stocking stuffers for college students and adults.

[ProudGrandma]

Forgive me if this has already been a thread this year....if so...send me to the thread...otherwise, can anybody help me with ideas?  I just need some interesting, unique ideas that won't cost me a lot of money, but are better than a pen, lip balm and silly socks.  

Thanks. 

[regentrude]

Tea, chocolate, face masks, fun sticky notes, magnets, candles

[Terabith]

socks, face masks, candy, ear plugs, soaps

[Stacia]

If you have any specialty/international stores (groceries/restaurants) near you, it can be fun to get some different foods (candy bars, hot sauces, etc.) that they normally wouldn't see or get.

[kbutton]

Small denomination gift cards, coins for laundry (if they have to pay), on the go drink mixes (cocoa, Starbucks Via, lemonade)

Hobby supplies or small gift cards for them--DH likes to garden, and I found some seed packets for a melon that should grow easily in our area that I know he likes; I can always use cross-stitch needles or other incidentals

If you live nearby and are willing, coupons for running errands or doing small tasks for them

Dried herbs if they like to cook--if you grow something like that in your garden, that's especially fun!

Small gadgets they might not think of--stretchy lids to cover small jars or cereal bowls of random stuff in the fridge, etc.

Individually packaged snacks 

Can of favorite beverage

Hydration gels for athletes

Lara bars (and similar)

Reusable post-it notes (usually dry erase and safe for most surfaces)

Note cards if they are the kind to write notes

 

[Loowit]

Black post-it notes with metallic pens

Dice, set of dragon dice

Laptop stickers

Keychain

Candy

small sewing kit

glasses repair kit

[whitestavern]

Nail polish, small games/card games, accessories (gloves hats scarves belts hair ties barrettes Natural Life brand stuff), ornaments to start a collection, cooking items (if they prep their own meals), jewelry, different teas/coffees/cocoa. 

[Bambam]

Gum

Favorite Candies

Favorite lotion (small)

Wired earbuds (this used to be my go-to, but since they use wireless earbuds, I'm missing this!)

gift cards

Silly putty (fidget toy!)

Stickers for laptop/water bottles

Extra screen protectors for phone? 

 

[TABmom]

Phone chargers!!!! Maybe not fun, but always useful!

 

[athena1277]

Hot chocolate bombs

[BlsdMama]

Thinking putty comes in small tins

Slipper socks for the dorm

Keyrings or lanyards from school, fave music group, etc. (Etsy has some great ones)

Bed Bath and Beyond has some cute stuffers

Shower Steamers 

Oils to diffuse

Great gloves with texting ability ~ Costco has Head gloves

Costco also has great wool blend socks instead of silly ones

Gift cards - gas, coffee, school bookstore, cupcake place

Reuseable straws

Nail polish

Hand cream

Candy - Trader Joe’s has chocolate passports 

A chocolate orange for the toe

Spices - re someone else’s post TJ’s umami or everything bagel! Also, they now sell bottles of Chick Fil A sauce.

 

 

 

At our house, stockings are more popular than gifts  

Edited December 10, 2021 by BlsdMama

[Spryte]

Travel mug, if the stockings are big — or a water bottle

Keyboard putty

Lots of stuff already listed, but I didn’t see those two.

[Stacia]

Magazines &/or puzzle books if those are liked.

[Kareni]

Some half dollar or dollar coins or $2.00 bills. Ask at your bank if they have some.

Regards,

Kareni

[Longtime Lurker]

We are getting DD21 a Stanley screwdriver, the kind that flips around so it has either a Phillips head or flat head, and each end flips around so there are two sizes of each type. We have one and we use it all the time.

I also include things like gum, hand lotion, and dark chocolate. This year I also bought her a travel sized perfume and an NPR t-shirt that says "LISTEN" on it. 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Longtime Lurker

[Faith-manor]

Our three twenty something boys still like to get silly string! I predict another epic battle this season.

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

It is really cold here and our guys do a lot of walking so we are putting those hand warmer packets in their stockings.

Mini LED flashlights with the necessary batteries

Memory sticks

 

[mommyoffive]

Some good ideas here

Cheap Stocking Stuffers Under $10 (Ultimate List!) | Money Saving Mom®

[Acadie]

Magazine in area of interest, gum, travel size hand lotion, Ghirardelli peppermint bark, Reese's PB trees, Nuun sports hydration tablets, toiletries like deodorant for college kid so she doesn't need to buy it herself, underwear, sports bras, leggings or tights, hibiscus or turmeric tea, headlamp or Lifestraw. 

Yikes, I need to get shopping!

[gardenmom5]

"credit card knives" - useful when you need one while out and about.  Folds like a credit card.

Nylon "grocery" bags with their own (attached) storage pouch. Holds 40lbs/50lbs. washable.  They're trying to get people here to "stop wasting" shopping bags and bring their own.  (I dont' waste it - they get used as wastepaper basket liners, and for cleaning the litter box . . . not to mention wrapping up chicken carcasses so they don't make the trash can smell.)

Sleep masks

 

Kids have started buying stuff for stockings too - I don't have to do nearly as much.

[popmom]

If Christian content is okay…My Utmost for His Highest or Valley of Vision are smallish books that make great gifts. My apologies if this is not applicable to your circumstances.

[ProudGrandma]

thank you so much for helping me out here.  My list of option is much longer now.

[plansrme]

Card games.

One of mine is a Squishmallow fan, and also a Mickey fan, and I found an 8" Christmas Mickey Squishmallow that will be jammed into her stocking. It is one of the gifts I am most excited about giving.

Chip clips, because they always have bags of chips and gummies and cereal in their rooms.

[plansrme]

14 hours ago, Loowit said:

 

glasses repair kit

Yes to this even if they do not wear glasses. My daughter in college in Texas was just telling me yesterday that she had to run out during finals to buy a repair kit for her sunglasses. It's Texas--she needs her sunglasses even in December. 

One year I bought screen cleaner spray for everyone's stocking, and that's been great. I got it at Office Depot or something. (Or maybe I saw it here and ordered minis on Amazon?) 

[ProudGrandma]

several of you mentioned card games....do you guys have any favorites that are cheap?

[TheReader]

21 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

several of you mentioned card games....do you guys have any favorites that are cheap?

Exploding Kittens is a huge hit, here

If there are siblings in the mix, one gets the base game and the other(s) get the expansions to add to it

There are similar ones out there as well now, but I'm not up on all of them. 

More traditional ones like SkipBo, Uno (especially if you can find character themed ones they'll like; Game Stop often has those), or even just themed regular playing cards for traditional games that use those (maybe print instructions for various card games that use normal decks, one for each stocking, to go with the cards). 

 

[TheReader]

32 minutes ago, plansrme said:

Yes to this even if they do not wear glasses. My daughter in college in Texas was just telling me yesterday that she had to run out during finals to buy a repair kit for her sunglasses. It's Texas--she needs her sunglasses even in December. 

One year I bought screen cleaner spray for everyone's stocking, and that's been great. I got it at Office Depot or something. (Or maybe I saw it here and ordered minis on Amazon?) 

re: the bold, one of mine is asking for the canned air for cleaning out laptop fans/electronics and stuff; that would be a good stocking item too. 

And mine are still into Lego, so we usually put a few of those Lego mini-figures in the mystery packs into each stocking (when we have time, we sit in the store trying to feel through the pack to make sure we at least don't get duplicates, but even when we end up with doubles, they don't mind).

[Red Dove]

14 hours ago, kfeusse said:

several of you mentioned card games....do you guys have any favorites that are cheap?

Fox in the Forest

[*****]

On 12/9/2021 at 5:11 PM, Spryte said:

Keyboard putty

Spryte, have you ever used this? And does it do what it is supposed to do? This is a new one on me, just wondering but it sounds like a good idea!

 

One group in my area is selling 50/50  raffle tickets for a fundraiser, I am buying some of those. to put in stockings.  It is also fun to do the scratch off lottery tickets on Christmas morning.

Little things for hiking: bear bells, freeze-dried ice cream...

[Spryte]

11 hours ago, ***** said:

Spryte, have you ever used this? And does it do what it is supposed to do? This is a new one on me, just wondering but it sounds like a good idea!

 

One group in my area is selling 50/50  raffle tickets for a fundraiser, I am buying some of those. to put in stockings.  It is also fun to do the scratch off lottery tickets on Christmas morning.

Little things for hiking: bear bells, freeze-dried ice cream...

No, this is my first year trying it. Another poster here mentioned it, and I thought it was a great idea. Have high hopes for it!

We also sometimes by holiday scratch off tickets, you just reminded me of that!

I also ordered cord labels this year, and some little games called “pack o games.”

[BlsdMama]

On 12/10/2021 at 8:14 AM, kfeusse said:

several of you mentioned card games....do you guys have any favorites that are cheap?

Dutch Blitz!

 

I ordered Blink and Quixx and this year. A friend recommended Tensi.