Secret Santa CF

[Saltdoughmuncher]

Our budget for the office SS is £10. Some people have put a wish list up on the office wall (grabby enough I think) but the person I am buying for has put 3 suggestions of quite specific things, all of which are priced at £15-£20!

AIBU to ignore her request list and just guess at something else to buy that is within budget?

Definetly ignore the list! If you are feeling charitable then maybe take inspiration from the list, but don't go over budget with it!

Have you checked in Amazon (prime if possible for speediness) to see if it's online cheaper?

That's definitely rude of them.

Ignore her and stick to budget, otherwise what is the point of setting one?

Are you sure the person knows that the things they have asked for cost that much? They might at least have seen them advertised online as within the budget.

Ignore the list. Do not indulge CFers.

YANBU

Some people have put a wish list up on the office wall (grabby enough I think)

^As long as it is under the £10 budget I don’t don’t think it is grabby at all. Would rather buy someone something they want that some £10 tat.

What do they want! We could help you find creative alternatives

that's the beauty of secret Santa, they don't know who bought it so you can get away with it.

Could it be a crass attempt at a ’guide’ rather than prescriptive?

Either way, stick to the budget and they’ll look like arses if they complain.

What's the point of doing a Secret Santa if people are going to make specific requests? They should just cut out the faff and buy it for themselves if they want it that much.

Can you tell us what's on the list so we can offer up in budget alternatives?

I thought the whole point of SS is that santa gets to choose something to suit the person.

In the ones I'm involved with, people simply list any allergies and strong dislikes (such as perfume for those who are sensitive) to avoid completely disastrous gifts.

I would like a winning lottery ticket please

A wish list for secret Santa? I'm getting fed up with people being waaay too precious over what they will & won't accept as a gift. If receiving something you might not have asked for is such a major problem then opt out of Secret Santa, problem solved.
Rant over, I'd completely ignore the list & buy a reasonable present that you think they might like for bang on £10.

In my team at work we spend a total of £6 per person.
This should consist of a £5 thoughtful gift and a £1 gift from the poundshop, tackier the better.

The person who bought mine last year bought me 6, £1 gifts from the poundshop.

A mug with "a bunch of pricks" written on it.
A notebook with swear words all over the front cover
And a blow up crown.

I can't remember the other 3 things but they were equally shit.

Everyone else got really thoughtful £5 gifts. I felt cheated. I'm really easy to buy for as well.

I’ve searched online and they are definitely not cheaper anywhere else. One item is a shop own brand so can’t be sourced elsewhere. List price £15, even with the current Black Friday deal it’s going to be £11 plus £3 postage.

Ignore the list (at most use it as a guide to the sort of thing she'd like) and stick within budget.

Sounds a very good reason to propose next year to follow the idea that staff at a railway company have done, not to have a secret Santa and donate to charity.

Having lists defeats what Secret Santa is!

Ignore it and buy 10 x £1 pound shop gifts! CF!

I’ve searched online and they are definitely not cheaper anywhere else. One item is a shop own brand so can’t be sourced elsewhere. List price £15, even with the current Black Friday deal it’s going to be £11 plus £3 postage.

Tbf, for the price of £4 I would just order it and give them something they enjoy. That said you are 100% NBU for refusing to do so, even if it were within price range, you can buy whatever you want for them.

For Secret Santa I aim to be within £1 above or below. No way would I buy something that much above the limit.

Buy 10 x scratchcards

(I'd be delighted with this)

Wish lists for secret santa? Wtaf?! I'd be really passive aggressive and write the prices of every item on the lists. Or loudly joke that the list writers better all be real fans of utter tat.