Easter on a Budget - Baskets and Egg Fillers from Dollar Tree

Shopping for an 8-year old boy is tough. And shopping for an 8-year old boy on a budget is even tougher. This Easter I put Kevin and I on a budget of $16 to fill Jace's Easter basket as well as filling the plastic eggs. Keep in mind that I did purchase his Easter basket and a few things for his basket earlier but I really wanted to focus on what I purchased specifically on a budget. I went to the Dollar Tree with an open mind. I knew I could find decent-quality items for an 8 year old but wasn't sure what to expect. This boy loves Spongebob, superheroes, drawing/writing, sports, and games. I didn't want to go to the Dollar Tree to just find cheap things. I actually wanted to find things that he would use and like. I spent probably an hour there but I did find some great things. I wanted to share some things that I found and how I was able to fill Jace's Easter basket and eggs under $16.

The first thing that I noticed when I walked in to the Dollar Tree were two rows of Easter items - including this soft Nerf throw. It actually did seem rather cheap but we have a huge grass area across the street and even if it lasts for just a few weeks, I think it would be worth every dollar. One dollar.

The second group of items were things that were personal to his likes and interests. He loves and collects Pokemon and the Dollar Tree had Pokemon cards (small packs) in the aisles when you checkout. Jace loves Spongebob so I got him some Krabby Patties. I saw these at Smart and Final yesterday for almost $3.00 and I got them at the Dollar Tree for $1.00. Jace has also has been talking about a jump rope because he says that sometimes he jump ropes at Recess. I was at TJ Maxx the other day and saw some jump ropes but they were really girly. I found a blue one that was smaller so that he can actually jump rope easier. And then finally I found an Avengers puzzle. It was in a really small container and had 48 pieces to it so I figured it would be perfect for him to solve. Plus, he LOVES the Avengers. 

The third group of items that I purchased were books. Jace just received an award for his improvement in reading and I wanted to get him something that he would enjoy but also one that he could learn from. The first set is a 3-set of Avengers book. The second book is an Addition book with Puzzle Tiles. He is working on Addition right now so it's perfect for his age group. He solves the Addition problems and then based on the answers, he colors certain boxes. Every box forms part of a picture. For example, a Mailbox, or the word "Cool" or something similar in the graph. I thought it was a fun idea for him to learn.

The final group of items consist of a Chocolate Bunny and socks. I know, these two items don't go together in any way but he has been asking for a Chocolate Bunny for Easter so that was perfect. As for the socks, this boy loses his socks like crazy. He always wears mismatched socks to school and I can never find socks when he goes to his Nana's house. At least these three pair for $1.00 should help :) 

For the plastic eggs, I wanted to do more than just candy. I did purchase Jellybeans and Chocolate Carrots but wanted more than just the traditional candy and money. The Dollar Tree had a 4-pack of mini water balls and also mini legos (Jace always says he wants to be a Soldier when he gets older like his Dad was and one of the lego's are a Soldier!). They had about four different boxes of mini legos with two per box. I thought they were the perfect size for the eggs! I did buy the eggs at Target but the good thing about plastic eggs is we could use them for years to come :)

If you are on a budget and trying to have a great Easter, I would love to hear how you fill baskets and eggs on a budget! Leave a comment below and let me know. I love hearing new ideas and looking forward to hearing from you!