INSIDE: Fill your Christmas stockings on a budget this year with these helpful tips! You’ll discover lots of ways to get fun items for the people you love without breaking the bank.
The holiday season is on its way. You might have started buying your gifts for Christmas or creating DIY Christmas presents, but have you thought about those stocking stuffers? The tradition of filling stockings has been around for centuries, as illustrated by this Christmas stocking story.
Coming up with Christmas stocking ideas can be tough, which is why you’ll want to check out our list of 100 Stocking Stuffer Ideas, broken down by age group and gender. These cheap stocking stuffers include a McDonald’s gift card and crayons for a kid, nail polish and lip balm for a teen, and a mini flashlight and a magazine subscription for an adult. Other things to consider include small puzzles and bath toys.
- Pro tip: Looking for more ways to save on gifts and holiday meals? Check out all our ideas on How to Do Christmas on a Budget.
FILLING CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS ON A BUDGET
If you aren’t careful, though, you can really spend a lot filling a Christmas stocking with goodies. So here are a few ideas for cheap stocking stuffers that are also practical!
TURN A NEED INTO A GIFT
When I was growing up, it was never Christmas unless we had socks and underwear in our stockings on Christmas morning. And if your kids are like mine, it seems they’re always in need of these items. So instead of just purchasing them for your children to wear, pick them up on sale and stuff them into the kids’ stockings.
You could add other necessary items to your Christmas stockings on a budget as well, such as fuel gift cards for teens, gloves for all ages, pacifiers for babies and other stocking fillers your family members need.
SKIP THE HIGH-TICKET ITEMS
Video games and other electronics are popular gift ideas, but they are also very pricey. Save such a holiday gift for under the Christmas tree and opt for a less-expensive accessory to put in the stocking. If you plan to get your child a tablet, for example, put the protective case in the stocking.
GET A PRACTICAL STOCKING STUFFER
I’m always getting great deals on kids’ toothbrushes and toothpaste – but of course, my children are none the wiser. So I just put a practical gift such as a new tube of paste and a toothbrush into each stocking.
AVOID SPECIAL PACKAGING
One of the easiest tips for Christmas stockings on a budget is this one. If you’re planning to pick up candy, avoid the special packages. Just because there’s a giant M&M on top of the tube doesn’t make it the only option. Pick up some regular packages from the checkout lane and watch for sales, then use that candy as a great stocking stuffer. Your children will probably throw the characters into the trash anyhow, so why waste your money?
SEARCH THE DOLLAR BINS
A dollar store, such as Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, as well as Target have bins filled with items that cost just a dollar. I’ve found stickers, pencils, a small toy and even a coloring book for a dollar. Other dollar store must-haves include hair accessories. This is a simple way to find a few more items to stuff into your Christmas stockings. (While you’re at the dollar store, you can find items to decorate for homemade gifts, too.)
Want some more ideas? Here’s a great post from one of our partners: Cheap Stocking Stuffer Ideas
By thinking outside the box, you can really find some great deals and inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas this year – and hopefully still have money left over! Do you have some unique or inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas? Please share them with us!