Cost of filling stockings

[Artandco]

How much on average Does it cost you to fill stockings? And what's in there roughly?

Iv just added up and both childrens are at around £50, dhs £75+... I don't think there is excessive stuff in them either

As an example, ds1 ( age 4) has:

• long sleeved t-shirt -£18
• roald Dahl book -£5
• mini Lego set -£10
• choc coins -£3
• small art Stetch book -£8
• mini stadtler pens -£8
• will add satsuma and walnuts - free from fruit bowl

That's similar each year, and ds2 has one of same vibe. I don't mind spending that, but it did surprise me tbh how quickly it adds up. I like them to be useful things that they actually need also due to lack of space!

DSs aged 6 and 3 have got

Choc coins
Small candy cane
Lego mini figure
Battery toothbrush (about £7 each i think)
Paintastics
Will also get them a book each and add fruit

DHs has got

Aftershave
Cover for his kindle
Hotel Chocolat chocs
Moisturiser
Ski socks
Will add fruit and nuts

So £50+ for DH and maybe £25 for the boys

Mine will be the most expensive

Think it depends on size of stocking really, our In-laws bought our DCs huge Stockings when they were babies, which is a pain to fill but we try to fill it with useful stuff. They'll get a dvd each, books, puzzle, bubble bath, socks, lip balms, knickers, hair bands/clips, pads of paper and new pens/pencils/arts stuff, plate set, New beaker, sticker book and selection box. Most of it will be bought from pound shops/home bargains and no more than £25 for each.

Thank you :)
Have my dd (9)
Ice cream shaped lip balm ( Claire's £1)
Kinder egg
Tiny can coke ( doesn't get to drink fizzy drinks unless special occasions or at friends who drink it)
Cut the rope surprise mini figure
Lindt tiny choc teddy bear
3 sets magnetic earrings
fluffy socks
Hot chocolate sachet
Snack size Bag of mini marshmallows
Zip up earphones (60p ebay)
Satsuma
Toffifee's ( to bulk it up)
Magazine

Oh was going to get dh a magazine also.. Depends on if I find one ( and how good he is!)

DD2 stocking
2 magic clip princess Anna and rapunzel
Mini lala loopsy dolls
Pants and socks Sophia the first
Wibbly pig hand puppet
Finger puppets
Play doh
Glitter crayons
Choc coins and choc penguins
Toot toot car set
Dolls bottle and feeding set
Village in a bag
Peppa pig toothbrushes
Tiny toddler princess dolls
Small peppa pig book set
Small toy animals

DD 5 and 7

Venom figure
Spy glasses and watch
Binoculars
Skylanders traps
Minecraft t shirt and personalised key ring
Plush creeper
Lego mini figure
2 how to train your dragon figure bags
Trashies pack
Nerf bullets
Pez sweets and dispenser
Jelly beans Rudolph noses
Choc coins
Turtle pens and pencils
Turtle disc shooter
Small minecraft book
Small joke book
Batman hat
Star Wars pants
Turtle glow pals
Key ring torch

All has been bought gradually and flung in the wardrobe but I dare not count how much it has cost. But there is no tat in there and it will all be played with.....

Fortune. The more kids you have, the more it adds up . I have three. What's annoying is offers like 'two for £8', I wish more offers were 3 for 2 or 3 for a discounted price. Anyway, off on a tangent .

Stocking gifts:
Hair bobbles and hair clips for girls (£6)
Wooden toy aeroplane for DS (£5)
Bath toy (this year to save costs I bought a set of 3 stacking ducks and I'll give them one each so £10)
Toothbrush and wash Mitt (got sets with both in this year so £15 for the three)
One gets bubble bath, other gets body wash, other gets shampoo (£15)
Chocolate santa (2 for £8 plus £5 so £13)
Sugar mouse each (£3)
Satsuma
Arctic bear yo-yo pack each (£3)
Also won a competition on Instagram so putting the prize in a stocking for each of them, they would have been £20 each had I not have won!
So I spent about £70 on all threes which wouldn't be so bad but they get Christmas Eve boxes which cost about £80 and presents on the first with their North pole breakfast which costs about £70 as well. Then the regular presents... Just ARGH!

Ours are normal sized stockings and so wouldn't be able to fit half of the stuff listed above in them. I don't spend more than a fiver for stocking gifts. If its more than a fiver it would be wrapped for the present pile. £50 is a lot OP but then you have an £18 top in there.

If I added everything up it would be less than £20

I gave up putting things in our stockings. They never got looked at.

DD's cost about £35, DS's £50. But they only get a few other gifts and we dont do adult gifts in our family, so am happy with that!

DD 6:
Watch £6
Card game £4
Craft kit £2
1 Direction pens £1
1 Direction sandwhich box £1
Choc coins £1

Try to spend 10-15 on small but useful things.

Doesn't it depend on the size if the stocking?

Anyway, we don't do stockings - yet - children are under 5 and it just seems easier to buy them what you really want them to have and stick it all in a sack/pillowcase. Otherwise I imagine I'd be buying tat for the sake of it.

We never had little bits and pieces as children, just a few proper presents in a sack.

Oh and our stockings are regular size

I've not tried adding it up but I can see how it would get expensive because some of the things I put in are more like main presents but happen to be small! Like some top trumps - spent ages finding them on eBay (out of print) and they were a little more than new ones would be, but they're small so go in the stocking. Decent underwear for boys especially is expensive but that's also a traditional stocking filler.

Wow

Some of you are spending more on a stocking than dh & I are spending on our ds's main presents.

We don't have stockings - we have a pillowcase and lots of bits go in it. I then give them their main gift from me and they have gifts from other people if they have been left here.

ATM I have for both of them;
Magic slushy cup (£5)
Annual (£2)
Selection box (£1)
Big smarties tube (£1)
Still to get;
Personalised mug filled with different hot chocolate sachets (£8)
Shower gel (£1)
Light up torch pen (£1)

Ds1 also has; main present Apple TV (£60)
Hoody (£14)
Para cord bracelet (£1)

Ds2 also has; main present Executive swivel chair (£50)
Book (£5)
Flask (£8)

I might put some other bits in if I think of anything but nothing more than a few pounds.

Too much, around £35 each

Amazing how the £1/2 bits add up so quickly! I'd have guessed at £15 or so . Damned spreadsheet!

This is why I don't do a stocking!

that's not a dig at.anyone btw, and I can see from the items mentioned that there are lots of little things that we might possibly buy our children regularly anyway, such as underwear, socks, sweets, pens, small toys etc. Its just you're buying the more festive version, ifyswim?

WTF is a North Pole Breakfast? Is it something to do with this Elf thing?

See I do think people are just looking for ways to spend their money sometimes

We are like Op. Their presents are split between stocking and tree so probably add up to a bit more. Stockings are quite Roomy too. Am interested to see how much it adds up to as have bought throughout the year:
DS (9)
Lego torch Keyring £5
Mini Plasma Ball £5
Lego rubbers 50p
Lego bag tag 50p
Story writing kit £2
Tshirt £5
Book £2.80
Lego set £7
Annual £4
Badges 50p
Choc coins and chocolate £4
Dino excavation kit £5
Nerf football £7.00
Notebook £2

About £45 I think. We have 4dc and they are all fairly similar.

Ds has minecraft blockopedia £14, digital watch £8, minecraft x box game £20 and a marble run type thing £15 as his main presents. Overall I don't think it is too bad!

Stockings here consist of pants, socks, a big bag of Daim sweets from Ikea, a rubics snake, chocolate coins, a DVD each, a large mud full of Chuba chups.

Mug not mud, obvs.

Then the other things are in a sack downstairs.

i just dont know have lost plot and point of stockings....probably quite a bit ours are long and thin so its whatever I have brought that will fit in plus choclates etc.

Pound shop everything from us too. Flannels, bath foam, chocolate coins, colouring book, pencils, lip gloss, stationary ( older one) cruddy toy Christmas tree ?? decoration.

I spend about £30 on the children stockings. It's a mixture of practical, play and food.

Items tend to be £1-£6, but I get a lot of bargains, so the rrp is much higher.

I do admit to buying crap from the pound shop, but I whisk it away when the children aren't looking and bring them out for car journeys, hospital appointments etc, as they do get used that way.

Ha ha wrote cruddy toy!!! meant cuddly toy!