It’s not a fucking stocking filler!

[YesJs]

I’m getting sick of gift guides with ‘stocking fillers’ that are around £15-20.

‘Perfect stocking filler for a teen’ says Glamour of a £25 lip balm kit. GQ, recommends a Stockings contain at least 10 presents - more likely about 15-20. Therefore (unless you’re super rich) they need, by nature, to be much cheaper than this.

I earn good money, I wouldn’t spend upwards of £250 on a stocking BEFORE the main presents. AIBU

I agree - stockings are some cheap, thoughtful fun to open in a room before going to open main presents.

I agree! My mum stopped stockings when we were all in our teens, but all of us pleaded for their return :-) And no, didn't believe in santa either 😀

Yes, one of those little pocket packs-sometimes you can find them with a Christmas theme, or with penguins on or whatever. I am with @UtterlyOtterly -small, consumable and maybe a bit unusual for the family, like the person's favourite crisps or a tiny Nutella! And a travel size of their favourite shampoo or body lotion. Oh, and always a satsuma and a pair of socks.

I’d need to hear that from her, out of your earshot, to believe it.

I’m not someone who does stockings (no kids) but I’m properly laughing at the performative ‘true spirit of Christmas’ stuff on this thread.

Tissues as a Christmas present
Pearl-clutching over one luxury mascara because it isn’t ’needed’
Shock at the idea of eating a Chocolate Orange on Christmas morning

Disapproval of liqueur chocolates on the grounds that they are ‘booze’
The idea that a 15-year-old might believe in Santa
The concern over ‘tat’

It’s the festive equivalent of the people who feel the need to tell everyone that they couldn’t possibly ever manage to eat a whole portion of fish and chips and their family would just buy one portion to share between four.

older kids with more expensive little pressies just get more chocolate and oranges to fill it up in this house :)

I think the most expensive thing I've ever put in a stocking was one of those £20 8-bit 200 game Gameboy lookalikes and it was the most played with present that year...

Generally there HAS to be chocolate coins and a packet of those squidgy little Dan cake rum truffles, a 'Silly jokes for [age] year olds' book, and some kind of puzzle.

Otherwise this year there'll be a 'chapter' book, pokemon cards, extra long charger cables, novelty socks, microwave popcorn sachets, and a couple of scratchcards.

A box of tissues?

I remember from my media days that those pages are just there to suck up to advertisers/promote friends products/get freebies. It’s nothing to do with what you should buy, more a case of “How about you buy a double page spread and we’ll throw in a shout out in our gift guide”.

My lovely late mum used to put things like full size bottles of good perfume in our stockings. She could afford it, but I still felt a little guilty for some reason. It did seem a lot.

However, I have to say that I thought if it fit in a stocking, it went in the stocking! I don't have any rules about which presents go in there and which go under the tree except whether or not it fits

We try to keep stockings eco, no plastic tat.
Therefore they are mainly consumables, nice toiletries, socks, chocolates, honey, spices, chutney, posh olive oil, seeds to grow, cardboard jigsaws, books, that sort of thing.
Try not to spend more than £50pp

I love to make stockings up for the kids but unfortunately they are all boys and I can never find 'cheap' stocking fillers besides socks, pants (actually even the pants have to be Calvin Klein or some such now so over £20+!). I remember the time when I could put in a load of clothes from the supermarket as well as toys, all for £50. Now each item of clothing costs that amount!!!
I try to cut back but find it really hard without ending up giving them toot that just gets thrown away.

Stocking fillers are crappy little bits and sweets in our house.

Plus a satsuma, obvs.

I must admit to always having done the Xmas Eve box thing, but that's about me buying myself time for last minute wrapping and putting a dent in veg peeling via the medium of comfy PJ's, blankets. Xmas movies & popcorn/sweets.

This is where we are now.

Once toys are gone, it's so hard and yes, so expensive!

As the kids got older, the stockings got more expensive. They are at university and their stockings are not cheap but that’s ok. My daughter’s will include make up, some jewellery from Urban Outfitters that I bought in the sale, my son’s will have some nice cafetière coffee, both will have a gift card etc. The stuff won’t be wasted and we are all happy.

One thing that’s quite useful for my 20s son and daughter is that over the year I save any free samples I get of perfume or men’s aftershave. If I collect a few, they become a nice stocking filler.

I buying things for £3 to £5 and one thing for £15 to £20 for my adult DC’s stockings.

You can buy Christmas tree ornament and Christmas Baubles for £300 each. I wouldn't spend anywhere near that - or we would have to eat the cat, but does it mean they cannot be "Christmas tree ornaments" because I think they're too expensive?

Should we just ban them because we have decided it's too much money?

Because that's where the OP is going...

I don't know who spends £500 on a Christmas tree skirt, but I don't feel pressured to spend the same 😂

oh please don't tell me they now continue into adulthood....😮

There are no rules regarding Christmas as far as I know.

I have stockings

How can you make Christmas stocking for children, and not for parents/ grand-parents, and whatever adult is in the house that night?

I only have adults in my family and I love making up stockings, even my cat gets one!

Tissues and crisps?

I mean, I'm broadly in line with the spirit of your answer, but these are not exactly presents of any description.

They are lovely. I just tend to find them quite a hassle on Christmas Eve. I think it's because you can't fill them till after everyone is asleep on Christmas Eve. I usually borrow the stockings for a dry-run in advance to check everything kind of fills it up, then have to empty it and hang them back up.

Last year FC decided to bring new stockings that I'd filled in advance and hidden but that will get expensive - and possibly give the game away - if I do it again!

There are pretty boxes of tissues, you know, and small tins of flavoured Pringles. Both acceptable in a stocking imo!

Mine are teens. Anything small in size goes in the stocking along with the obligatory orange, tube of something edible and pair of socks/gloves. Anything that doesn’t fit in the socking is a main present.

I set the budget and they write a wish list and it is absolutely a joy not to have to worry if one pile looks bigger, or if someone has got one more gift than the other.