Have just added up how much I’ve spent on DC stocking…

[MantisAndCrumpet]

And am utterly shocked it’s come to £90!!!!

Am trying to rationalize that actually a lot of the items are things I’d have to buy for them at other times anyway (stationery for school, hand cream, lip salve etc) and I can afford it, but it just surprised me when I added it up.

Has anyone else had a similar shock? Or are you sensible enough to not add it up

I’m afraid I’m more sensible, sorry OP. Stockings for us aren’t huge: PJs, an annual, a book, some lip balm / beauty stuff, I might throw in a chocolate bar.

But if it works for you, and you can afford it, what’s the problem?! Go with it.

I find it’s the sneaky small ‘add on’ ‘just to top up’ stuff that adds up.

Honestly I don't add up what I spend on my kids at Xmas, it would shock me if I did.

We spend £50 per child. I've counted my 10 year olds and she has 8 presents. I set that budget and I stick to it. The cost doesn't bother me because I buy things that they need and will like.x

For us the stocking is just sweets and small bits like hair clips or fidget toys. I think less then £10 on each. However there is probably bits in our present pile that you would have put into the stocking, so difficult to compare like for like.

Probably similar here but stockings are 'a big thing' in our family so part of the overall Christmas gift stuff, so I don't mind. Ours are really big which doesn't help

I buy small things but even if each one is under a fiver it does add up. Some things like books are usually more than that. X3 children... I think it's best not know for sure!

I'm definitely not counting. We do a sack rather than a stocking and everything bar the one thing they've asked for goes in that. So they each have a jigsaw, pants, socks, chocolate, books, a couple of toys and then little things as well.

I definitely found the "oh I'll pick that toy up" stuff was notably more expensive this year. They pick a present to each other that would usually be well under £20 but this year they were £30. Stuff like that.

No stockings here. Just gifts under the tree for which each child has a £250 budget

Stockings easily came to £40 each!!!

presents under the tree about £80 per kid

A few years back I added up the stocking stuff and nearly choked. Particularly as DS doesn't really get that excited by the stocking (which I find odd as I LOVED it when I was a kid.)

Since then I've been on a mission to bring it in as cheap as possible. I scour charity shops for new with tags stuff.

DS's stocking this year is:
I bag Haribo (£1:25)
Giant Jammy Dodger (£1)
Mini Can Fanta 60p
Flags of the world jigsaw (new in cellophane £1 from Banardos. DS is autistic and loves flags.)
Christmas Tree drinking glass with curly straw. (New with tags from Banardos £1)
Mini Cuddly gingerbread man (new with tags, British Heart Foundation. £2)
Hot wheels cars £4 Home bargains
Snowman bath fizzer (£2.50 either Tesco or Sainsburys. Can't remember which.)
Mini Tub Pringles £1

I think the key to keeping the costs down is to give over at least a third of the stocking to foodie treats. Appreciate it's probably a lot of crap, but I don't mind as it's Christmas. And it's not like DS eats it all in one day.

I didn't really have a stocking when I was a kid, all the presents were under the tree, nothing in our rooms.
Can someone explain the stocking 'rules' to me? I'm trying to do it with my DS3, but I'm worried I'm doing it wrong! At the moment it's whichever presents are small enough. DH wants to have stockings upstairs, but it feels really alien to me. (Grew up in a bungalow so there was no concept of 'going downstairs' and it being a big deal)

I don't spend a lot on stockings, probably would've come to about £10 each
2 mini shower gels
Chocolate coins
Minecraft erasers
Some lucky dip toys from eBay
A small tin of Pringles
Fortnite stickers
(Would usually add a bath bomb or something too, but we only have a shower at the moment)

Stocking stuff for DD1 (5)

Lip balm
Nail stickers
Lush bath bomb
Hot chocolate melt
Mini selection box
Hotel Chocolat tiddly pot
Gingerbread man excavation kit
Candy cane craft kit
Foldimals
Tattoos
Stickers
Pokemon cards
Key ring craft kit
Gel pens
Satsuma

DD2 (2.5)

Bath flutes
Rubber duckies
Tiddly pot
Mini selection box
Light-up bath toys
Mini wooden cars
Crayons
Board book
Lush bath bomb
Mini plushie
Satsuma
Choc coins

It's all wrapped and in my stunt stockings so can't remember everything (we have two identical stockings for each DD so we can pre wrap and fill ahead of Christmas Eve and just swap the filled one and hide the empty away).

And our 'rules' are that we do stockings upstairs on our bed when we get up. They're either outside the doors or at bottom of beds depending on the sleeping arrangements that night

We only have 1-3 main gifts from FC (us) under the tree so our stocking forms part of the proper presents.

This year dd will get:

Chocolates
Cuddly cat toy
Polly pocket set
Sticker book
Glitter pens
Hair slides
Socks
Bath bombs
Couple of books
Lol doll surprise ball
Fleece blanket
Craft set
Diary

I think that's everything - I've wrapped them already so I struggle to remember!

Stockings are massive in our house probably because they were when I was a child. Then they went at the bottom of our bed, one of our Dad's big long socks, crinkly and very full, and really exciting to wake up to.
Much cheaper when kids were younger, little toys, crafts, sweets, stationery. Now they are young adults I buy a posh food (herbal teabags, jars of jam or sauces, ingredients for fancy cooking), utensils, the odd bit of charity shop vintage homeware like a little earring dish or pretty glass, soap, jewellery, toiletries, make up, shampoo bar type stuff, bath bomb and a voucher or two for cinema or a local shop or cafe they like. It's the biggest task of Xmas prep as generally we get main presents people ask for. I greatly enjoy doing it but start getting bits in August when we used to have our holiday and the kids would see things they liked which I would 'secretly' buy ('get your sister out of the shop and distract her while I get those earrings '). Both my kids are very eco-conscious so I can't get crap any more, consumables being the answer. Doing the stockings is a bit of an act of love. I now fill them early evening Xmas Eve and they go on our landing as I can't wait up for them to go to bed 🤣. They open them together in one of their rooms, always the same ritual, while I lie in bed listening to them laughing and discovering what they've got. So preparation is the key! And for lots of people as others say, stockings are maybe a book, some sweets, not some big project, just a fun addition to presents. But like you OP I will have spent a lot 😀

I love doing the stockings but I also really hate plastic tat so it ends up costing a fair bit to get decent stuff that's the right size. But I don't mind, stockings were a big thing when I was growing up and well in to adulthood as well

We didn't have stockings as a child, but I do them for mine.

I always put chocolate, new socks, and then anything small - stationary, small toys, small accessories.

We don't have our DC lay them out at the bottom of the bed, instead I put them in full whilst they are asleep.

They then bring them in to our room in the morning to unwrap before going downstairs to see what Santa has left.

We have left them downstairs before, but then they kind of fall by the wayside.

I don't bother adding it up to be honest, but it's hard to do cheap stockings and make them useful rather than full of tat. I don't mind though, I really enjoying shopping and putting the stockings together and they're still one of the best parts for my now young adult kids!

Never had stockings , never had a set budget and never added up what’s been spent - those are the rules here .

Stockings are so wildly different person to person. We didn't really have them growing up. I do them for my kids now and spent less than £9 (each) on my kids stockings but they aren't a big deal to us.

Anything expensive or big is a 'proper' present not a stocking filler here.

Oh no stockings in this house are cheap. A bit of an afterthought really. If the kids didn't have one I don't even think they wld notice!

I spend a lot on the kids at Christmas so the stockings are just little things. Lip balms, fidget toys, bubble bath and chocs.

I actually didn't have a stocking as a child. No I had a sack, it was huge and in addition to all my presents, mum must have spent a fortune.

I think we're in the same camp as you OP.. we have a young adult dc & part of our issue this that they're still using the same large felt stocking they had as a kid ,& it's hard (& expensive!) To fill.

This year they're getting:

Cute fruit shaped make up sponges
Fake eyelashes x 2 packs
Fluffy socks (now a tradition)
Hello kitty slippers
Shower puffs in cute colours
Mini prosecco
Small bottle of speciality cola drink
Reeces pieces
Korean hot sauce from a specialist company
Italian little chocolates, (from a deli in neighbouring city)
Fancy flavoured popcorn
Beauty face masks
Set of 3 nesting cat dolls (Russian doll idea but cats & miniature)
Charging bank
Leather gloves
L'occitaine soap
Candles from sostrene greene for bedroom

There may be more but that's all i can think of.

I also do a stocking for dh & he does one for me

This year he has:

Small bottle of port
Scalp massager
Socks
Chilli oil from a specialist company
Pork scratchings
M&s black forest chocolates
New scientist magazine (tradition)
His favourite pens x 4
Small tube of baci chocolates
Chorizo flavoured fancy crisps from a deli
Vacuum wrapped salami from a specialist company
L'occitaine men's soap
Fancy olives in a jar

There may be a few more bits for him too that I've forgotten as I have them all stashed away ready to go into the stockings

We really ADORE the stockings & they're the best part of Christmas for me!

DD's came to ~£30, but that's only because I ordered her a "waldorf" doll as a main present. When it arrived it was really rubbish quality, so I filled out a return on Amazon, but Amazon refunded and said I didn't have to send it back, so I'm sticking it in her stocking and it fills a gap that would have been filled by a teddy of some description.

Aside from the disappointing doll, she has hair clips (£3.50), craft kits (2 for £6), "make-up" (lip balm etc.) from Boots 3 for 2 (£9) a Taylor Swift book (£5) and chocolate (£5). There's also a Christmas Activity Book that I picked up for £1.50 I think in a charity shop months ago.

I wouldn't feel bad if you've bought useful things which DD needs. Everything is super expensive now. I've cut down my list of people to buy for considerably and DD's budget has spiralled.

Yep, also spent a lot on stockings here.

I'm justifying it to myself on the grounds that its better to get stuff they like and will use, than fill it up with tat for tats sake.
DD considers it the best bit- so I know its appreciated.
And of course, with the cost of living crisis everything costs unreasonable amounts, anyway. Sometimes you just gotta take the hit and move on for your own sanity.

Anyway, I think I choose some pretty good things this year and I'm quite excited over them.

Both kids got:

Giant lollipop
Kinder Egg
Choc coins
Chewing gum
Sensory spinner
Stick on glow in the dark stars
Metallic felt pens
Book token

DD(9) also has:
Bath bomb
Nail varnish
Novelty lip balm
Dolls house furniture
Specialty tea and tea strainer

DS(12) also has:
Warhammer figure
Warhammer magazine
Dice
Pen and notepad