Same mistake every year!

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

I’ve done it again. Every bloody year I get carried away with buying stocking fillers and now I’ve finished for all three of them - got the 10 pressies and reached the budget...and haven’t actually asked them what they want yet! So they will write their letters to Santa asking for their random bits and pieces and I’ve got no budget and no space in the stocking to get them anything else! Does anyone else do this? I just love doing stockings and they always ask for crap anyway!

Genuine question

Do you always do 10 things in the stocking?

Iv never counted but I do xmas different time you.

Big things are from Santa
Stockings are also from Santa
A few bits are from us - random bits. ( we don’t buy for the kids as Santa does all the kids so we have to buy for adults such as nans/grandads/aunties etc)

Iv already done a box and filled it with what I call stocking fillers .. no idea how many items are in there

Hooray, some sensible replies! Thank you for restoring my faith in the MN parents!

I realise in hindsight that the tongue in cheek nature didn’t really come across and people took the ‘no budget and no space in stocking’ a bit seriously and I clearly misjudged the festive cheer on the Christmas topic!

Funnily enough though my DS (10) dropped a big hint as to what he’s going to ask for in his stocking over the weekend, and guess what?? I’ve already bought it! SoI can’t be doing that badly!

@Fantie, no, it’s more of a guide that I start out with. I know that roughly 10 pressies of a reasonable stocking filler size fit in their stockings so it’s what I aim for. And likewise I have a rough budget of £30 but there’s flexibility there. But I do count them because I have three DC and the fallout over one child getting more than the other is not worth it. But I know I’ve spent more on my older kids stockings than my toddler so hopefully it will average out at about £30 each!

My children ask Father Christmas for their presents, but their stockings are just things I think they'll like, and will keep them occupied until I'm awake enough to leave my bed at whatever ridiculous hour it is that they decide to get up! I don't ask them to write a list, so it's all surprises here.

Good lord there seems to be a massive lack of sense of humour on here today!

OP, i know what you mean. My children have all written a half dozen lists already so i rarely consider their lists gospel anyway. I buy stocking bits, not so much presents as much as just "fun stuff" and if i see something i think they'll like i buy it whether they ask for it or not. Last year i went rather over budget so have been stricter this year.

Tbf, i always declare I'm done shopping by mid november and then end up twitching & buying more anyway

Yes I'm very guilty of this, I started picking things up in toy sales, they'll love what I've got them but I appreciate it's not the same. This year I've got them to write 3 things down that they really want, then the rest is all me. I've told them I've already emailed it to Santa! Thankfully the things they've chosen aren't overly expensive. So the rest will be things I've picked up in sales etc.

I've done exactly this over the last few years! This year I'm holding off until beginning of december to purchase main gifts. I've bought the usual stocking fillers and gifts I know they'll enjoy but other than that I've only bought for family and friends