Teen boy stocking Vs Tween girl stocking?

[UndertheCedartree]

So my DS is 14 and my DD 9 this year. The youngest still believes in FC. In our house FC brings the stockings.

I am on a tight budget. However I can get lots of things my DD will like/use inexpensively to fill a stocking. Not so much for my DS. And I really don't want to buy novelties for the sake of it - I want things he will like/use. Tbh I'd probably just not do one for him but I want to keep the fun for his DS.

All I can think of is Costa/Nintendo giftcards which are expensive and tiny! Also the traditional socks and sweets (although he doesn't even eat them much anymore - had to throw lots of Easter choc away that he didn't eat! )

What things do you put in you Teen boy's stocking if on a budget?

If he likes Costa, would he like a bag of coffee beans? Or some of the fancy instant stuff if you don’t have the gubbins to make bean coffee?

Big bag of Doritos and a couple of cans or bottle of his favourite fizzy takes up a lot of room.

What's your total budget for the stocking? I'd suggest some of these things…

Japanese kitkats
LED light strip/tape for his room
Toiletries
Hot chocolate shaker or slushy maker
Beanie hat - maybe one with a torch
Bath bomb
Nando's sauce
Mug cake kits
Long tube of Oreos
Fizzy drinks from around the world
1kg of pick n mix from somewhere like pickyomix (wait for 20% off code)
Toothbrush and whitening toothpaste
Aftershave minis
American candy
Cooking bits like Betty Crocker mixes (ingredients to make 'slutty brownies')
Protein bars
American cereal
Water bottle
Steel straws
Reusable coffee cup
Underwear

IWoot normally have good things in their five for £20 sale

@Zarene - we have a pod machine so a box of pods would be a good idea, thank you.
@Farcry66 - he would definitely like cans of fizzy, thank you.
@CatOfTheLand - thanks for all the ideas! He does like anything Japanese and would like lots on that list. My budget is about £20 - I'll have a look on IWoot, thank you!

You could get a reusable mug to take to Costa?
Or wrap the Costa gift card inside a Costa cup so its bulkier.
Does he read? Books are always good for stocking fillers.

Like the idea of crisps or peanut or something rather than sweets if he doesn't really eat them.

I always put a shower gel, bubble bath and deodorant in ds’s.
If chocolate is out what about crisps or Pringles or nuts. Ds also gets a pot noodle in his and Percy pigs. Also a magazine.

Following for ideas for DSes 12 and 14. There would be mutiny if they didn't have stockings but they no longer play with toys and I don't want to get them landfill tat.

Here are a few bits I include every year:

Beano / Dandy annuals
Mini box of chocolate cereal
Tube of sweets
Chocolate coins

Last year they each got a small lightbox (£6 from Tiger) and a framed photo of them with their pet, these both went down well.

If your budget is £20 I'd start looking at Freebies websites and sending off for aftershave, skincare and snack samples.

Do you have any local freebie Facebook groups? Eg. Free Stuff Yourtownsname. If so, and you could do it without him seeing (ask the admin to post anonymously) you could ask on there if anyone has any unopened stocking filler type gifts or toiletry sets that they are looking to get rid of. You might be surprised at what is donated.

How about…
Fun pair of socks
Can of strange American soda pop
American sweets
Shower gel and deodorant (lynx?)
Nice pen
Book mark
Book
Hair wax or gel
Little 30ml aftershave (Next has cheap ones)
Cactus
Mini Lego kit
Novelty wind up toy

Looking for freebies is a good idea.
Shopmium is a good app for that - buy and upload photo of receipt and they pay you back directly into a PayPal account.

At the moment they have free pringles, half price iced coffee, half price fancy razors... all would be good for 14YO and there will be more (usually quite a lot around xmas)

Also the offers are stackable so if you find an item 50% off in store, and 50% off on the app you get 75% off altogether.

Thanks all for the ideas!

@nicky2512 - what magazine would you put in? And he's pretty partial to a pot noodle!

@HungryHippo11 - I'll have a look at that, thank you

For my husband's stocking (don't judge 🤣) I look on firebox or iwoot for ideas then buy it from AliExpress

@CatOfTheLand - thanks for the tip! And I hope your husband enjoys his stocking!

@UndertheCedartree
Ds is into cars so Top Gear or something like that for him. And the Beano!
I know my Ds always appreciates a pot noodle!
Last year I put in hand gel and a toilet roll of his own - after how hard they had been to get. He likes something silly.

Also if there anything he likes that you don’t usually buy. I don’t buy mine fizzy drinks often so I usually put in a couple of cans or small bottles of Diet Coke.

Tubes of Pringles are always a hit here!

@nicky2512 - great ideas!
@Petal7 - yes, that would take up quite a lot of room!

To be honest, my teen like most eats me out of house and home so lots of rare snacks and fizzy drinks would be very popular, I'm sure!