how to fill a stocking if you're single

[BeQuirkyMintScroller]

I'm single and live alone. My friends all have children and busy costly family lives etc so we stopped doing presents for each other eons ago. No big deal honestly!

One of them suggested getting absolutely hammered, ordering a load of stuff from amazon and putting the boxes straight under the tree for xmas morning. It's a creative solution I admit!!😂 trouble is I don't get memory blanks from being drunk and the boxes wouldnt fit in my lovely new velvet stocking anyway.

I also wondered about transferring someone money and saying "surprise me" so they're not out of pocket but that's asking for time & effort from them, which isnt fair.

It's totally not big deal and isnt what Christmas Day is about of course! I'll take the dog for a lovely walk somewhere new and be grateful to be healthy. But would be nice to unwrap something with my morning coffee this year

If anyone has a solution...pray do tell...

Not helpful to you but at our church Christmas bazaar there are a pile of presents already wrapped for sale for people who are alone at Christmas. It is the most popular stall. It is worth looking if there is a similar scheme for next year.

On the why the stocking for an adult thing - because with a scent driven curious dog it's just safer if they are contained up high out of her reach. She's a good girl and learns fast to leave stuff alone, but why take the risk.

Especially when I am not home.

Maybe a subscription like a book or plant one..? https://www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/book-subscriptions

I haven't done stockings this year but my mum does cross-stitch and made some for me and DS. So next year (when he's two) I'm going to fill them. I've thought of some nice tea, chocolate, and a lip balm or something, along with the traditional satsuma and apple. Don't know what DS will be getting yet!

I just looked on wowcher and you can get mystery hampers- chocolate, beauty, jewellery- and mystery gifts from £10-20. One or two of those would fill a stocking with surprises.

Who says we dont have advent calendars. My Hotel Chocolat one is being opened every morning whilst i enjoy my coffee. Why wouldnt you?

People who don't have someone else to fill them a stocking.

It also seems to be a 'thing' that bitter adults pipe up on an otherwise good natured and kind spirited thread, to express their disdain for things that others choose to do. I would rather be filling my own stocking or opening an advent calendar than making myself feel important by sneering at other people's choices.

You put it so much better than I would have done. So many joy suckers on such a lovely thread.

I think perhaps next year don't ask one friend to buy all of your stocking presents, but maybe ask (and give money to ) several friends or family. Even those who are very busy wouldn't mind buying one present for a friend they love.

For me, I've bought myself a book and a pair of PJs that I love and will put under the tree. My children are older now and hopefully will have some things for my stocking, but for many years my stocking was empty!

I really like your idea @FirstTimer888 - when I look back to my early years of being single parent, they were so tough. I think it would be interesting to read a letter from that me to this me.

And I like the idea of a beauty advent calendar to open on xmas morning. I might do that next year!

Only helpful if your local one does this too but our library often has a stand with wrapping-paper wrapped 'mystery' books on for special occasions (e.g. at Christmas they have a tree-shaped pile of books, and they do a 'blind date with a book' one for valentine's), if you're a reader it could be something to pad a stocking out with.
I like the poster's idea of asking several people to choose one thing each too, I'd enjoy doing that for a friend and would supplement with little extra Christmassy chocs or biscuits.

That was going to be my suggestion 😁

A single person, spending Christmas alone? Ok with you Grinch?

Interesting. I’m expecting at some point to probably have a Christmas alone (with the dog) now my sons are in serious relationships and I would so do this for me just for the fun of it😁

I've bought myself some lego, a nature book, some pjs, and a candle.

Take yourself shopping. Browse. Whst books are you drawn to? Buy two. A novel and a non-fiction.

Plan a bath. What bath oils do you want? Do you want some nice herbal tea? That fancy Earl Grey you buy in the coffee shop but seems too pricey for every day? Prosecco?

Basically plan yourself a few lovely activities at home and shop for them.

Personally I love a big jigsaw, movie and prosecco.

Treat yourself. You can do better than an amazon dash and grab! X

You could do Date With a Book.

Or order a CraftAlong project.

Eta - I'm sure some independent shops would love to help!

you can buy Amazon return boxes on eBay you have no idea what is inside could be tat could be good but me and OH always have a giggle opening them!

Oh dear poor you, I hope your mind doesn’t get too addled trying to think about the whys and whereforths of such a conundrum. Thoughts and prayers to you.

Can all the joy suckers get together and suck the joy out of each other, if you’ve got any left of course.

Honestly my memory is impeccable (for now anyway!) so I would always remember.

I had a christmas tree fund box last year - chucked cash in it throughout the year and whatever is in there is how much i spend on my tree.

I knew exactly how much was in there down to the 50p 😂

I would do this for a friend if they asked, but probably easier to ask them to buy you one present rather than lots. I always thought stocking were just for kids, my DH and I have never done them.

Buy yourself a few advent calendars (many are reduced now), beauty products, tea, coffee, jewelry etc and open all those exciting little packages in one go!

You read it? Not very carefully, apparently.

Just because you've got sisters who are happy to fill stockings, why do you imagine that the OP has family that will do that for her? She's already explained why she and her friends don't buy each other presents.

Are you totally incapable of grasping that some people's lives aren't identical to yours? JFC.

It's not the 'stocking' that's the point here. It's the presents. The fact that the presents are in a stocking is neither here nor there.

Obviously an adult doesn't believe that Santa is going to come and put gifts into a sock. But most people, of all ages, quite enjoy having some nice things to open as a treat on Christmas Day. Fine if you don't, but traditionally Christmas IS a day on which people of all ages, not just children, open some gifts, so it's hardly incomprehensible that someone might feel a little sad about a giftless Christmas, whether the presents are in a stocking, under a tree or whatever.

I’d set a budget, take that amount of money out in cash and go out shopping.

You have no idea what you’re going to buy until you’re in the shops, so it’s a surprise in that sense, and buy things you’d normally not pick up due to cost or extravagance. Pick some things you can use in Christmas Day so that the treat is there on the day (bougie make up, a lush gift set, expensive socks).

I enjoy doing this so much more than receiving gifts that are nice enough but aren’t exactly what I would have spent my money on.

I almost always end up buying my own stocking stuff. (Married with kids ). Get some lovely treats. Stuff you love. Nice handcreAm, lovely chocs, a good book, some face masks , some lovely expensive tea/ coffee / hot choc/ booze and enjoy using it all in Xmas day. I like the skincare boxes many places have. I've bought myself one for Xmas which will be a treat to open and use