Gone are the days when I could go to Big Lots or the dollar store and fill a stocking for the kids in under $10. I don't recall exactly how much I spent to fill stockings last year, but I do remember, when it was all said and done, that I promised myself to never spend that much again. So this year I set a goal of $20 per child to fill the stockings, and I have been keeping my eyes open all year for stuffers with pretty good results.
Both kids are getting candy, bought on sale with coupons and CVS Extra Care Bucks/Walgreen's Register Rewards. They are also both getting T-shirts. DD's is from her favorite Christian band, Kutless, bought during a summer sale for $5 and free shipping. DS's is a graphic Christian T, bought for $6 on sale from the local Christian bookstore. Not only are they inexpensive gifts, they serve to take up some room in the stocking! They will also get a book that I got for free off Paperback Swap.
DD is also getting Eos lip balm, her favorite. This normally runs for $3-4, but by getting them when Walgreens was offering a $3.99 Register Reward, I consider them free. She's getting all 3 varieties. She is also getting 2 bottles of nail polish, which were $0.99 total after clearance and ECBs at CVS.
DS is also getting a small hack saw to add to his tool collection, $4.99 at Wal-Mart (the only thing I bought full price so far) and a mini Joy of Baking kit, as he loves to bake cookies, bought on sale after Easter at Borders book store.
I still want to pick up tire air pressure gauges for both kids, which I've seen for about $2 around town, and then I should be done. All in all, I will have spent less than $20 per stocking. The kids will be thrilled on Christmas morning, and I'm thrilled that I kept within my budget!
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4 comments:
oh twin mom!!! i barely got through the first few lines of your post...i don't know if they have them where you are (i don't like to assume) BUT target and the dollar tree both have FANTASTIC and WONDERFUL things for just $1 and lately target has added $2.50 items but i mean GREAT stuff.
every time i have a christmas party (with my poor master's student friends...much like myself) or the youth (i work w/ junior and senior highers)
our gifts are always a hit.
just has to pass it on and most of the time it's NOT crap..(as sometimes lower costing gifts can be).
i may comment more post reading the rest of the entry but i HAD to HAD to share. my kids at the new church i'm serving said the same thing (where on earth can i find more than a pack of gum for a dollar)
...i hope this has helped.
joy of baking set eos lip balm AND kutless AND nail polish. you give FANTASTIC stocking stuffers. kudos mom.
Thanks! DD was just telling me - again! - that she needs more Eos lip balm. :-) I just told her we'd watch for a sale! lol We do have a Dollar Tree nearby, and that is where I would get things in previous years, but I found so much free or nearly free elsewhere that I didn't get there. Unfortunately our nearest Target is about 45 minutes away and impossible for me to get to sans kids! Every year I say I'm going to take a day and go shopping by myself, but it never quite works out that way.
i'm not even a mom and i feel bombarded with things to do that i rarely get to have a day to myself. (which apparently is typical of american females)
i'm always doing stuff for school or for my kids (students), visiting my fiance (who lives about 45 mins away)
hats off to you....btw i found a coupon the other day in the paper for a bogo from niva lip balm and thought of you (and DD)
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