How to save money on Christmas Stocking Gifts is a guest post in collaboration with Top Trumps.
Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? Have you got all of your gifts yet?
Christmas stockings are as much a part of the holiday as the Christmas tree and Santa himself. Every child looks forward to waking up bright and early on Christmas day to find a stocking full of hidden little surprises. It sparks their excitement to see what else might be under under the tree!
Related: 5 Easy Tips on How to Save for Christmas + Free Christmas Savings Tracker
But stocking were once simple things; a few oranges, some chocolate coins, and, if you were particularly traditional, some pieces of coal were perhaps the extent of it. Now, however, stocking fillers for kids have become a major part of the gift-buying extravaganza during the lead up to Christmas day.
Parents are trying to outdo each other to see who can stuff the most number of small gifts in their child’s stockings. Magazines and shopping sites are crammed with lists of stocking ideas. Since the size of the gifts is increasing, some parents are buying bigger stockings to hold the expanse of presents. Overfilled stockings are now sometimes too big to even hang on the end of children’s beds or mantelpiece!
At the end of the day what happens once the contents of the stockings are emptied on the floor? Do your kids quickly get bored and move on to the bigger gifts? Do stocking fillers add to the clutter of your home? Does it all make you wonder if it is time to simplify what we put in our children’s stockings?
Here are some tips to ensure you don’t go overboard with stocking fillers this year and save money.
Related: 41 Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Kids
How to save money on Christmas Presents:
Set a budget
Decide how much you want to spend on the stocking for each member of the household and stick to it. Try and keep the budget low as the majority of your Christmas gift budget should go towards the actual presents under the tree.
DIY if you can
There is nothing more personal than homemade gifts. They are also the gifts that are kept for the longest period as they have more sentimental value. This is the time to get crafty; if you can knit or sew, then put those skills into action.
Include more fruit and fewer sweets
Christmas is the time for indulgence but try to add some healthy treats in their stockings. Help beat that sugar rush that will come later in the day!
Focus on small gifts
A tub of play dough, some washable tattoos, a box of crayons, or a fun, educational card game like Top Trumps are small yet useful gifts that can fit well into a standard Christmas stocking.
Encourage play
Rather than getting swept up in the clearing away of all the wrapping paper and present packaging, take some time to encourage your kids to play with and appreciate the smaller gifts. A game of Top Trumps, for example, is the perfect way to unwind after Christmas lunch.
Many of us have complained about the increasing consumerism of Christmas. Rather than complaining though, let’s take some action and simplify how we mark the day. It may be just a start, but stocking fillers can be the first step in making a more meaningful, simpler Christmas.
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Disclosure: I was compensated for posting this post on How to Save Money on Christmas Stocking Gifts.
