Stocking Stuffer Sticker Shock... !!!!

[LovesTimone]

Anyone else not doing stocking's this year??. We decided early on that we were not doing them as DD is getting married, and no littleones at home.

I thought I might surprise everyone with a small one.... boy did I back track fast. Between the candy and a few odd and ends, toothbrushes and such,, I had not really gotten anything to put in them, I was at 50 dollars, so I nixed that surprise... I really could have spent well over 100 buck on really nothing.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

Anyone else not doing stocking's this year??. We decided early on that we were not doing them as DD is getting married, and no littleones at home.

I thought I might surprise everyone with a small one.... boy did I back track fast. Between the candy and a few odd and ends, toothbrushes and such,, I had not really gotten anything to put in them, I was at 50 dollars, so I nixed that surprise... I really could have spent well over 100 buck on really nothing.

I understand- I had 2 last minute add on guests for Christmas and I had to fill their stockings and just for 2 people (adults) it was over $60 in knick knacks. I have not added up the rest, but just my DD8's stocking stuffers are way over $100.

 

[MAJPLO]

What all are you putting in these expensive stockings? I'm afraid to add mine up now!

 

[RangerPooh]

I have 4 kids do out stockings add up fast. This year I've decided to scale back a little. Don't want to know about the cost, but many were around $1 each. Coloring books and crayons, headbands for the girls, little people for the boys, candy, stickers, wooden gliders, and a few other things. I haven't even done the adults yet!

 

[LJSquishy]

I would be bummed if I didn't have a stocking on Christmas morning. Actually, my husband forgot one year and I was so sad and he felt terrible. I'm kind of thinking he might forget again this year, I just have that feeling.

I don't spend much on stocking stuffers. I got him some dark chocolate espresso beans ($4.99), his favorite red licorice ($4 ish for a small amount), a new beer pint glass ($3) since I broke the only one he had, and a $25 Starbucks gift card which I earned for free through doing surveys...I wouldn't have put a gift card in there if it wasn't free. So, around $11 total. Sometimes I put in two $1 scratch tickets.

 

[katrina1122]

I'm 39, sister is 35 and we still fill our mom's stocking ... the same stocking her mom made for her. My mom made ours. If nothing else we do stockings.

What are you putting in them that is so expensive? We do fruite, toothpaste, bath stuff, fun trinkets, small gifts instead of under the tree. Sure you could put something expensive, but they can easily stay under $25 no problem and our stockings are pretty big!

 

[Swimnoid]

Stockings are my favorite part! Ours don't cost that much though and we all contribute to each others.

 

[NYCDiane]

I love filling my daughter's Christmas stocking!! It doesn't cost $50... usually, I just put simple things in there. Sometimes, I'll take one of her special presents and put it all the way in the bottom of her stocking so she can open it last (but that doesn't count toward what I spend on the stocking stuffers since, technically, it was a regular gift that was just put in the stocking as a special surprise)

 

[anniemck]

Heck, when we did stockings for the girls I would go to dollar tree and load up on the candy they loved, the crayons, colored pencils, decks of cards, dice, hair things and fill them up. For $1 per item we could do a lot for less than $100 for 5 stockings including my ex husbands. He and I would go together to get the items for the girls, I would take the girls to get the items for his and he would take the girls to get the items for mine.
Now that we live all over and will not be getting together, we will not be doing anything. The holiday means more to us if we are together, we have all decided that we are not going to exchange because unless we were together to see each other open the gift, it doesn't mean as much.

 

[disneychrista]

I stoped a couple years ago when I was spending nearly $50 - $100 on stocking stuffers. $10 gift cards, body washes, candy, nail polish etc add up.

 

[finz2left]

I would rather do stockings than presents. They are magical and so entrenched in tradition -- the stockings were hung by the chimney with care --- it wouldn't be Christmas without them.

 

[brymolmom]

Mine do add up pretty quickly - but 80% of it is stuff I would be buying witht the groceries anyway - so i just count it OUT of my grocery budget for a few months.

For dd9:
bouncy ball
bunco game
jammie pants (after xmas last year)
necklace - clearance during year
candy - large box of skittles
box of choc chip cookies (to take up lots of space)
timer (both kids time themselves doing their instrament lessons)
headbands
electric toothbrush
angry birds lip balm
mouthwash

So maybe total around $30 or so??

DS10:
mini nerf shooter
travel sorry game
angry birds lip balm
PJ's
timer
large box of M&M's
large box of choc chip cookies
mouthwash
mini bouncy ball
silly putty
belt

Maybe total around $40 (more because of PJ's and belt)

DH:
3 containers of his daily vitamins - large and EXPENSIVE - but we'd be buying them anyway
luggage scale - handheld
2 candy bars
still want to buy his favorite shampoo - haven't yet
small flashlight set bought after christmas last year
chapstick
Carwash tickets - still need to get these too
Instand Lotto tickets

Because of the vitamins - maybe around $60 for this one.

 

[java]

Today I bought the last of the "fillers" it was around $40 for just the candy extras! I hope they save me some of it. I am finally getting excited for Christmas! The shopping is done and the cooking has begun. Party number one tomorrow afternoon! I just made a semifredo. I hope it tastes good.

I did score some good bigger items for other stockings though- for my college ds got boxers at AE for $4! and also picked up a blingy head band for my daughter- also inexpensive. Everything was 40% off.

DH and I are just doing stockings for each other- and set a strict limit. $50. He got a book, a $20 QuickChek gift card, a pair of socks, some candy, Burts Bees lip stuff and that was it.

Thank goodness I went to toysrus on Black Friday- they gave out some gift bags with a bunch of "stocking sized" toys like individual legos, garbage pail kids, air head......ect. so I had a head start on the little guys stockings.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

We just put in fruit and nuts.

 

[Mkaz]

We just put in fruit and nuts.

When I was little we always got an organge in our stocking. We also got fun, little things. Nothing extravagant. Sometimes we would get a new deck of playing cards or jax.

 

[dizluvah]

Add me to the list of people who keep stockings in lieu of any other gifts - the stocking is always my favorite part!!!

 

[jacksmom]

My family loves and looks forward to stockings! We open gifts, have a big bkfst, then take our time and really enjoy looking through our stockings! I do buy lots from Dollar Store and clearance items but we do the jumbo stockings and I average $35 per person per stocking! It does add up, but is soo much fun!

 

[mjantz]

I do stocking-like giftbags for my nephews & I put a lot of food in it. Little bags of cheese crackers, lollipops, fruit strips, can of root beer, stuff like that. It's cheaper than the trinkets & they enjoy noshing through their treats on Christmas Day.
This year it also includes a Sudoku book ($1 at Half Price Books),toothbrush (part of a 3pk at Dollar Tree), deodorant, and a Christmas Cracker. I can't imagine I spent more than $10-$15 on each bag.

 

[la79al]

I think y'all need smaller stockings! Seriously though, every year I say I am going to give my stocking back to my mom so she can fill it instead of getting me gifts. DH almost never remembers (once, maybe twice in 8 years) and even when he does, it's nowhere near as awesome as what my mom did. I don't even remember what I got for DHs stocking this year. It's full to overflowing though so he's done. The girls all get random candy and little things from the dollar store. If there's anything more expensive in there, it's stuff they would need or be getting anyhow.

 

[MAJPLO]

My husband says adults don't need to get stockings. How boring he probably just can't stand the thought of more things to think about and buy.