Christmas Stocking Costs this year?

[neveroutofthekitchen]

How much are you intending to spend on stocking fillers per child? Are you cutting back this year?

I buy stocking fillers throughout the year when I see something little and fun on sale, so this year I’m already covered for things — perhaps with enough to save a few for next year too. But I’ll probably cut back a bit anyway from now on, as DD is 10 and starting to go from the “cheap stocking fillers from Tiger” stage to wanting fewer but slightly more expensive things.

I tried to always only spend between 50p and a couple of pounds on each stocking filler though, so it generally came to about £20. It’s probably been a bit more than that the last year or so as DD’s got older.

I aimed for £20 last year each, I have 5 to buy for so it's alot of money in total. It'll cost what it costs though, stockings are the best part of the gifts in my opinion, so I don't like to put any tat in there or anything they wouldn't love.

So far I've spent £5 on aftershave for DS1 and £1.49 on beer glass shaped pasta. I'll too it up as Christmas comes closer.

I spend about £100 each on the stocking, but it's that and a main present (about another £100 for a single present).

I don't buy tat because we prefer to buy less stuff but better quality as we are short on space in our flat.

Most of my DS's stocking is going to be edible stuff or bath stuff tbh. I'm sick of buying bits of tat that are largely ignored.

Percy Pigs and mini Tubs of Pringles all the way.

Thanks to this lovely thread (and the prequel thread) I’ve done my three children’s stockings for £24 (they are DS 12, and DDs 9 and 5). Bath bombs, body sprays, chocolate, hairbands for the girls etc. So I’m happy with that!

I don't usually keep tabs on how much I spend on DDs stocking but I usually put in some scrunchies, a chocolate orange and a few small fun toys. Right now she likes the ones where you don't know what toy it is till you open it up, there are unicorn ones and LOL surprise and some super cute little TY ones so maybe one or two of those.

Used to do bath bombs but she has had a few reactions to them so not this year.

I doubled the amount last year and most wasnt looked at so Im 'cutting back' to what I did before.

Stockings arent expensive here, budget approx. £6 so far to include:

chocolate orange - £1
chocolate coins - £0.50
3x other sweets - £2.25
panda biscuits - £0.25
sticker sheet - £0.50
2 small pocket money type toys - £1
A game split up and shared between them (encourages them to play together, they usually get competatitive lol) - £0.50

I know most other people spend a lot more, we tried adding thing like 'bath bombs' which get recommended here and other stuff like that last year.

It Doubled the amount and it was a big miss, they weren't interested at all in any of the 'newly added' stuff so sticking to the original formula of sweets, stickers and a few items of pocket money toy tatt (which is always loved).

Now Im sticking to 'if it aint broke dont fix it' lol.

Just food and bath stuff here. We do not buy wee plastic toys or anything because they never get played with and end up lurking at the bottom of the toy box.

Probably >£20 per dc. I don't do one for dh or anyone else.

What do you put in the stocking?

Last year little one's stocking presents came up to £24.36 - bubbles, rattle, brush and comb set, dummies, o ball, teether, space blankets, toothpaste and a toothbrush set. This year I've spent £6/£7 on 5 little Cocomelon gifts - 2 piece puzzles, crayons, a light up ball, matching puzzles and a wooden toy clock. I'll probably get a few snacks to add in now that he eats solids and maybe something else if it fits in.

Last year my boyfriends stocking presents came up to £22.48 - beard oil, mints, a fast charging cable, a foot brush, a chocolate bar, malteesers reindeers, marvel fluffy socks, 2 mini construction toys, lindt, Nutella and go, shower gel and a star wars pen. This year I've only bought a little puzzle so far.

I'm trying to really think about what I buy this year as a lot of stuff (mainly edible) went to waste last year :/

I normally spend around £30-40 each on the stocking. But it's all bits they would like anyway no tat for the sake of it, then edible and Bath type stuff.

I do spoil them, but they don't get things through the year so birthdays and Christmas I go all out!

Around £100-£150 on each stocking for my 2 DS. They are 17 and 21 and the things they use are more expensive than when they were younger. The stockings are sack sized so take a lot of filling and I try not to buy lots of tat, would rather get things that don’t end up being thrown out. I know it’s a lot to spend but it brings me a lot of happiness being able to do this once a year. I save for it all year.

It’s not really a stocking if it’s a sack then is it?

Exactly my approach, and yes I've found it's fewer slightly more expensive presents now they're teens. Though they're also happy with a can of monster (don't usually let then have it) and tub of pringles in the stocking and they fill it out nicely.

£40,

Buts it is a mixture of stuff including useful items like water bottles and gloves (stuff I would have bought anyway).

Lots of consumables like sweets and drinks.

I have 3 adult DC and to hey love their stockings. DS's Marvel pants, socks, Chocolate Orange, tube of Jelly Tots, Toblerone, sports autobiography book, shower gel, Starwars T shirt, Carvery voucher. DD same sweets and chocolate, knickers, socks, top, face masks, nail varnish, hair dresser voucher, Dove shower wash. About £50 each for stockings. Dfoster son 16 gets £100 stocking, same sweets and chocolate, box of 6 Kookabora cricket balls, book, T shirt, Marvel socks and pants, shower gel, computer game (he chose), slippers, PJ's. They get £100 each for main present. Sometimes I find a funny gift. One year Santa brought adult sons a T towel and washing up brush. He must have wanted them to wash up.

I could easily spend over £100 on 6 yrs old stocking - yoto cards, lush bath bombs, harry potter sweets, hair accessories, books marks.

Stockings in our house are the only thing which come from Santa.

We will probably spend about £20/30 on each stocking this year.

Mini Pringles!!! Fabulous idea thank you

Never really add it up but I spend probably in the region of £150 on each of my dcs stockings, they’re the bits from Father Christmas so it’s a combination of things they’ve asked for and other things that I think they’ll want or need over the coming year. Everything under the tree is then from us.
Other people do it that the stockings are cheaper items and then Father Christmas brings a ‘main’ present. Doesn’t really matter, just do it however you want to.
They’re sacks not stockings.
2 of my dc are now young adults and one is 10, I never went down the tat route (by that I mean ‘filler’ toys looked at once and not played with again), they love it in a party bag but it’s usually all in the bin by the end of the day isn’t it?!
anyway, each to their own, We do it this way and always have done.

@TwinkleChristmas we’ve always referred to it as a stocking in our house but I suppose if you were being pedantic then yes, it isn’t in the classic shape of a stocking so it shouldn’t be called a stocking. I know lots of other families who have a small sack of presents instead of a stocking and will still refer to this as a stocking. I don’t think it’s unusual.

Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks this. Why not just call it a sack?

I also agree sacks are not stockings.

Theres nothing wrong with not doing stockings (I grew up without them, well we did have them but just as hanging decoration really not filled with toys and stuff).

There also nothing wrong with doing sacks, we have started the tradition of both stockings and santa sacks for our kids - Stocking are just traditional, sack is from Santa.

But Stocking and Sack while both are equally valid choices are completely different things with different meanings and origins.

Yes I think I will probably be cutting the cost of stockings but it may end up not being necessary if I can pick things up from about now.

I do have proper stockings but they are quite large and they do tend to cost quite a lot of money in this house (completely my fault!) - JL/M and S Christmas sweets, Lush bath bombs, over priced blind bag toys, Claires and Smiggle things quickly add up to quite a lot, especially the times we had a stuffed toy poking out of the top!

It has been the way we have identified to cut costs as really a lot of those things can be replaced with much cheaper alternatives and the DC wouldn't even notice as they are young and would still be receiving the same sorts of things. Tesco for £1 chocs and sweets, Primark or Superdrug for bath bombs, stationery etc, and Tiger or Amazon for some cheap small toys.

Flying Tiger had great Xmas stocking fillers last year. Some really fun and unusual ones and some useful ones too. Cheap and cheerful