Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Cost of filling stockings

154 replies

Artandco · 11/12/2014 14:14

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!

OP posts:
LePetitMarseillais · 13/12/2014 22:46

That was re the no crap rule.Smuggle in paper too.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 13/12/2014 22:53

My twenty somethings still like a stocking at XMas

This year they are getting in them

A phone charger, so they don't wander back to their own flats with mine

A front door key on a key ring so they don't keep ringing up on their way home asking if we are in as they have no key.. (do they eat these things)

A book of stamps and a selection of birthday cards/thank you cards, as they seem to find getting to a post office for a stamp impossible

A shoe cleaning kit

And of course some chocolate and a sprout (old family tradition my father started!)

LePetitMarseillais · 13/12/2014 22:57

Oh go on then.

Dd who will be 10.

Rainbow Loom finger loom
smelly mini highlighters
hair chalk
nail art pens
Fun Weevz loom band charms
dog Top Trumps(don't ask)
Sugar Skull nail art stickers
Nail Art bling
Nail Art jewels
black currant pucker pop lip gloss
frog toe separator
fun snaps
dog magnet trick
hand warmers
nail polish remover pads
Iwako koala eraser
Iwako dog and bowl eraser
Iwako apple pencil toppers
zip bracelet(free)
confetti nail polish
dog choc
peel off nail polish
balloon car/helicopter

Bday at Xmas so will take out for that accordingly to make it fair with the dtwins.

Actually just remembered I order them all a set of Bic eraser felt tips too.

306235388 · 13/12/2014 23:01

Dh
Few toiletry things £7
DVD £10
Sweets £10ish
Pants £4
Socks £5
Keyring £10

Ds (8)
Football cards £5
Sw Lego £10
Top trumps £4
Shoot annual £3
Squid soap £1
Goo tub 79p
Star wars toothbrush £4
DVD £4
Flip t shirt £6
Books £10
Crazy drinking glasses £1
Socks £2
Pants £?
Sweets. £7/8
Ds will also get fifa 15 from santa

Dd (4)
Disney DVDs £13
Playdoh £3
Rubbing plates £4
Top trumps £5
Old maid £5
Snow globe £3
Squid soap £1
Monster stickers £1
Costume jewellery and half stuff £5
Sparkly glasses case £1
Crazy drinking glasses. £1
Peppa annual £3
Lip balm £2
Hat and gloves £5
Skipping rope £1
Dd will also get snow glow elsa from santa

This is off top of my heAd

LetticeKnollys · 13/12/2014 23:59

DSS (7):
Minion snap watch
Skylanders Socks
A few fun sweets like Jellybean factory, Push Pop, Double Dip etc.
Tongue tattoos
Invisible ink pen
Deadly 60 Top Trumps
Pack of Pokemon Cards

So probably about £20

DS (baby):
Freezer teether keys
Teether watermelon slice
Soft ball
Hand and foot finders
Will also have some Lamaze toys I won the other day on Ebay

Probably also about £20? He only has a few bits outside of his stocking though since he's so little, but it wouldn't have made sense for Santa to leave him out, I don't think Santa discriminates. Grin

toobreathless · 14/12/2014 00:36

DD1 (3yrs) total £30

Mini little pony figure £1 (charity shop)
Choc coins £1
Tin bauble with sweets £3
Book £5
Frozen PJs £6 (aliexpress)
Olaf cuddly £8
Mini Polly pocket type thing £2 (new- charity shop)
Frozen knickers £4

DD2 (20 months) total £24
Musical book £6
Bath toy £6
Cutting veg £4
Choc coins £1
Bauble with sweets £3
Puzzle £4

MummyPig24 · 14/12/2014 05:34

We only buy one main present and this year they have cost £20-30 for each child. They have Santa sacks rather than stockings and have a few toys in as well as a satsuma, chocolate, stickers, vests and books. Baby ds2 only has a few things but probably cost as much seeing as he can't have the little things like Lego mini figures or stickers. I'm guessing around £20 for the sack.

Thelovecats · 14/12/2014 11:04

Mine get their stocking from Father Christmas (maybe £50?) though it won't all fit in) and then about £50 present from us. I'm not a fan of party bag type tat so I don't put it in.

In DS (5) stocking is:

Knex
Little playmobil set
Magazine
Torch
Disney DVD
Choc coins
Yoyo
Book
Bike decorations
Pencil set

DD (2) has

Threading beads
DVD
Apron/oven glove set
Toy kitchen utensils
Jigsaw
Little backpack
Choc coins
Story CD
Stamper pens

Prob a few other bits I have forgotten about!

ChocolateWombat · 14/12/2014 11:46

I aim for about 15 gifts in the stockings.
Most items will be around the £1 mark, so things like a pencil sharpner, packet of felt tip pens, choc coins, choc orange, note pad etc.

I will put in a pack of pants and a pack of socks - that is their yearly supply, so not really a gift, but always appears in the stocking, as does a new toothbrush and perhaps a lip salve for school coat pocket.

I will add a sticker book (usborne) which is half price in Amazon' so £2.99 and also a small playmobil set (£3) and small lego set (£6) so there is something to play with until the big presents. These are their 'big' stocking presents.

Total looks like £22 excluding pants and socks and £34 including them. Certainly don't want to spend more.

Will then spend about £50 on main presents. Again not keen to spend more, there will be gifts from other relatives and I find it all rather obscene when you see the piles of stuff under the tree on Christmas morning, although lovely too.

cherubimandseraphim · 14/12/2014 12:10

DD (2yo) is getting:

Bubbles - 50p from Tiger
Large choc coin - £2 Boots (but "free" on points)
Happyland surprise figure £1.60
Satsuma
Apple
Red flock bouncy ball £3
CBeebies magazine (free as we got sent a few free earlier in the year - long story - and I put this one aside for the stocking as it has a nice plastic ninky nonk with it)
Hair slides and bobbles - £3.50
Ikea soft toy mouse - £1
Munchkin bath bugs (on points in the Boots summer sale, reduced to £2 anyway)
Light-up bath ducks from Tiger - £3 I think?
Paper animals from Tiger - £1
Hotel Chocolat Tiddly Pot (mini choc buttons) - can't remember price, about £3 I think

Pretty much everything was in the sale and/or under a couple of pounds/under £2 anyway/free/on Boots advantage card points - I estimate I spent nearly exactly £20 in total on the stocking, which I think isn't too extravagant? Around £20 for the stocking seems to me about right for a 2yo - certainly not necessary to spend more and I probably could have spent less!

My parents did a stocking of fun bits but not tat - little wooden puzzles, kaleidoscopes, gyroscope, stuff from the John Lewis pocket money section type toys type of thing; then we'd have a main FC present under the tree and a few other bits and pieces from mummy and daddy. I plan to do the same kind of thing. I loved my stocking presents - they were possibly the best bit of Christmas for me and I still remember some of them fondly nearly 30 years later :)

The rest of DD's presents:

Munchkin bath tug boat set, bought with Boots points in the summer sale - £5 (in points so kind of free) - Father Christmas might possibly give this I think.

From us:
--Toy jogger buggy from John Lewis - £20 (bought with high street shopping vouchers from my saved up E-on energy points);
--Brio coffee set - I saw this reduced to £7.99 in a sale and thought it was so hipster! DH will like it as he's an espresso fiend and always bemoans that DD only makes pretend tea not pretend coffee ;)
--Sarah & Duck DVD (£5 from Amazon), plus mini plush Sarah & Ducks (got when the price reduced to around £9 with postage on Amazon), plus Sarah & Duck meet the penguins book (£5) (can you tell what DD's favourite programme is yet? ;) ) - Sarah & Duck bundle total £19
--Plus some bath boats from Ikea, £3

= so around £50 from Mummy and Daddy. As a "big" present, Father Christmas will bring a faux-Brio-style (but cheaper!) train set from Tesco (on Clubcard points). All in all, I estimate we'll probably spend the equivalent of around 100-120 pounds including the stocking, though some of that will be funded by saved Boots and energy points and clubcard points and so on. I have the sense that we're kind of in the middle with presents - well, I like to think, not too few and not too many - though I know my sister spends a lot more each on her children, probably more like £300-400 per child, which seems a lot to me for preschoolers! Shock

I tend to buy throughout the year at places like Ikea and Tiger, especially for stocking things, and stash away, so that it spreads the cost. I'm aware that this is more than lots of children get, but also far less than others (DD has no concept of iPads or tablets and I hope to keep it that way as long as possible for the sake of my bank balance! :))

Greengrow · 14/12/2014 12:12

Chocolate coins, large chocolate coin, small box of chocolates and a tangerine. That's it. x 5 (even though I'm anti sugar and anti chocolate but that's what they want).
No present just £100 cash each except one who has asked for a present of that value this year which is bought. Dead easy, peaceful and relaxing. I won't wrap anything.

Whowillsaveyoursoul · 14/12/2014 14:03

Ds 5 and a half:

Small cuddly toy
Few lego sets free with daily mail
Glow mini dinosaurs
Snowman poop marshmallows
Minion bath soap
Super heroes top trumps
Pizza game (travel size)
Teenage mutant turtle bath slime
Lollipop
Chocolate coins
Novelty erasers
Squashy slug

I reckon it's cost me £25.

Postchildrenpregranny · 14/12/2014 14:33

I let you off ,threepiecesite I just have a real 'thing' about sweet- faced little girls who need no embellishment wearing make up .

Postchildrenpregranny · 14/12/2014 14:40

As previously posted my DDs (now 28 and 25) confirm it was the unwrapping that was fun , as billibob says , though they were nice enough to say they do remember some brilliant presents . And yes, you HAVE to use wrapping paper different from what you use for the rest of the prezzies. I just used two different types, one for each child, and never wrote on them .Misting up as I speak....what is it about Christmas that makes me so emotional? I can't wait for grandchildren

IsabellaofFrance · 14/12/2014 14:42

We only do 1 present from DH and I, so stockings tend to be a bit more, but I have a spreadsheet so I keep on top of things. DS1's stocking comes to £43.47 and DD's comes to £56.16.

DS2 doesn't have a stocking because he has SN and doesn't play with anything/hates clothes etc. Santa always brings him a present and this year it is a Y-flicker scooter.

lecherslady · 14/12/2014 15:46

I easily spend a couple of hundred pounds on their stockings (sacks) but it easily adds up and is mostly practical stuff, with some luxury food items and a few toys thrown in.

One tradition is that they get their annual supply of underwear at Christmas (I always did as a child too!) so went to M&S and bought my 2 DDs two new packs of vests/crop tops, pants, socks and tights each. Nothing special, no expensive character ones just bog standard clothes. That came to over £80. But I won't need to buy that again until next Christmas.

Otherwise, they get stuff for their hobbies - DD1 needs new hand guards £40, and her national shoes don't fit her anymore that's another £25.

So that's £125 on stuff that she would get anyway. And that's before I add in clothes, pjs and so on...

I always say on these threads that it's impossible to judge without looking at the bigger picture of what people are spending all year round. Other parents might do small stockings, but they've already given their children the £40 hand guards just because they need them, whereas I've made DD wait until Christmas for hers. I'm mean and don't do expensive gifts outside of Christmas / Birthday - they have to save their pocket money otherwise!

feralgirl · 14/12/2014 21:19

I have just been reminded (again) how ridiculously much I overspend at Christmas.

Stockings have always been a big deal in my family and DD (3) and DS (6) have stockings that, eventually, will probably top £100 each. The rest of my family will contribute A LOT more stuff to them as well as they are the only children in the family so they get spoilt rotten by great aunts etc. There will be more stuff than the spawn know what to do with.

In my defence, they only have one main present from us and that was about £80 each. Other presents from extended family tend to be experiences (National Trust membership, swimming lessons, membership of local zoo) rather than more Stuff.

Stockings tend to be a mixture of a bit of posh treat food (chocolate for DS, olives and savoury stuff for DD); essentials like underwear; books and expensive toys like Lego and Playmobil; plus a bit of plastic tat.

As I said, probably way more than is useful and lots of the posters on this thread have reminded me that stockings don't have to be OTT to be hugely fun.

Saz12 · 14/12/2014 21:30

For stocking (ie not the main gift) for my 3yo:
Satsuma (even I'm not mean enough to price that one up!)
Playdoh 4 pack (£3)
Finger puppet (£2)
Bubble bath (£2)
Chocolate coins (50p)
Two little bags of jelly sweets (50p)
Crisps (a whole packet! To herself! - priceless).
Bouncy light-up rubber ball, same type as a friend has got and she's been coveting for ages (£2)
Sparkly plastic fairy tooth-mug and tooth brush set (£5)
New crayons (50p) and colouring book (£1).

Personally I think £20 for a stocking is fine, as we can afford it. Am happy that what she'll have will be enjoyed beyond Christmas morning, rather than one-minute-wonders, but it's nothing devastatingly exciting.

For us, the stocking is to keep her occupied and happy whilst the rest of the family staggers around looking for dressing-gowns etc, and I want to be fully awake for the "main Santa event" - i.e. the gifts under the tree.

stewierooibos · 16/12/2014 19:37

Ours aren't wrapped. There's no tipping out though as its all so tightly wedged in Xmas Grin

It's really interesting how children can still believe when every family does it so differently. That's the real magic of Christmas right there.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 17/12/2014 15:09

Aww about the Christmas magic thing stewie - and how children seem quite accepting that Santa might do things a bit differently in all their friends houses - basically I guess they see the bits that fit in with the story and their own experience and don't notice differences/incongruities for a good few years and then they spin it out anyway because who doesn't like a bit of chocolate on Christmas morning Xmas Smile

Jacaranda123 · 20/12/2019 17:42

So much sugar though @PesoPenguin. They may be spending more to avoid counterfeit goods.

Jacaranda123 · 20/12/2019 17:44

Aside from the books, bath treats and chocolate Santas, other things I add are packets of flowers - sunflowers and strawberries. Anything they want for their pets.

CheekyFucker · 20/12/2019 17:48

Zombie thread

PhantomErik · 20/12/2019 18:09

I went through the dc stocking fillers today & had bought more than I thought Blush Have kept a few bits back for birthday extras.

DD10
Pusheen blind box £5
David Bowie t-shirt £10
Bath bombs £3
Harry Potter pens £5
Fluffy socks £5
Large choc coin £1
Glow in the dark stickers £1
Gyrosphere £4
Bath scrunchie £1

Total £35

DS9
Personalised drum sticks - £9
Large choc coin £1
Hot wheels blind bag - £1
Hogwarts socks £3
Harry Potter pens £3.50
Mini snake puzzle £2.50
Bath bombs £3
Science museum spinning top £4
Bath scrunchie £1

Total £28

DS7
How to train your dragon top trumps £6
Large choc coin £1
Hot wheels blind bag £1
Fluffy socks £2
Bath bombs £3
Hammerhead shark £1
Dinosaur £3
Glow in the dark stickers £1
Wind up boat £3
Bath scrunchie £1

Total £22

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 20/12/2019 19:01

Actually, I really haven't been keeping tabs - which is poor planning on my part.

2 pocket books= £4 total
choc coins =£1
stickers= £2
playmobil surprise bag (free - DS's main present is playmobil and it came free with that.)
Tub of slime (free - passed on by a friend)
magnet set = £5.99
octopus bath toy £5
bath jelly £4
bath bomb £4
socks £5

£31 total - wow that's more than I thought. I really need to key a closer eye on that next Christmas....

Swipe left for the next trending thread