Stockings for teens that don’t cost a fortune

[Eightytwenty]

In previous years we’ve done stockings for the kids that include the usual chocolate/ books/ silly food/ smellies / nice pants & socks coupled with a few more expensive presents. I’d say I normally spend at least about £100-£200 per child. Would like to bring the cost down to under £100. Anyone got any genius (cheap!) ideas for this age group (12-18)?

This is what I’ve got for my dd so far. She won’t be getting much more.
Monopoly Deal card game - £5 on Amazon
Bath bombs - £1 in primark www.primark.com/en-gb/c/beauty/bath-and-body/shower-and-bath/bath-bombs
Bakedin mug cake kit - less than £5 (I bought the pack of 3 on Amazon for £14)
Magazine - £4-£5
Set of 6 rolls of pretty washi tape - £5 Amazon
Coffee syrup set - £7 (I’ve bought this one
Hair scrunchie - bought one in the sale from Accessorize for a couple of £
Carmex lip balm - £2 in Primark

What are the usual "expensive gifts" in stocking and are these separate to other gifts? Or is it just the stocking?

Most expensive thing I normally put in is a book at £5-7 each.

Probably 1-3 things like - portable charging case/ nice jumper/ new dressing gown / oodie. So £20-30ish. They then only generally get 1 ‘present’. Guess what I want to do is keep the main present which is the thing they want but be a bit more frugal on the stocking. Not a fan of crap though and maybe I need to rethink it as a way to package up stuff they need.

I’ve dramatically cut down the extra ‘stocking filler’ presents for both my dd’s. I try and choose things that I’d inevitably end up buying but better versions in the past - like higher end shampoos/hair treatments than regular supermarket for instance but I’m even stopping that now too.
My dd16 is getting
Sherpa fleece lounge set from PLT (picked up in summer £9!)
A few bits I got from the fragrance direct sale a few months ago but things she actually uses
A couple of makeup items that she regular uses
Perfume that she’s had her eye on for a while - ordered direct and got lots of freebie samples and miniatures with it all gift wrapped beautifully for no extra
Then whatever cash I can give her so she can go clothes shopping with
Oh and a variety of chocs and sweets as she has a very sweet tooth!
All the other bits and bobs I’d usually pick up I just can’t do this year and so I’ve tried to get things she’ll actually want/need

Stockings here have always been too small for any item of clothing bigger than socks. So an Oodie, for example, would be a main present.
Satsuma, chocolate coins, joke puzzle or toy, socks, pants, a book or CD (years back), stationery, sd card or memory stick, coffee voucher, usb heated fingerless gloves.

Sorry I realise I haven’t answered your question at all!
Basically I’m not doing actual stockings this year - I stopped last year and they didn’t notice or mind!
I just wrap things with a bit more care to give them more of a wow factor and cut out the unnecessary spending 😁

If you go to urban outfitters they have lots of bits in your price range.

Last year, big hits were dots for spots and a webcam/camera cover for phones. Couple of quid each.

A £5 Costa or similar voucher.

I always put in a couple of things that they would buy anyway like toothbrush heads, cleanser, a pack of pens.

Tiger are good for the odd bit too.

Just started one for friends 13 year old who will be staying over Christmas

Essie nail varnish £6
mini nail file set -£2
Mac lip gloss - free sample
Buff merino snood scarf - £12
A how to draw ‘faces’ book ( she’s arty) - £10
Small Sketch pencil set -£6

I will add some chocolate/ mini shortbread/ fancy sparkling pink lemonade of similar

£50 ish total.

Thanks for the tips! Will try and do an early trip to town and get it done. We have December birthdays too so it’s a hideously expensive month.

Our stockings are quite small!
So usually 10 -15 small items, most cost £3 or under

typically we put in things like this for teens (girls and boys)

chocolate orange
retro sweets
chocolate santa
tube of sweets eg buttons
socks
lynx
shower gel
nail varnish
mascara
make-up wipes
any make up really..
hair ties
leather wrist band /bracelet
earrings
ear plugs (university ds, who needs them to sleep)
mug
hot chocolate sachets
coffee latte sachets
tub of oreo/galaxy hot chocolate
mini marshmallows
monster can
bottle/can of beer
costa voucher

I now only put in things that I know they like and will eat/use. I stopped putting in mindless crap a few years ago. So the list is very specific to the child and their likes.

Most of our stocking gifts are things that you are going to have to buy anyway. If you buy them over the year rather than all in one go, that helps, although it's a bit late to do that this year eg socks, hair bands, shower gel and other toiletries, stationery. Instead of buying treats/chocolates to share on Christmas day, everyone gets their share in the stocking.

Primark is a good for cheap beauty products eg £1 face masks, bath bombs, hair bands etc. You can always divide up and repackage multipacks of things. It's also good for cheap reed diffusers, candles, wardrobe scent sachets, fragrance oils, if you have DC who like those things, as is Aldi. The Imperial Leather shower gels that smell like Love Hearts, Refreshers (about £1 but often in BOGOF deals) or the Aldi Jo Malone dupes etc always go down well here. Poundshops are good for picking up Lynx etc, you can make up your own gift set of shower gel and deodorant for a couple of quid instead of a fiver.

The world food aisle in Tesco is good for unusual sweets, snacks and drinks.

Our stockings are regular sized thankfully so we don't need to spend too much filling them. We also only do treats in stockings, nothing practical like toothbrushes or pants.

I've only been to M&S so far and picked up:
Percy Pig Choc Corn Tablet
Percy Pig Mini Sty of Wonder
Colin The Caterpillar Candy Cane Jelly Sweets
Colin the Caterpillar Hot Chocolate Stirrer

I also saw the chocolate topple tower, the percy snoses, chocolate coins and winter wonderbar which may possibly also make their way in.

My teen DD will be getting a few lush products, gift cards she can use when she goes out with her friends, festive hair scrunchies/earrings/alic bands etc, maybe some festive editions of nice nail polishes. I'm going to just pick things up as I see things she would like I think.

The Older to pre teen, will be mostly sweets, scrunchies etc as above, minecraft/roblox/fall guys festive versions of anything like that, blind bags, asmr type toys, maybe either robux or minecoins for their games and smiggle festive scented pencils look good.

And I hear a mini pringles tub is always a hit with teens so may do that too!

I was going to cut back this year but the itch got me and I added a few more items already lol, my 14 year old is getting:

• zombie stickers
• flying frog toy
• a mug
• fake snow
• fart putty
• a day of the dead bottle opener
• a game with velcro balls/targets to pay with sibling
• panda biscuits
• a share bag of M&Ms
• sour cable sweets
• chocolate coins
• chocolate orange

I bargain hunt but keep everything under £1... I dont see the point of expensive things in stockings so no luxuary items or electronics etc... stockings are just silly little novelties for us.

My teens favorite things is always some random cheap novelty from the stocking, last year it was a ball that splatted when you through it against the wall.

£100 is our budget for actual main gifts.

I usually go to B&M and buy bits, bath bombs, bubble bath, makeup, etc to bulk my DDs presents up.

I'm definitely reducing the amount of tat in DS's stocking this year. Am sick of tons of unused gifts lying around the house.

Probably 50% of the stocking will be edibles - snack tubs of Pringles, chocolate orange, Christmas cookie etc

@mam0918 it’s an itch for sure. Though they don’t believe I think it’s their favourite part of Christmas.

Edibles & B&M a good idea.

I have just thrown out 2 things that I put in my dds stockings last year, grrrr. Random baking kits from home bargains, just to fill a space.
Not doing it again!
Stockings are always small things, but I'm going to try really hard to stick to things that will definitely get used (or eaten!).
Successes have been

• small tubs of pringles
• any type of Xmas food actually
• costa or greggs £5 tokens
• small stud earrings
• tights
• gloves
• sheet masks
• Nice pens

Hot chocolate goes down a treat in this house. I’ve also started buying the odd vintage head scarf or retro earrings in charity shops etc that they love. And then lots of stuff that sounds like what everyone else gets - bath bits, makeup chocs etc.

Mainly stuff they need, and I would buy anyway. From small they got character pants, toothbrush, etc., whereas mum only bought plain pants. So I still buy pants, socks, toothbrushes etc and they are now both in their 20s!

Jar of hot chocolate powder and bag of marshmallows - started this at 9 or 10 when hot choc was a bit of a treat - so they could have it every day in Christmas hols. Still get it now, to take back to uni.
A card game or small puzzle, a book or magazine, sweets or chocolate, gin in a tin (once 18ish). Both kids enjoy cooking so herb and spice blends - more of these once they were at university, but interesting spices before then, possibly to match a recipe they'd enjoyed eating or that featured in a cook book I'd bought them.
Nail varnish, earrings , tights for dancing lessons, bike cleaner, chain oil - small bits they need for their hobbies.

Arty bits
notebook
calendar
booties
socks pants
pjs
loungeweear
foodie bits-fave cereal,biscuits,choc
cushion
paint by numbers
embroidery kit
cookbook
mug
Reading torch
rings
moisturiser
gloves
booze
pendant
oversized sweater
nee diary

Chocolate orange
Satsuma
Bath bombs
Selection box
Slipper socks
Shower Gel

Then I need more!

Pack of cards
incense
crystals

We don't do tat/silly/things I'd be buying for them anyway in stockings but we don't do big gifts in them either.

DD will have:

Liz Earle beauty balm
Lounge socks (to match cardigan she already has)
Lush Xmas themed bath bomb
Starbucks gift card
Stackers watch roll (she already has the jewellery box)
Hotel chocolat mini Xmas box

Total cost will be under £50, nothing that will be wasted & all things DD will love.

Lip balms
Coffee vouchers
Coloring calendars
Crystals
Fun pens
Stickers

what I bought for my teens last year:

lynx/impulse
starbucks gift card (or google play/iTunes/Nando’s etc)
stationary (usually a pack of bic 4 colour pens)
Socks
fluxx
Pop figure (for ds), silk scrunchies (for dd)
chocolate coins
smarties tube
apple
satsuma