Is It Too Early to Be Talking about Stocking Stuffers?

Last week, a family member sent a group text asking for holiday gift suggestions for the kids.

IN OCTOBER.

In a normal year, before we all resided in the pandemic’s Upside Down, a request like that would’ve invited a chortle and a fair amount of gentle ridicule. Christmas in October! WHO ARE YOU?!

Here’s the thing: it’s not a normal year.

COVID-19 has given us many gifts in 2020—more opportunities to train (and not show), time to (finally!) get to long procrastinated projects, hours to ponder an existential crisis.

But there’s yet another one coming down the pipeline this holiday season: Shipping delays and stock shortages.

With most factories working at reduced capacity and a global backlog on the transport of goods (just try to buy an appliance right now…), late deliveries and backorders are all but assured for holiday 2020.

So while it may seem a smidge crazy to be thinking about the your holiday shopping right now—like the toilet paper hoarding of Spring 2020—October might actually be the best time to be stocking up on, well, stocking stuffers. Plus, it’s Fall Sales Season—so you can get a good deal too! #silverlinings

Here are a few things we found on Equishopper that are under $40!