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

If only there was such a thing that could help with word definition @GravyBoatWars. Like, a dictionary or something…

or perhaps historical understanding
https://grammarist.com/usage/stocking-stuffer-and-stocking-filler/

Missing point a bit

Haha I don’t even spend £25 on mascara for myself now and I’m well into my 40s!

Anyway, 1739 people out of 1850 currently agree with my original post so I’m satisfied my point stands.

Stockings in my house are filled with cosy socks, chocolate coins and a fidget toy. Each to their own though.

It gets harder to do really cheap stockings when they get older.

I stopped doing cheap stocking fillers when mine became teens because it was just wasted money on tat.

Now I spend more (but mine only get a couple of things under the tree so it evens out). I’d rather spend average £8-10 per item on things they actually want. So:

mascara/other makeup
chocolate
a book
socks
nice shampoo
satin pillowcase
hand warmers
a card game

I usually spend around £60 per stocking.

Stocking for us are now the best bit of Christmas. Older teens now so no Santa believers. But I agree, £25 items don’t belong in a sticking. I think the most I have spent is £5 on one item. Stockings usually have fun or useful items in them, a bag of chocolate coins, a chocolate orange, fidget toys (ASD household), some funky socks and some pin badges…. I forgot, dd1 always has a pack of pop tarts. Definitely no jewellery, make up or expensive perfume.

Stockings are fab in their own right. That lovely rustlely heaviness on your feet in the early morning dark is one if the best bits of Christmas.

I think people are being rude about the tissues/ packet if crisps etc. The Christmas stocking editions are beautifully decorated tissues or a limited Christmas/special edition of crisps or coke. Nicer versions or thoughtful things. Jokes or little well chosen items.

Under the tree presents are the requested or big ticket items.

I spend very little on stocking fillers, a deck of cards, chocolates, soaps, satsuma, there is no point in buying plastic crap.
I usually make DD a hamper with makeup including moisturiser and cleanser etc.

Teens love quirky kitch things for their bedrooms or their area of the bedroom, or a book on a topic they've started showing interest in and one way to afford this is to check out charity shops. Also they like anything that shows them you regard them as grown up. Also u can get cinema ticket deals for them plus a friend to see something they like. The works and Hobbycraft have good craft kits. I'll never forget the gifts I got as a teen. A book about makeup, a tank top in grey mohair, a petrol blue wrap skirt, a necklace of shells from Ibiza, a small radio, music I liked (anything featuring their fave pop or rock or classical star will be good for Xmas, but what I think we'd all have liked would have been a mum or dad or mum and dad outing to a restaurant to present us with a necklace and just talk to us and spend a nice time with us. It means so much to teens to be with parents out of an evening while they still at home etc.

I find the stocking thing fascinating on here.

We didn’t have small stockings as kids, it was a huge stocking that I could fit into when I was about 7 and when full it would stand on the floor tall enough so that I could see it peeking over the edge of the bed when I woke up.

All of our presents went in the stocking except one main Santa present, so I’ve always assumed stocking fillers to be everything that’s not the main present. I find the small stocking idea really bemusing now as an adult as it’s not something I’ve ever had!

You are rather fixated on the price. Understandable as that is the point you are trying to make. But you’ve been disingenuous is choosing the only definition to mention price out of the top 5 that come up on google. All the others just say that a stocking filler is small.

For the PP who struggled to find stocking gifts for older boys ... What about a key ring of a gaming/marvel/sport hero (Primark usually have a good selection). Can of air (to clean keyboards) puncture repair kit (if a cyclist), body spray. Gloves as boys always lose their gloves. Posh/festive/pringle crisps is a good idea, I'm going to do that. Pot noodle? Keychain to attach wallet to trousers?

I am feeling all festive now. 😀

@ElizabethsTailor having a read of the link I posted should help explain what a stocking filler is, the etymology and historical context.

But, honestly, I’m done arguing semantics with people trying to ‘prove’ that the term stocking filler means any present whatsoever that can fit in any size stocking whatsoever.

We leave ours down stairs on the fireplace. I don't remember having a personalised stocking as a child other than the large pre-made netted one full of fun crap, they were great.

But that’s the point! The box of tissues aren’t a present they are a stocking filler!

I do the same for my kids, I’d rather not have the house full of toys (as they get enough as presents) so in their stocking they get a few treats but also some useful things like a box of tissues (maybe Disney themed or pretty box), shower gel, socks, pack of knickers, impulse body spray, tube of Pringles, packet of sweets, hair ties or clips, a bath bomb, a puzzle, novelty pen, chocolate lollipop, hot chocolate bomb, lip balm, top trumps, a glider or bubbles etc etc.

And if ever there were an article to prove my point exactly it’s this one. I’d imagine there are a few embarrassed people on here that have been sucked in to the retailers/ brands agendas. They’re now vociferously arguing that ‘of course stocking fillers can mean super expensive stuff.’ More fool them

www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/best-stocking-fillers-times-luxury-90lgc5dqg

I put things in stockings that fit in them, it's not really price related imo

You probably shouldn’t have posted on AIBU if you weren’t expecting to defend your point 😂

If you go with the stocking is from Santa, and all the other presents under the tree are from parents, grandparents, friends etc, then I think it's good to have one key toy, like a small teddy/figurine whatever in there, as Santa found it, and then everything else in the stocking cheap, with the traditional mini gifts.
I like the idea of stocking fillers being modest gifts, because Santa's magic, but doesn't madly spoil, plus they can appreciate what the family save and buy (and not ask why their parents don't bother buying them gifts!)- by the time they're old enough that I'd buy expensive make-up etc, they'd probably not believe. But I know some people do stockings forever, not just when kids are young, which is fair enough if that's what people want to do.

Opposite for me. Mums long sock (it was the 70’s) filled with soaps, lip balms, a cassette (!), poster, bubble bath etc. Basically, smaller gifts but always a satsuma and coins at the toe and a chocolate Father Christmas at the top.

It would be placed in its crinkly glory on my bed (I’d have hung it on my bed, empty. The fact there was ANOTHER SOCK had yet to blow my mind!).

I’d wake at 6ish, filled with the absolute wonder of HE’S BEEN & take it into my parents to open.

All other presents under the tree would be from family apart from one other ‘big’ Father Christmas gift that ‘he’d’ left amongst the pile.

Good memories.

Mum stopped when I was 14 as it’d become so bloody expensive!

Small fun stuff

chocolate coins
lollipop
toothbrush
lipstick /lipbarm
showergel/bubble bath (used to love the xmas matey figure bubble bath)
pens
socks
eye mask
joke book
rubber

eveb when she is a teen and knows about fc (8 now) it won’t be in hundreds

tho fc also brings a baby stocking for mini blondes baby - she asked last year would fc bring one so also have baby toys to do

Tissues?!

checked the definition of "usually" lately?

Other definition
stocking filler
/ˈstɒkɪŋ fɪlə/

a small present suitable for putting in a Christmas stocking.

we can carry on all night 😂

I usually have one real present in the stocking which is small (still not expensive though, like a £10 - £12 magnet or figurine or something) and the rest is chocolates, something fun like a kinder egg, candy cane, an orange, other little useful bits like erasers or stickers. But then I always use stocking sized stockings. No idea how you fill up the giant ones you see these days. When I was a kid we used our actual socks!