How much do you put in stockings?

[Opheliasgoldenwine]

I've never done a stocking before and I don't want to not get enough

I've added up the costs and so far it's costing about £50 to do DP's stocking how many items do you put in for a stocking that is non-edible?

Hopeful bump

I normally put in 6-8 little items, plus some edible bits. But I don't spend much on them, the rule is cheap and cheerful! If anything costs more than £3 it would go under the tree as a main gift instead. I just put in fun bits they will like there and then. And wrap them up as its more fun that way.

For my dh I would put in more expensive things but also some cheap cheerful stuff he can play with the kids. Again probably 6-8 items but more of these would be edible. Last year it included a beer, choc coins and a bag of chocolate sprouts! I think also a cd, some magnetic fridge pens and 2 'toy' things such as lego to play with the kids.

@d270r0 thank you! How much does your DH's stocking usually cost?

I'd say maybe £20-£25. Anything more expensive goes by the tree. Hes not really bothered about having a stocking but I want one so do him one anyway!

DH gets some chocolate coins, posh shower gel or shave cream, a book and a toy/novelty item. No more than £20 at the very outside, and more like £15.

Kids get chocolate coins, stationery (funny pen or stickers), a bath bomb, a hair accessory and a book. Maybe £10?

NB stocking are brought by Father Christmas in our house, and he'a cheapskate. DH and I get the tree present glory.

I keep it to £10-15 but people on mn give massive lists that must cost £50.

Not £50 worth of stuff! That's a big stocking! 😀

We put in:

• 2/3 little toys eg a play mobile figure, a little lego car kit, a magnifying glass or a magic trick etc. We try to use (good) freebies eg the lego you get free with a newspaper. It's always stuff she'll like, not stuff for the sake of it but we don't spend more than £5 ish.

• A toothbrush and tooth paste. She LOVES getting new toothpaste! 😂 This is always her favourite stocking present. I dunno £3.

• A pack of haribos (to undo the toothpaste!). £1 or less.

• Then maybe a pair of socks or a little book or soap (she loves soap too) or something like that if there is room. £1.

TBH we tend to spend more (too much) on a Christmas eve box. In that we put:

• new pjs.
• a Christmas book.
• a bubble bath / bath bomb.
• hot chocolate or horlix with marshmallows and squirty cream.
• a DVD.
• some sort of activity or craft.

Sorry, I missed that it was for your partner!

Following as I really struggle.

You need a smaller stocking!

My main focus is the kids' stockings (spend about £15 I reckon), but so far DH is getting a bottle opener related to a film he likes (£3), some flavoured cider (~£5), and some sweets/chocolate (chocolate reindeer, coins, maybe some marshmallows). I'll add some novelty socks, bath bomb, maybe a puzzle (like the wooden ones from the Works). Nothing big.

Some favourite edibles which show I pay attention to his preferences.

We always have a choc santa or reindeer, some have white some milk, some plain.

A fancy beer.

New underwear.

PJs if anyone needs them.

Something gadgety- last year it was a fiddle box thing.

Shower gel

Some kind of personal trinket.

Chocolate orange.

Puzzle book.

Pen

Chocolate coins.

Nuts in the shell, cos he likes them.

Something new which he'd never think to get/try himself.

How much does that normally cost @picklemepopcorn ?

Maybe £15 plus extra for pants socks pjs which really can't be classed as presents. They are essentials but given at Christmas. I get jazzy ones instead of sensible ones!
Most things cost about a pound, I reckon.

I also get those thick balloons which have elastic bands on and can be used as punch balls, and streamers and streamer balloons, and party poppers. Then we can play/pop on Christmas Day. You are never to old for a wind up toy, either!

I have teenagers. They get things like fancy bath things/shower gel/ manicure type bits - emery boards and a nail varnish, small hand cream, fancy pens etc and a chocolate santa or similar figure.

This year I have bought, so far, small memo box for Post It notes, hand creams and emery boards.

I mostly just put in small cheaper items such as chocolate and sweets, Christmas themed socks. A small toy a Christmas scratch card and lottery ticket. Sometimes gift cards etc my stocking stuff is normally under £30.

Oh yes, lottery tickets have been in there too...

I've never thought of a lottery ticket, lived abroad until last year. That's going on the list maybe they'll pay the mortgage off for us, eh?

Loads because we have big stockings. This year DH and I are only doing stockings though, no big presents. I'll probably buy him socks, chocolate, a Lego set, a notebook, gin. He will buy me bath oil, chocolate, gin!

Enough to make them knobbly!
The kids have huge stockings lovingly handmade by a relative, so it's a search for cheap large items - swords and pool noodles from the pound shop, and now it's a tradition to have a box of 'holiday' cereal - the chocolate type that they won't get normally.
For the kids there's a book or two and a toy and some sweets - the fond hope is they will be happy for an hour or two so I get more kip or at least a peaceful hour watching them with some tea. I've only done stockings for adults once (pre-kids) which was similar cheap fun plus various bottles of alcohol!

The lottery ticket works better some years than others, because of the draw day!

Last year dd1 then 15 had 22 pressies, dd2 then 12 had 25, and ds then 9 had 11.

They were always cheap and cheerful when they were younger as was ds' last year. However the girls stockings can be quite expensive now, but the stockings are counted in the budget. Last year the girls had mainly make up bits in theirs. I went to Boots and just got lots of bits I thought they'd like which came to about £150 between them! 🎗

We only buy for children, and usually about 10-12 gifts. I do probably spend about £30-45 on stockings. I hate acquiring lots of tat and we don't routinely buy little things when we go out for days etc (we wait until we have a really big day out/ holiday, and let them choose something bigger). We also don't do 'little extras' under the tree. We don't overly restrict, but certainly don't go overboard.

so this includes bits they have liked over the year.

This year, for example, DS1(5) will roughly get:
medium Schleich dinosaurs
Dino hand puppet
Small switch & go Dino
Hotwheels car
Tin of finger paints
Large chocolate coin
Set of story cubes
Dino hatch egg (£ shop)
Box of cocopops (banned in this house!)
£5 Lego set
Kinder Egg

I bought some gorgeous pre-lit tapestry stockings for my DC last year (my DS -18yo in Dec - is fast becoming very Bah Humbug so I'm hanging onto the last strands of Christmas-that-was )
DD will be 15.6yo
DH doesn't get a stocking, hes difficult enough to buy for without thinking of extra bits.

As the DC are getting older everything evolves. Christmas is more relaxed. I don't need to sneak things into the house and hide them but they know not to try and peek .
DD writes very long specific lists, its easier just to get her what she wants than try to guess.

I'm doing a Beauty Advent for her (and they get their Hampers on the 1st so longer to enjoy them)
Advent will be a small Beauty gift in a small bag left on her beside (I won't let her ave the whole 24 days at once don't trust her )
I'm looking at travel sizes, sachets of face-pack, soap, etc.
Then her Stocking will be box of Malteasers or M&Ms, pen set , underwear , book .

DS- no clue
He gets a £50 note in a nice tin , XBox games, underwear . So I need to divide these up between Proper and Stocking .
And he has his 18th in Dec
He got a big TV as an early 18th so I can be reprieved.
He has a Provisional but hasn't asked for lessons.

My dc have pillowcases that they decorated when they were really little when I could get boxed toys and put them in.
In our house, stockings are from Father Christmas and so are a combination of things they ask for on their list that will fit and any other bits and pieces I think they will like.
Now they are older, the older ones know FC isn't real but the youngest doesn't!
Usually spend around £200 on each stocking but as I say, it has one of their big ticket items in their from 'FC' and they are my favourite part of Christmas shopping. They normally have about 30 - 40 things in there, I don't keep count and they don't all have exactly the same number of presents in each one.
And no, they don't get bored opening them!!!
Only children get stockings in our house.