CHRISTMAS is fast approaching, and you may be looking for some last-minute budget-friendly stocking fillers for your kids.
Buying gifts can be expensive, but shopping around for some bargain stocking fillers can help ease the financial burden of the festive season.
Households are expected to spend a massive £1,626 this Christmas – with £181.07 on gifts alone, according to MoneySuperMarket.
With this in mind, shopping around can help you fill your kids’ stockings without breaking the bank.
Always use a price comparison site to help you see where you can buy your toys for the cheapest price, like Google Shopping and Price Spy.
Here are some of the stocking fillers you could get your children for under £5.
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Teamsterz Street Machine Cars
These are perfect for car enthusiasts – and Wilko says the figures are “highly detailed” and have “fast-moving wheels.”
There are 15 varieties of cars to get your hands on, with plenty of colours and car types available.
The cars are only 34p now – down from 69p.
Unique Boutique Mini Heart Makeup Set
- £4
- thetoyshop.com
- Age: 5+
This mini makeup set comes with one nail polish, one lipstick and one lip gloss.
The Toy Shop website says that the makeup is kind to sensitive skin and washes off easily with a splash of water.
The colour and styles may vary – the website currently has pink and purple versions of the heart-shaped set.
Rubik’s Tower Twister Game
- £3.50
- thetoyshop.com
- Age: 3+
This tower is a new twist on the classic Rubik’s Cube – and suitable for children three years old and above.
The Toy Shop website adds that the toy provides hours of fun exercises in logical thinking, colour sensitivity and hand eye co-ordination.
The tower is small enough to fit into a stocking and is currently available for £3.50 on clearance.
Peppa Pig Jumbo Artist Pad
- £4.99
- Lidl stores
- Age: 3+
This posted pad is set to be a hit with Peppa Pig fans who are also into colouring and crafts.
The pack comes with a sticker sheet, 30 colour your own posters, six colouring pencils, eight wax crayons, six paints, one paintbrush and palette.
This is available in Lidl stores for just under a fiver.
Availability varies depending on location – but you can check if your local store has it on the Lidl website.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Xman Santa Hollow 100g
You cannot go wrong with a chocolate surprise in your kids’ stockings.
This 100g hollow milk chocolate figure is made from classic Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.
You can get it for £3 in Tesco stores – but it costs £2.50 with a Clubcard.
Christmas Tiny Talkers Soft Plush Toy
These soft toys are described as a “thoughtful festive gift for all ages”.
There are a variety of assortments, including Santa and reindeer options – and they all come with festive sound effects.
Tesco sells these for £3 – but you can get a soft plush toy for £2.20 with a Clubcard.
Hey Clay Animals Set Modelling Clay
This modelling clay set includes three cans of air-dry clay and one of six assorted characters to collect.
It also comes with free access to the HEY CLAY app, which offers clay modelling guides.
The Argos website adds that the sets are designed to boost kids’ imagination – and they are “great for sensory development and play-based learning”.
You can currently get a set for £3 – down from £4.
LEGO Minifigures Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- £2.80
- argos.co.uk
- Age: 5+
This will come as a great surprise to Lego fans – as the mini figures come in a mystery box so kids won’t know which of the 12 characters they got until opening it.
Each box comes with one character and authentic accessories, including Miles Morales with a spider and Hobie Brown with a guitar.
The box could include any of the 12 options below:
- Miles Morales/Spider-Man
- Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099
- Gwen Stacy/Spider Gwen
- Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk
- Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India
- Miles G. Morales/Prowler
- Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man & May “Mayday” Parker
- Margo Kess/Spider-Byte
- Peter Parker/Werewolf Spider-Man
- Patrick O’Hara/Web-Slinger
- Petra Parker/Cyborg Spider-Woman
- Charlotte Webber/Sun-Spider
Disney Princess Stick on Jewellery Set
This stick on jewellery set comes with easy to apply gems to add a touch of glitz and glam to any outfit.
You can simply peel and stick on dry skin – and the product is suitable for kids three years and older.
The set is £3.50 at Boots – and it’s part of the 3 for 2 on selected Christmas Mix and Match offer.
Professor Puzzle Digital Pet Party Game
- £3
- sainsburys.co.uk
- Age: 3+
This digital pet game lets kids choose from more than 100 different pets.
Those aged three and above can feed, entertain and watch their pets grow.
The game comes with instructions – and batteries are included.
This is currently 25% off on the Sainsbury’s website – you can buy it for £3, down from £4.
Holly’s top tips for slashing the seasonal bill
Holly Jay-Smith, frugal blogger at couponqueen.co.uk, shares her three top tips for saving money this Christmas.
CASHBACK APPS
These apps give you money back on specific items you buy during your normal food shop. Some offers are for discounted items like 50p or £1 off, and some are completely free.
Shopmium is the easiest one to get started with. You just open the app, choose your supermarket, and browse the offers.
Once you buy the product in store, you upload a photo of your receipt and the cashback is sent to your bank or PayPal.
GreenJinn works in a very similar way but often includes more offers on fresh food and healthier options. It also lets you filter by supermarket or category so you can see what’s available quickly.
CheckoutSmart is another good one to have, especially around Christmas as they often have seasonal products featured.
LOYALTY CARDS
Cashback apps can be used alongside supermarket loyalty schemes too.
For example, you can scan your ASDA Rewards app at the till and still upload your receipt to Shopmium after to get both the cashback and the rewards.
The savings add up fast. I usually save around £50 a month just from using these apps on my regular shop.
SHOPPING LIST
At this time of year, I always recommend checking the cashback apps before you write your shopping list so you can plan around the offers.
That way you’re only buying things you’ll actually use but still getting the benefit of the cashback.