...of Creative
Frugality
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"What are your most creative ideas for filling Christmas stockings?
If your ideas are frugal, too, that’s great, but they don’t have to
be. The emphasis this time is out-of-the-ordinary treats to put in
stockings."
"I
use coupons for chocolates,
gum, Tic Tacs. Recently, Wal-mart
had HUGE Hershey's Extra Dark
candy bars on sale for $1.25 --
my coupons were for $1.00 off
one. How cool is that? I got 4
of those really big candy bars
for $1.00 Great for the
stockings. With food
items, there isn't any
clutter. I also do bath
items--there isn't clutter
with that either and I use
coupons for those items as
well. Bath and Body Works has
really good sales in January
and June so I stock up then.
Perishable items are the
ticket for me." ~ Tonya
"I
buy lots of extra school
supplies in August (when markers
are 99 cents, glue sticks are 25
cents, etc). My kids are very
excited to get new art supplies
in their stockings." ~
Michele
"I take advantage of
coupons in the newspaper and
save them up for candy and
gum, especially buy one, get
one free coupons. I pick up
these items and hide them
away until needed. I also
get miniature boxes of
raisins and some tangerines,
etc. Sometimes, I add Chapstick,
lotion, etc., items I find
at the dollar store or
sample bin For
Christmas gifts to my many
aunts this year, I am giving
them recyclable shopping
bags with a coupon
organizer, shopping list and
samples of coffee, fiber
products, etc. I know
they will love these useful
items." ~ Rena
"We
decided to forgo the
stockings this year and
start a new tradition.
Actually, it will be a
surprise for my family!
I am going to write each
person a very special
Christmas card, and
include a gift card that
each person would really
like or needs. For
example, my two teens
are getting minute cards
for their phones, which
they purchased with
their own money, because
they are constantly
running out of minutes.
My husband is getting
food cards, since he
likes to get take out
[and eat at home] but we
don't always have extra
money in the budget. I
hope this will be a fun,
new tradition that will
actually be cheaper than
stuffing stockings with
things they might not
appreciate or have use
for." ~ Shaunna
"When
making stockings for
adults, be sure to
include at least a small
toy or two. Sure,
they're grownups now,
but the toys will bring
back memories, and they
will have a blast! I've
included such things as
Hotwheels or Matchbox
type cars, army men,
playing cards, jacks and
ball, transformers,
small dolls. They've
never been received
without a smile!" ~
Jana in NC
"I always put a
paperback book in my
husband and daughter's
stockings. I get
them from a used book
store or thrift store so
they cost very
little, and are
appreciated by my avid
readers." ~ Penny
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"Get old
fashioned. I remember my grandparents
talking about their Christmas stockings and
what joy they got out of it. I used to fill
my kids stockings with gifts that were small
but rivaled their entire 'mom and dad' and
'Santa' gifts in cost. One year when things
were especially tight I did this: I bought
each of them a huge lovely orange, a big
stick of peppermint candy, a bar (or small
bag) of their favorite candy, a packet of
chewing gum, and packets of their favorite
hot cocoa or coffee or tea (one child got a
bottle of Yoohoo). I included inexpensive
holiday pencils, and an ornament that
represented their current interests. My kids
loved it! They didn't want me to return to
the traditional expensively filled stocking
when our fortunes improved. Other
inexpensive fillers: a special holiday mug,
a pair of holiday themed socks, gloves and
stocking caps, new toothbrushes, coupons
good for staying up an hour late, or a
bottle of their favorite soda, or allowing
them a special privilege. Or fill stockings
with bath soaps and bubble baths and silly
string etc." ~ Terri
"We
don't fill our stockings with candy and
trinkets. Our family's stockings get filled
with gift certificates we make for each
other. They are gifts of time to each
other. All of us make at least one for each
person. Mom loves to give ones that say, 'I'll
take you out on a date with Mom.' The kids
give offerings of helping in the garden,
helping to clean each others rooms or
helping a younger sibling to build a cool
fort out of chairs & blankets. My
favorite was 'This certificate entitles Mom
to a full day off.'" ~ Kathy
"Your stocking stuffer item can be
the stocking. You can use the
rubber-dot-bottom socks with furry tops
available at drug stores for only $3.00, or
the super-long ones, if you prefer. A
wonderful new item for older ladies who have
trouble fastening their bracelets is a
stick-like gadget to hold across the palm,
with a clip that holds one end of the
bracelet in place (only $3 at Wal-Mart). You
can also find an endless number of stocking
stuffers at dollar stores. I try not
to use a shopping cart, to keep myself from
overloading. A 15-minute time limit
helps, too." ~ Anonymous
"When our children were grade-school
age we put fruit, granola bars,
individual juices, and fruit
leather in their stockings. Some of
these things we didn't often buy so
the kids enjoyed them a lot. They could
get up early, eat their breakfast out of
their stocking as they unwrapped their
other little trinkets (and I could relax
and enjoy the morning!)" ~ Cindy
"We
do a lot of the usual things -- but the
one item that was a huge hit a few
years ago was a piece of my jewelry. I
don't wear much jewelry, but I had an
heirloom ring of my grandmother's. My
daughter loved that ring, and was always
fascinated by it. So for Christmas a few
years ago, I wrapped it and added it to
her stocking. She was thrilled -- with
the gift, and with the thought that I
now considered her mature enough to be
entrusted with a family heirloom."
~ Denise in IL
Editor's Note: Thanks to these readers for taking time to share
their ideas!
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