Stocking Stuffer Sticker Shock... !!!!

[Iforgetmypassword]

I guess I'm just too practical. Little things from the Dollar Store? Like what? That would be fun, if the stocking belonged to a child. As a grown-up, I'd be underwhelmed with things like, uh...cheap shampoo? Waste of $1. A deck of cards? We have half a dozen already, don't need more. Office supplies? Got plenty now, thanks. Cheap trinkets? I'll probably end up throwing them away, eventually.

In short, there's nothing at the Dollar Store that would get me excited to find in my stocking. I guess that's why we stick to fruit and nuts. Thus, no sticker shock!

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

Stockings are our favorite part of Christmas. We set a limit of no more than $5 per item and we each buy 4 presents for each person. We go around the room each opening one at a time. I always love the presents because they are nothing super extravagant but something we just wouldn't normally buy for ourselves. I would rather have a stocking than a regular present.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I love stockings. This year I did not put any candy in them. When I do, I find candy papers everywhere for weeks!!

DS6 has a huge 4 foot stocking! It is filled with all sorts of things: underwear, games, puzzles, toothbrush, small lego sets, etc.

DS20 and DS6's bio mom whom will be here for Christmas is getting a small stocking full of small amount gifts cards to a bunch of different places. All between 5 and 15.00's. They were not as fun to do but I know they will love them!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

No stockings for the adults at our house. We stopped it years ago. My husband said he hated doing them. I think it's because he doesn't like to shop and he never did come up with good ideas.

But we still do the kids. I usually budget 50.00 a child. They always include something like a movie and inexpensive video game which normally would go under the tree but I put in their stockings.

I also put in their favorite candy, somthing axe like a body spray, pj bottoms and slim jims for my son. My DD will get favorite candy, bath and body works shower gel, nail polish, tardis socks.
And each got a 20.00 gift card for itunes this year.

I was looking at those toys that dispensed candy from the reindeer butt at Target but decided against adding those.

The stockings are pretty full.

 

[pigletto]

I think we averaged about $50 or $60 per stocking this year. We got a few things from the dollar store. I needed a small picture frame so I got it there. We get our hair elastics there (dd and I do pony tails at night). Most things didn't come from there though and it's a mix of practical and fun items. Scratch tickets, buffalo wing sauce, an HDMI cable and dh's favourite chocolate came to at least $20. So it adds up fast, especially because we usually add a few gift cards.

 

[mjantz]

Dollar Store items I've put in stockings:

-toothbrushes
-deodorant
-sticky notes
-candy
-pens & highlighters


I've also bought fun socks on the cheap (Buy 1 Get One Free at Hot Topic), coffee from Starbucks (around $10 but it takes up a lot of space) and little candles.

 

[ssawka]

For DW, I really only do stockings and believe me they are expensive. When her main gift is jewelry, it easily adds up to a few hundred dollars. Women seem to like the "smaller" gifts. For DD, we usually have a hard time finding things to fit in her stocking.

 

[NYEmomma]

Our stockings are pretty cheap too.

DH is getting skittles, beef jerky, a decal for his laptop, a small picture frame & $10 GC.

DD1 is getting a couple packs of Panini princess stickers, a candy cane full of lip smackers, a $1 hand lotion & $1 color bath roller, a hair brush... a couple other cheap things that she'll love.

DD2 & 3 (they're only 6 months) are getting squirt toys for the bath tub, a can of Gerber puffs, a board book, a teething net & I think I'm going to stuff the Disney stuffed animals I got them for x-mas in the top of their stockings to fill it up a bit since there's not much to put in there.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I guess I'm just too practical. Little things from the Dollar Store? Like what? That would be fun, if the stocking belonged to a child. As a grown-up, I'd be underwhelmed with things like, uh...cheap shampoo? Waste of $1. A deck of cards? We have half a dozen already, don't need more. Office supplies? Got plenty now, thanks. Cheap trinkets? I'll probably end up throwing them away, eventually.

In short, there's nothing at the Dollar Store that would get me excited to find in my stocking. I guess that's why we stick to fruit and nuts. Thus, no sticker shock!

I quit the junk stuff a few year ago. I agree buying "stuff" to just fill them up drove me nuts and I hate clutter but I love stockings. SOOOOO,,,,,I bite the bulllet and spend more to get good stuff that we will really use and that is really more budget friendly than spending way less on junk we will just smile at and toss. I really thought about every toy item that went into little DS's stocking this year and when I buy things for the older ones, I go the other way, and buy the really nice shampoo I am not willing to buy year round, or the better brand of the underwear they really like or something along those lines. Nothing came from the $ store.

 

[SDSorority]

I quit the junk stuff a few year ago. I agree buying "stuff" to just fill them up drove me nuts and I hate clutter but I love stockings. SOOOOO,,,,,I bite the bulllet and spend more to get good stuff that we will really use and that is really more budget friendly than spending way less on junk we will just smile at and toss. I really thought about every toy item that went into little DS's stocking this year and when I buy things for the older ones, I go the other way, and buy the really nice shampoo I am not willing to buy year round, or the better brand of the underwear they really like or something along those lines. Nothing came from the $ store.

Yep, us too.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I am lucky the boys are still little, so their stockings are still pretty cheap to fill...... candy, magic towels, small cars, new toothbrush, etc.... When they get older I am sure it will change.

I fill a stocking for dh and my mom too.

For Mom - ornament, candied orange slices, scratch off, wisp toothbrushes

For dh - scratch off, pistachios, beef jerky, gift card for a massage.

Nope..... still not expensive for them (minus the massage, which I got a group-on for.)

For me, the fun of the stocking is finding inexpensive little things that the recipient will really like and appreciate.... not just filling it with a "bunch of junk."

 

[goodeats]

I like to get nicer things that are needed. Here's what I got this year:

DH:
Boxers from Banana Republic
Good quality dark chocolate bar
Teavana Tea (this was a sticker shock - hope it doesn't start a new addiction!)
Fine Woodworking magazine

DD1 (Age 3):
Little People Princesses
Underwear
Tangled DVD
Prep and Landing DVD
Socks


DD2 (Age 1):
Little People Princesses
Socks
Fancy bubble bath
Board Book
Sippie Cup

I feel like I'm forgetting something. I might stick some bags of Annie's Organic snacks that I have in the garage in DD1's stocking to fill it out, otherwise it's enough. They are the first grandbabies on both side so their haul is a little ridiculous at this point. My MIL got DD1 AG Bitty Twins and my mom got her a double baby stroller. Ridiculous!

 

[ilovemk76]

I guess I look at it differently. If DH loves going to Starbucks once a week and I put in a Starbucks GC, I am really not spending any money but just making it fun. I get special bath soaps in my stocking. I would buy the soaps later in the year. Again, not really spending any money. Fun candy gets eaten. These cost more than normal, since they come in small Christmas packages.

 

[sorcerormickey]

We decided to only do stockings this year, no one could figure out anything they wanted for Christmas.

Examples:

Mom's stocking:

Tinker Bell slippers
L'Occitane hand creams
mini gourmet coffees
some small kitchen gadgets had had been looking at
candy

Boyfriend:

2 pairs of fun boxers
cologne with matching shower gel
a couple of blu rays
candy

Me:
a bunch of China Glaze nail polishes
a bunch of stuff from The Body Shop
candy


We probably spent approx $100 per person

 

[Lucky4me]

I told my adult children to take their stockings with them last year on the way out the door on Christmas. That Santa would have to fill them at their homes.
A little grumbling, but Im so glad I did that. Stockings x 4 ran me $300 easy. No Dollar Store stuff.
I still bought them chocolate oranges and the lifesaver books, but I wrapped them. lol
I filled my 17yo dd's.

 

[anniemck]

I guess I'm just too practical. Little things from the Dollar Store? Like what? That would be fun, if the stocking belonged to a child. As a grown-up, I'd be underwhelmed with things like, uh...cheap shampoo? Waste of $1. A deck of cards? We have half a dozen already, don't need more. Office supplies? Got plenty now, thanks. Cheap trinkets? I'll probably end up throwing them away, eventually.

In short, there's nothing at the Dollar Store that would get me excited to find in my stocking. I guess that's why we stick to fruit and nuts. Thus, no sticker shock!

Considering we do play cards a lot, we go through a couple of decks a week as they get worn out from all the shuffling.
Things we get at the dollar store yearly...
Candles different scents that we enjoy...
Photo Frames...
Candy that they like...
Beef Jerky that they like...
Stationary...
Pens...
Crayons...
Markers...
Scrapbook items...
Hair Brushes...
Hair Items *clips, pony rings, scrunchies
Nail care kits
Craft supplies...

The girls would make a list of things they would like and these were always on the list... I miss my kids being kids and this is the 3rd year we will not be together for the holidays.
Like I said these were just the stockings which were EXTRA's on top of their normal gifts which were always in the $3-500 per child range... whether it was clothes, cd's, movies, games, bikes, skates, shoes for baton practice, new batons... One year we bought 2 computers one for my oldest and one for the two youngest to share.

 

[Mom_Rides]

My mom never did stockings when we were little. But my dad and stepmom always had the best stocking stuffers! I swore when I was little that my kids would have fun stuff in their stockings and they do! I would say we spend $30-$40 each on stockings. It's added into our budget.

 

[DaBoo]

Stocking are a must at our house. DD gets up and is allowed to check out her goodies she gets in her stocking while mom and dad get awake, dressed and puts the cinnamon rolls in to cook.

 

[Patience]

I bought almost all the stocking stuffers for my 5 year old daughter at Target last year after Christmas for 70% off. She is getting things like a Cinderella polly pocket style doll, a Hello Kitty wristler, mini nano hex bug, roll on Tinkerbell perfume, Barbie watercolor paint book, Christmas socks, Mickey cup with straw, etc. My oldest who is 18 is getting a couple of items I received for free- a Lindt bag of chocolates and the Target beauty bag. She is also getting handmade soaps that I purchased on clearance, mascara, eye liner, gift card to a restaurant near her college campus because she gets tired of dining hall food, pedicure set with two nail polishes that was also purchased on clearance, roller ball perfume purchased with a 30% off coupon. I probably only have $30 tied up in stocking stuffers for both girls, not including the gift card. My husband and I no longer hang a stocking, just the girls.

 

[lisalis]

Christmas is the time of year I restock my kids's supply of socks & underwear. I watch for sales all year on fun boxer briefs & get Nike socks - all stuff I would get anyway. This year we found nice batting gloves on clearance at the Nike store. I keep my eye out all year for small items on clearance that the boys would like. I also get plenty of gum. I agree that it can get very expensive, which is why I try to buy the items all year long. I keep a bag in my closet that I keep putting the items in all year.