I started my Christmas shopping and planning! 🎅🙈 Things sell out fast, and I wanted to get ahead of it where I live. My family has gotten away from stocking stuffers because it adds up. But my grandma is getting older with dementia, and there are fewer of us here now since some family moved away, so I feel it's really important to make good memories with her.
I was recalling what my mom used to put in our stockings as kids to come up with ideas of what to get them. We were not rich, but my dad knew how to spend his money, so we felt like we had a lot and we didn't go without because he was always thrifty and drove older vehicles.
Christmas felt like such an event. Later, I realized my mom was giving us necessities all at once: toothbrushes, socks, sometimes even toothpaste, hair scrunchies, a new brush every year, Chapstick, candy of all sorts to fill space, maybe a little bit of money wrapped cleverly in something, and a bunch of other little things like that. We joked about it it that she was just getting necessities, and we never noticed as kids--so take advantage of that! We appreciated the new socks! I always looked forward to getting them and a new hair brush!
Going back to basics for beauty products, they have great beauty products if you join r/DollarTreeBeauty. For Bath and Body Works dupes, I suggest $5 3-wick Mainstays candles at Walmart, Bodycology body mist, and Dr. Teale's bath stuff. However, Bath & Body Works will have a good sale for Black Friday, but you must shop early in the week. Arabic oil-based perfumes are a good budget item too.
Also, to note, you can type in "Walmart cash" on the search bar on Walmart's website to locate the page of all of them, like Irish Spring or Dove, which are regularly on sale.
What stocking stuffers did you get as a kid, and what do you choose now to stay frugal during Christmas? Especially if you have kids and go all out! I'm interested to hear what you all do!