with what they receive. It’s so heartwarming to see!

Things are going to be different for me this Thanksgiving, and honestly, it’s a little emotional. I’m actually spending the holiday with Steve this year because a couple of my kids just couldn’t get enough time off from college to make the trip back and forth. It’s just easier for everyone this time around, but I’ll definitely miss having them all here!

As for how the couple will mark the holiday together?

Kate remembered Steve saying, “I’m not sure, maybe we could go dancing?” She found it a bit insensitive, especially since she’s still recovering from leg surgery in October. “It was rude,” she said, noting that he seemed pleased with himself and was smiling while saying it.

Keep reading to see Kate bonding with her eight kids…

On May 10, 2025, sextuplets Hannah, Collin, Alexis, Aaden, Leah, and Joel celebrated their 21st birthday. Kate shared photos from the party held for Alexis, Aaden, Leah, and Joel.

Hannah celebrated her birthday with her dad and his fiancée Stephanie Lebo.

Kate posted a Mother’s Day message in 2024 honoring four of her sextuplets – Alexis, Aaden, Joel, and Leah – just two days after they celebrated their 20th birthdays.

She celebrated her children turning twenty with an Instagram post, writing, ‘No more teenagers in the house! Happy 20th birthday to my amazing kids! I love you!’ She jokingly added, ‘Who feels old? I know I do!’ and used the hashtag ‘#20yearsold #ItsaPICKLE’.

Hannah shared new pics of herself on her and the other sextuplet’s 20th birthday.

On to the next chapter! The sextuplet graduated from high school in 2023.

Jon posted a photo of his sextuplets, Collin and Hannah, graduating high school in 2023. They had been living with him for several years prior to the graduation.

Kate appeared with twin Mady and Cara in New York City in this 2019 pic.

In 2022, Jon posted on Instagram wishing his child a happy 18th birthday, writing, “Today we’re celebrating your birthday and I want to shout it from the rooftops! I love you. Love, Dad.”

Kate recently celebrated her children’s 15th birthday, and the festivities lasted all day! It started with a surprise gift before school at 6:30 am. She expressed how quickly time has flown by, saying she can’t believe her ‘babies’ are already fifteen. Kate shared that she’s incredibly proud of the wonderful people they are becoming as they grow up.

In a 2018 Instagram post, Kate expressed how quickly time flies, saying, ‘This was yesterday! Feels like school never ended…and they’re already back!’ She included the hashtags #SeniorYear, #EighthGrade, and #ProudMom.

 

As a dad myself, it’s amazing how quickly the years go by! I recently celebrated a huge milestone with my kids, Hannah and Collin – they turned fifteen! I shared a little birthday message on Instagram, letting them and their siblings, Alexis, Aaden, Joel, and Leah, know how much I love them and wishing them the happiest birthday ever. I’m hoping they have a wonderful time celebrating today and all weekend long! It’s just a reminder to cherish these moments – they grow up so fast!

Kate shared a funny exchange she had with her daughters. They were excitedly counting down the days until their 14th birthdays, and one of them pointed out it was only 12 days away! Kate was playfully shocked, saying it didn’t seem possible. She even teased her daughter Leah, telling her she was too young to be turning 14. Leah jokingly questioned if she might actually be turning 11 or 12 instead. Kate reassured them both, reminding them she knows how old they are since she’s their mom, and expressed her deep love for her ‘babies’.

As a mom, I know how quickly time flies! I recently celebrated a huge milestone with my kids – my sextuplets turned 13! It’s amazing how fast they’ve grown up, and I couldn’t be prouder. It feels like just yesterday they were babies!

Rewind to 2014 whenKate and her children found themselves visiting Alaska. 

In 2014, Kate took her twin daughters, Cara and Mady Gosselin, on a trip to New York City, including a visit to a Manhattan hotel.

Kate Gosselin shared a sweet Christmas memory on Instagram, posting a throwback photo from Christmas Eve 2010 when her six children were all six years old. She captioned the photo, highlighting their excited and adorable smiles, and expressed her love for them, calling them her ‘8 reasons to keep on keeping on’ and her ‘true love’.

 

In October 2007, Jon and Kate Gosselin brought their eight children to New York City. Their first activity was an appearance on NBC’s Today show.

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2025-11-13 21:47