Just got a press release from a company suggesting “fun and affordable” stocking stuffers. What got my attention was how it defines “affordable”: items under $50.
Um…no. I don’t spend $50 altogether on the stuffers for five stockings. In fact, I generally don’t spend anything at all (more on that in a minute).
On what non-frugal planet is “under $50” considered a low price for a small item? And when did stocking stuffers graduate from candy canes and stickers to things like $50 iTunes cards, Sharper Image six-port USB charging hubs ($29.98) and $30 bottles of perfume?
Little things mean a lot, but they shouldn’t have to cost a lot. Thus I refuse to pay a lot. Here are some ways to save.
1. Be a fan. Companies anxious to promote their wares give things away to get attention. If there’s a product you like, follow its manufacturer on social media. Or let someone else do the work for you and…
2. Follow freebie/deal bloggers. These folks know where to get items that fit neatly into the average stocking. Off the top of my head I’d suggest Bargain Babe, The Freebie Blogger and This Frugal Life.
3. Snare drugstore deals. Coupons and/or in-store rebates make things like toothbrushes, makeup, lotion, shampoo, Band-Aids and other useful items free or almost free. Check out the weekly deals in your state at The Coupon Mom, who breaks down the cost and often provides downloadable Qs if you’re not a clipper. One person on my list is getting free-after-rebate hair stuff this year.
4. Pay attention. Free stuff is out there – just start looking for it. For example, my Seattle hairdresser kept a dish of salon product singles and invited us customers to dig in. Department stores, coffee shops and other retail establishments sometimes hand out samples.
5. Visit conference tables. If you go to seminars or professional conferences — or festivals, trade shows, community events and state fairs — you’ll likely see promo items. I’ve scored lots of cool stuff, including but not limited to journals, Post-It notes, nice pens, small toys, temporary tattoos, keychains and T-shirts that may or may not have had logos on them. (Hint: A seven-year-old doesn’t care if the piggy bank has “Chase” stamped on it.)
6. Take surveys. Some online survey companies pay in cash and others pay in gift cards. Either one works as a gift. Among the ones I recommend are Clear Voice Surveys, Harris Polls, ZoomPanel, Pinecone Research and Toluna.
7. Regift. Maybe your supervisor handed out $10 coffee cards at last Friday’s holiday party, or perhaps a well-meaning friend or relative gave you a small item you know you’ll never use. Hang on to them until Dec. 24.
8. Cash in. Three of my stuffees are getting gift cards (McDonald’s, Starbucks, AMC theaters) that I got for free from My Coke Rewards and the Hallmark rewards program. (I also cashed in for gift cards from the Swagbucks rewards program, but those are under-the-tree presents.) If you’re feeling really flush, cash in for gift cards or other items from one or more of your rewards credit cards — that gadget or $20 worth of Starbucks scrip might be the hit of the holiday.
9. Enter drawings. I’ve had good luck in the past, winning things like videos, coffee cards, an iPod shuffle, restaurant gift certificates and toys from retailers. Should the item you win be too big to fit in the stocking, snap a picture of it and e-mail it to the recipient.
10. Yard sales. I’ve found brand-new journals, candles, toys and the like, some of it still shrink-wrapped. And of course the “free” box is where small toys and other oddments go to die.
11. Watch the mail. That’s e- and snail-mail alike. Some department stores send great coupons. If you’re lucky you’ll score something like “$10 off a purchase of $10 or more.” This can mean some really affordable finds, especially when combined with…
12. Clearance bins. That $20 Pokemon T-shirt could have been marked down to $10.99 – or 99 cents plus tax with your coupon. Lots of other options if you’re willing to sort through piles of stuff. It’s like a treasure hunt.
Readers: Do you set a limit on how much stocking stuffers cost? Got any tips to share?
Related reading:
- Do we need a little less Christmas?
- Black Friday and sex
- Whose Christmas costs more?
- How to beat the post-holiday slump
I’m not big on stocking stuffer gifts, but I can’t imagine spending more than $10 on any one person. Of course, the more people you have on your list and the tighter the budget, the less you can spend. But still, $10 is the limit for me.
When it comes to “small” gifts, I prefer homemade or home cooked/baked goodies. Now you’re talkin’! ;o)
Great ideas! Like you these are where most of my “frugal” stocking stuffers come from. I may be incorrect however I always thought the idea of a stocking stuffer was for the kids to open before the parents dragged their butts out of bed but now it seems everyone has a stocking….even the cat.
We have just returned from a community recycling depot in a community where we are house sitting ( also free) which has a “stuff a bag” for $2 clothing store and an amazing shop full to the brim of items people are recycling. Lots of cheap-o stuffers there. A thrift store run this week was highly lucrative and is also where I find my cards and paper if I need any. The other place I found success with stuffers is on the clearance rack at my local supermarket. Stickers and nail polish for very cheap, 75% off. I also take the time to write to companies I like asking for samples such as decent toothpaste etc. This year I did this with two companies both sent me tonnes of samples and one sent me 3 whole tubes of toothpaste of a new line they were trialing. Happy Holidays to you 🙂
I have found nail polish, lipstick, eye shadow, etc. for .50 cents each at my local pharmacy. When the store is down to only one or two of a cosmetic item that is being discontinued, it is put into a large bowl beside the register where every item in the bowl is .50 cents. I always dig through the bowl before checking out. They also have a “last chance” rack where they have other items that are being discontinued that are more than .50 cents…but I still check the rack with every trip to the pharmacy. Back in the summer I found a very good set of make-up brushes for $1.00 on the “last chance” rack. And when I buy at this pharmacy, I get rewards points which I accumulate and use to buy more items from the .50 cents bowl or “last chance” rack.
Just a note from the grinch here. I filled my two son’s stockings, DH’s and half of mine (men are not good at that) for years. Then my sister and brother came for Christmas and I filled one for each of them. In laws came and I bought “pretend” gifts from them to my siblings and gifts from my siblings to them. I was an absolute crazy woman in trying to make the perfect Christmas so everyone felt happy and equal.
When my sons were grown I put a halt to the Christmas stockings. It cost a fortune and I found myself resenting it. Sorry, had to vent a little here. But your ideas are all great. 😀
I’ve heard about people who spend the equivalent of a good-sized gift just filling each stocking. If not wanting to do that makes me a Grinch, well, so be it. Glad you’re on the other side of it yourself.
TOTALL agree w/ you, Donna. I do stockings for 5 grands (ages 2 1/2 – 10) and 3 adults.
For the kids it is mostly dollar store stuff (bubbles, clay, small games, puzzels)or Target $1 spot. Also usually a chapstick.
For the adults it is also chaptick and FREE samples I send for all year – makeup, personal care……
I have even gotten the 2 dogs and cat a little something some years.
I KNOW I spend UNDER $5 pp and do it mostly gradually over the year.
One thing that I totally miss are those drugstore deals that I use to get when I lived in the U.S. I agree you can really get some great stuff there and I think the dollar store can provide some great stocking stuffers. I love Christmas!!
Hey Donna,
Love this post! The first survey site I went to asked for cell number and address. Have you had any scam or spam problems with these sites?
I never have. YMMV. Since I have a burner phone I just give them my home number but no site has ever called me.
People who do not live at home do not get stockings. That is for their own home. My time and effort = my rules! Screwdrivers, sewing kits, toothbrushes, samples, shot glass, can koozies, vitamins, small packs of acetominophen, cough drops, coffee gift cards, and a bag of their favorite candy; husband, Bit O’ Honey, son, Reese’s Cups. Purchased at the dollar store, free or nearly so at CVS, and samples from Sam’s Club. The candy and coffee cards are the most expensive, comes to about 11.00 per stocking this year.
That sounds like a lot of goodies for $11. Go you!
Back before 2010, when drugstore rebates were much hotter, I remember interviewing a woman who did “grown-up stockings” for her adult kids. These were copy-paper boxes filled with stuff she got free or nearly free after rebate: food, toiletries, OTC meds and the like. Since they were just starting out, the items were needed and appreciated.
Ditto on crazy expensive stocking stuffer articles, ugh. The most expensive thing in my kids’ stocking is a pair of earbuds. I have worked in the same drs office for 13 years. We get sooo much free stuff from medical sales/marketing folks – mugs, lip balm, pens, mousepads, candy post its, lotion, laxatives – haha. So my kids (now 15, 20, 22) always got, and still get, branded stuff in their stocking. I also bring home treats and gifts every day throughout December from kind and grateful patients. (Thanks for the great article -as always, excited to see it in my inbox.)
“Laxatives! Just what I always wanted! Thanks, Mom!”
Thanks for your kind words, and for leaving a comment.
I swear it seems there is a “great divide” in our society any more. And this post reinforces that belief….a stocking stuffer under $50 a bargain???? But we live in an era of $200/month smart phone bills, $50K SUV’s and $4-5 Starbucks coffee… I just don’t know how long this can continue…
I confess — am not a frugal stocking stuffer — really, only my daughter, leftover from her girlhood, so I kind of splurge. But not to that extent! Love these suggestions in general. When she was little it was all dollar store, clearance sparkle ponies, etc. Now, it more grown up stuff and I probably should pare that down. Thanks for the suggestions!
Neither am I! I am so frugal all year long that I like to splash out at Christmas for my son, nephew, nieces, friends and family. I do budget and set a limit but it is a generous one. Also this year for the first time ever, I bought myself a couple of small gifts.
Well that is awesome — you surely deserve some little niceties after being frugal and prepping for so many others!
What Priskill said — you’ve been careful all year and also looked out for others. Hope the “small gifts” were satisfying ones.
Thank you. I bought some Irish knitting yarn to knit myself a nice wool scarf over the holidays and a lovely frivolous pink top.
We never had Christmas stockings growing up. I guess this bothered my sister. She has four adult children, ranging in age from 23-35. Their stockings are about 4 or 5 ft long. She stuffs them with expensive gifts, not stocking stuffer type gifts.
I think she has figured out I don’t approve of her Christmas extravagance as I don’t get invited to the gift opening on Christmas Day anymore–not that I want to go. Problem is it leaves me alone on Christmas.
Up here some of us who have family far away or whose parents have passed away get together for potluck dinner on Christmas. Great way to avoid being alone, and having company you get to choose.
I like to buy items in a big lot and break it up for each of my 5 kids’ stockings. Mandarin oranges, life saver boxes, gum in packs of 3 or more, lip glosses and nail polish in a kit, pencils and pen packs, batteries all fill a stocking nicely. Then I will add 1 or 2 special items for each child: hello kitty toy or book, hot wheels, mini fig lego, etc that I purchase on sale or with a reward. I’m not surprised about the huge stocking, consumerism has gotten out of hand.
My husband’s family and my family both did stockings only for the kids – something to keep them busy until the grown ups were ready to open presents. In my family there was always an orange in the toe and lots of peppermint and chocolate candy with a few cheap small toys. We continued that tradition while raising our family. Kids are grown now and we don’t do stockings at all. The grandkids’ stocking are handled by their parents and they keep it simple and inexpensive.
I’ve never spent much on stocking stuffers. Just picked up a few items from Dollar Tree for this year. To be honest, though, it’s the first year I’m kind of opposed to doing stockings; my sons are 28 and 23. When they were little, I’d save McDonald’s Happy Meal toys throughout the year (I’d buy a Happy Meal for myself occasionally), add a Hot Wheels car, some crayons or markers, a few pieces of candy and fresh fruit. As they got to be teens it was disposable razors or anti-antiperspirant, a new toothbrush, toothpaste, a some candy and an Amazon gift card. They’re men now, so… ? They buy their own toiletries. A gift card just doesn’t fill a stocking.
I used an old gift card to buy chocolate for the stockings and I cashed in my points and got some Amazon gift codes. I may buy a couple of wash clothes too. For some reason, Santa has always thought my kids were dirty and has given them wash clothes. You know the ones that expand when you get them wet, they are sort of pressed into a circle. Sponge Bob and Spiderman screams adult children, right?
Especially if you buy them at the dollar store.
The adult children will get $5 in lottery tickets and a small chocolate Santa. My grandson will get a basketball stress (squish) ball and my granddaughter will get a small flashlight along with the chocolate Santas. This seems to keep everyone amused.
Our family (sis, her DH and two daughters, my mom, and my DH) started an online Secret Santa exchange several years ago with a price limit. Though there is a no set limit for stocking stuffers, I try and budget a certain dollar amount for each person. 🙂 This year I bought “designer” pack tissues, fuzzy socks, lip balm and candy for the gals, and back scratchers, lighters, Tetris mints (bought online for .01!), beef jerky and mini shave cream for the guys. I’ll also include sample swag sent to my insurance agency from different companies, including mini flash lights, pens, and mini note books.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Stockings are my favorite Christmas tradition. I exchange them with my BF (since my Mom is no longer living), & I always include them when I adopt-a-family through work & on my own. I generally spend $10/stocking, except on the BF, and it usually includes something like this:
• KIDS (adopt-a-family): the actual stocking, candy (i.e. M&M’s in the ‘candy cane’), gum, gloves, toothbrushes (multi-pack), chapstick, puzzles, toy cars, nail polish, dominoes, books, color books/crayons, etc
• Senior citizens (adopt-a-family): mints, chocolate covered cherries, lotion, hand wipes, large print word find, gloves, etc
• BF (this year specifically): Star Wars puzzle/pez dispenser/ornament, candy, gum, DVD from the $5 bin at Walmart, shower speaker, etc (scratch offs are always fun too!)
The kids in the adopt-a-family probably LOVE getting all those things. Children love small items and they especially love treats like nail polish and candy that their parents can’t afford. How kind of you.
Both gloves and word-search/crossword puzzle books can often be found in the dollar store or at Jo-Ann Fabrics. With the store coupon, I pay as little as 50 cents. The large-print word search books were what my grandmother wanted right when I was back in school and broke; that let me give her a whole stack of the things without breaking my fragile budget.
Merry Christmas to everyone who’s commented so far, and to those who haven’t.
We don’t do stockings anymore in our family, but when we did it was all inexpensive, like oranges, nuts and candy, maybe a small toy. A friend of mine does stocking stuffers for his family, and it is always small, useful and inexpensive things, like mini flashlights, candy, a kitchen gadget, etc.
I once gave a brother who has to travel to see us at Christmas a box with things that are probably more like stocking stuffers, with free or inexpensive toiletries that are acceptable to the TSA. He seemed happy to get those.
Those “TSA-friendly travel bags” are always a big hit when I give them away. Who wants to pay more for a tiny tube of toothpaste than for a big one?
I love to give my kids the gift cards that I’m getting from different websites during the year.But lately most of them coming as an e-cards. To make it look at active I print them on a Christmass/Birthday. ..card or on the same size of pictures paper (sometimes it’s come free with ink purchase ). It’s look like incert in a card, and u could put in few of them.