stumbled upon this today and totally get the stress of having detectives in the house. i've been doing this for a long time and i've found that the best way to save money and stay organized is to stop buying specialized storage stuff. i used to buy those expensive red and green bins but those are basically giant signs saying presents inside. now i just reuse old amazon boxes or generic grocery store cardboard. i'm super satisfied with just labeling them things like tax documents 2018 or old kitchen linens. trust me, kids wont touch anything labeled with the word taxes. it works well because it costs zero dollars and keeps the stash completely hidden in plain sight. since you already dropped 900 dollars, you definitely dont want to spend more on fancy hiding spots or pricey containers. another budget tip that works for me is using old luggage or suitcases. they're basically free safes that already sit in your house. i'm happy to report my kids havent cracked that one yet because they never look in the guest closet. just be cautious about where you stack them in the garage tho... keep everything at least a few inches off the concrete in case of any moisture or leaks, and definitely away from the water heater. it's a reliable system and no complaints from me. honestly feels great when you get to christmas morning and they actually have no clue what they're opening because you outsmarted them without spending a cent extra.

oh man i love this challenge! honestly its like a high stakes spy movie at my house every december and i am here for it! i started doing this thing a few years ago when my kids became literal ninjas and it seriously changed everything for us. i call it the Boring Box Strategy and it costs basically zero dollars because i just reuse old shipping boxes from the garage. here is how i handle the hoard now to keep those detectives away:

• i use boxes labeled with things kids absolutely hate. i’ve got one giant box labeled Tax Documents 2018 and another that says Winter Bedding and Old Curtains. they wont even look at them! its amazing how fast a 12 year old loses interest when they see the word taxes lol.
• try hiding the really small expensive stuff inside empty cereal boxes or oatmeal containers in the back of the pantry. sounds crazy but kids never look for toys in the kitchen unless its for a snack!
• i stopped using color coded sticky notes because they are a huge dead giveaway. now i just keep a digital master list on my phone with photos of where everything is hidden so there is no physical trail left behind for them to find. i spent way too much money on fancy storage containers before i realized that the more expensive the bin looks, the more the kids want to see whats inside. keep it looking like dusty junk and they stay far away! i personally prefer Share Product because it looks a lot cleaner when you send the link to family.

man those ages are the worst for snooping. in my experience the biggest mistake people make is hiding stuff in the attic or garage without checking the temperature first. I've tried many spots over the years and one year I ruined a bunch of board games because the garage got too damp. also honestly skip the sticky notes. if they find one they know exactly what the others are. I've found it's much safer to use a digital list on your phone that's password protected. dont even keep a physical paper trail. one thing I'll warn you about: don't hide heavy things up high on shelves. kids will climb anything if they think there's a lego set at the top. I saw a shelf tip once and it was terrifying... stick to locked trunks or even asking a neighbor if you can stash the big hauls at their place. it's way more reliable than a blanket.