Secret Santa is actual wank

[christmastits]

We had a £30 budget a giant fuck off list of stuff the person liked or wanted. It's a voluntary thing, so it wasn't forced or done through work.

I spent a long time picking out nice things I knew the person I had would love and some extras because I knew she's having a shitty time.

Yesterday was the day we were meant to open.. I hadn't got mine. Saw photos of other people's and they looked awesome, the lady I got loved hers,

I got my delivery info this morning and it was posted yesterday.. it arrived this morning but it was just awful, she clearly forgot, grabbed the first thing she saw and posted it :(

I feel so pathetically sad about it, but at least my lady liked hers. :)

That is an expensive secret Santa!
Last year I did 3. All very small FB groups connected to something very specific (all different)
2 were crap and i haven't done them this year. I carefully looked at each person and bought something specific for them
I got a mini bottle of prosecco from the supermarket! No thought whatsoever
The third group I'm in everyone chooses carefully and it's lovely

There are always one or two who seem not to make the effort. It's possible, though, that your 'santa' had some kind of crisis erupt in heir home life and didn't have time to choose something thoughtful.

DH's work handed theirs in yesterday morning, he went to get his when he finished at 8pm and there wasn't one for him.

They are. I refuse to take part in them anymore. £30 is a lot!

One year I was new to the job, put in loads of effort and thought to realise on unwrapping that it was meant to be funny/joke gifts. The disaplointment from everyone was obvious as was the fact it was from me.

I've also had numerous rubbish/thoughtless gifts but a couple stick out, one because I'd worked with the people in the team for two years and tge gift made it clear the person didn't have a clue about me at all. The other one was a comment on my personality. I know who that was from and the person would be devastated if they knew how much it hurt.

Yes, £30 is a lot. We had a £5 limit.

I don't get Secret Santa at all and don't have to take part nowadays.

It's risky if it's meant to be nice quality, and totally pointless if it's meant to be a joke. Why bother?

I suppose at least with an expensive one you might get something you actually want. The £5 secret Santas are just novelty landfill crap.

It is horrid when that happens, as giver and recipient.

I bought a good friend/colleague a worry puzzle thing. It was beautiful to look at, hand carved wood, metal inlay (made by another friend) and really complicated to undo. It was, I thought, the perfect desk gift for a man who really enjoyed unpicking complicated things.

He confided in me after Christmas that he had been really upset by his SS gift. It was, he thought, really obvious that the giver was being snide: such an ugly piece of tat wasn't appropriate at all!!

I felt awful. But did have to remind him that I had been given a packet of biscuits and a set of highlighters! He looked a bit glum.... maybe he was my SS too!!!

I didn't do it this year at work becasue I inevitably get alcohol related gifts despite the fact everyone knows I very very rarely drink. And I hate having to think up what to get people.

It's a stress I can do without.

Oh also last year it was a £5-10 limit, I spent slightly over and got something really thoughtful and I got 5 pound shop items. 3 of them were socks I think intended for children, although they fitted! I was still glad I put the effort in though as it was wearable and the person was always wearing it from then on.

This year (different workplace) I gave something nice but not at all personal, and got the same in return, so I'm ok with that.

Still upset on DH's behalf though as I'd be gutted if someone forgot about/decided not to bother with me.

Secret Santa is always shit.

Whole work ss is always hit and miss. We only have a £5 budget . Nothing has been really awful but one year that stands out is when I got a box of biscuits. Nothing too wrong there but when you've seen said biscuits for £2.99 in aldi it's a bit stingy not to spend the whole fiver especially when you can get a mug for a pound in places like home bargains. I felt like they'd forgotten and just grabbed it from their kitchen that morning.

My gift was awful this year...a cheap, nasty diary from a cheap high street tat shop. I'll never use it...we get beautiful large diaries every year from work (as the giver would know!!) and the £8.00 SS limit was in NO WAY spent!! The diary is on sale in cheap high street tat shop for 99p!! It's branded with name of tat shop so I know where it's from and how much it cost. I bought my recipient a gift related to their hobby which was really beautiful. I was actually gutted opening mine and know that my face would have reflected this 😢.

I opt out.

A £5 budget is fine if you put a bit of thought in. We had things like a speciality tea for a tea-addict; chocolates suitable for a particular dietary requirement; alcohol chosen on basis of known preferences.

I hate SS with a fiery passion. Be as well putting the money straight in the bin.

I've only ever had brilliant exchanges, but then I'd never do shitty £5 ones or ones with work colleagues.

This year my group of friends did it, as we're scattered in different countries at the moment and sending to everybody would have been hugely expensive. I spent about £70 on my recipient and I know she'll love everything she gets. My gifts are under the tree and I'm confident I'll love them, too.

I don't understand the ones with small budgets. You're never going to get anything you'll treasure for a fiver.

YANBU

is it me or are they quite a new thing? I don’t remember them as a kid but they seem to have exploded in popularity past decade or so.

Either way - shite

I got a cinnamon bath bomb, a travel cup you get free with an order from beanies and 3 tiny phot frames you can get a 2 inch photo in. No way was it to the budget. I'm just so happy that the lady I got isn't the one who sent mine!

The best Secret Santa I've done had a budget of £2. It's surprising what you can buy for the amount and was quite amusing. People were pulled out at random during a meal.

£30 seems a lot. Sorry you were disapppinted OP especially as you put so much thought into yours.

I got beautiful cashmere socks from work. No idea who they are from though. My ss loved hers but guessed it was me as each item was very personal.

I always wonder why people who put zero effort in to it bother doing it. If you can’t be arsed don’t participate.

One year my SS was broken, as in, it would have been broken beforehand as it was chipped. Great.

£30 is a lot. I once received 2 gold fish....I’ll admit (if you put aside animal concerns) it was funny but one of them is still alive 8 years later...!

It always makes me smile when people say that their present to others was thoughtful. In their eyes it was but maybe their recipient didn't think so. Maybe the giver of the present they received thought it was thoughtful too.

I also laugh when people are delighted that their present was loved by the recipient. It could be that it was hated - but they are not likely to show their real feelings are they?