So, I shopped for stocking stuffers yesterday, and I think I forgot how expensive it can be to fill those suckers!! Each little nicknack really adds up. Does anyone have ideas on how to save money on stocking stuffers?
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About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
becky says
I like to ad 1 or 2 dvd’s that I get cheap black Friday at Target
April says
Kristy,
Kiwi shoelaces are like $2.79 at Rite Aid and has a $1+up. I had a $1/1 coupon from one of the All You mags (any kiwi product). I had a $1/1 RA vv for Kiwi also. I wasn’t sure if the shoelaces were included in the vv, so I showed everything to the checker. She said it looked fine and it didn’t beep. They are going in my hubby’s stocking as he really needs them!
Angela says
We purchase items they can eat on Christmas morning that are not usually breakfast items, but are fun. Examples: individual applesauce,granola bars, cheese and crackers,poptarts (we don’t usually eat these at all so it’s a real treat on Christmas),individual sunchips or pringles,nuts, small juices. I couponed for a lot of them. We also add a little sugar, but not too much-that way the kids aren’t totally sugared up for Church 🙂
Brenda says
I pick items up all through out the year. As well as the free items from various stores if you buy something else. Example, the lip products and travel products from Bath and Body make great stuffers. For me the real trick is the buy through out the year.
Jeannette says
Dollar section at Target had cute stuff this year.
KaeLee says
Whats Harbor Freight?? How do I get it for free??
Karrie says
KaeLee – In the Sunday newspaper the Harbor Freight ad typically has been having a FREE Flashlight coupon with no purchase necessary, or other cool freebies as well. Check the paper and keep your eyes out for them.
P.S. I just have to say to everyone who commented…I LOVE all your helpful tips on saving for stocking stuffers!! 🙂
Sarah says
I have been picking up freebies or cheapies as well. Free shampoos, free candles, free toothbrushes and toothpaste…..free candy….Harbor freight freebies
Adults like anything that they find out you got for free…
Erin says
I stocked up on the Dove candy bars a while back and recently the wonka bars (free @ Wags)…plus I’ve gotten tons of the kisses & m&ms, we’re stocked up in candy!!! I saw Mr. Men plush toys @ Toys R Us for <$2ea. and got them both one (I <3 Mr. Men!!!). Tons of hotwheels!!! That pretty much fills it up right there for the boys!!! My husband will also be getting some TS shave gels and some small gardening things (he's got a green thumb like nobody's business!) & a deck of pictureka? I'll have a ton of NYC nail polish, eye shadows, & goody hair ties (all free). My boys would have got the hungry hungry hippos travel but they raided the bag when I got home a got them a few wks ago 😉 I'm sure they'll get more difficult as they get older! Oh, toothbrushes 4 every1 🙂 I've also been known to put in DVDs
Anna says
I am usung McDonalds toys. They are pretty cheap and some of my kids favorite toys have been from McDonalds. This week they have Bakugans which my son is totally into. I think a Bakugan for less than $2 awesome.
Kristy says
APRIL:
free shoe laces (my son needs new shoe laces) HOw?
April says
I stash stuff starting early too. Free gum earlier this year, free candy lately, clearance baseball card packs at Rite Aid, hot wheels cars, free shoe laces from Rite Aid this week, the business card size photo books we got for free this summer (1 for each kid of pictures of them).
Chip says
BC…Before Couponing…I would go to Target or the Dollar Store to buy candy, nail polish, car air fresheners, etc. Now, I try to pickup some of the same items but I can usually get them for FREE or for pennies. Hair clips, lotions, lipsmackers…those kind of things…for my son-in-law I get the free items from Harbor Freight each week and stuff a huge stocking. As far as the candy, most of mine is from Rite Aid where I have gotten it for free OR the pay me in Up Rewards to take it. The one item that I pay full price for is $1 scratch WA State Lottery tickets…I usually do two person. Everyone enjoys scratching to see if they have won something.
Miranda says
my son is a little too young for stocking stuffers, but he loves playing with our adult toothburshes so since they are always free I just stuck three in his stocking for him. As far as my husband goes, I’ve been stockpiling candy since Halloween, then a few weeks ago with the great deal on Shave products at rite aid I bought him an entire shave set essentially for $2. I usually dig through the overflow freebies bin for excess items to fill here or there. I always feel bad, growing up my stocking was massive (we’re talking two hangers), and it was always filled with goodies.
Stephanie says
I stash all year long as well. I do stockings for my mom, DH and DD1. My moms stocking is really a GIANT gift bag full of all kinds of cheap and free goodies I have picked up through the year. I got a free ZUNE player for DH as well as candy and gum. DD was easy this year, a few hard books from the $1 spot, animal crackers, gold fish, sippy cup. All stuff I would buy her anyway, but fun to open in her stocking 🙂
Tracey says
I am like Stephanie, I have been stashing all the great candy, makeup steals I have gotten since this summer.
molly says
I bought all my stocking stuffers at the Dollar Spot in Target. LOVE IT!
Niki says
I stock up on Christmas themed stocking stuffers the day after Christmas the previous year when they are 50% off or more and then store them in with my Christmas decoration bins. Santa Claus Mr. Potato heads, Christmas slinkys, etc. In addition to saving the cheap and free candy and going to the $1 store (which, by the way, puts their Christmas stuff 50% off the day after Christmas too!).
Tami says
I load up on the after Halloween candy on clearance and then save some of it for my kids stockings. Nice cheap candy!
Julie says
We don’t have kids but we do a stocking for each other. I made hubby promise to keep it under $25 this year (he’s not complying from what I’ve heard). Here’s how I kept his under $25
– those free credits to sites like Swirl by Daily Candy and OneKingsLane have become great gifts (I may have paid some in shipping but I more than made up for it on the free items themselves).
– all the great free/cheap deals at the drugstores on candy and gift items
– free items earned from Swagbucks
http://moneysavingmode.blogspot.com/2010/12/25-stocking.html
Stephanie says
Remember all those freebies in the mail this year, yeah I saved anything my kids would like for stockings. My six year old is getting several packs of gum, my 3 year gets the trio car and my 1 year gets the tag book. I am sure there is more I can’t remember at the moment. The rest of the stuff came from shopping since July. Target dollar spot (LOTS of Star Wars for the oldest), clearance at Michaels (a foam family for the baby girl) and Shopko (comb and a brush and a bowlful of mush, okay maybe not the last part). My 3 year old was the hardest so I was super excited for the free travel Hungry Hippos game at Target. Excited enough to make 3 trips in a week trying to catch them coming of the truck. (We seem to have a shelf clearer around here in the past few weeks…) I saved the Disney movies we got at rocking deals too, TS3, B and the B, Tink Fairy Rescue were all things I planned on buying but my kids haven’t been given any new movies since OCT. (Well, except Shrek, cause my hubby couldn’t wait to see it) All the treats will come out of my stash from Rite Aid the last few months (is it just me or have the candy deals been AMAZING) Spreading out the shopping is key, you can buy when the price is right AND it isn’t one big hit on your budget. BUT you have to be organized and you have to say no when you don’t need it. I did such a great job on pre-buying (thank you Target toy clearance last summer) that we were able to afford the Santa gifts we really wanted to get the kids. I think our total OOP for our kids is under $300 and they are all getting stuff that the will love and use.