To think no one ever actually likes their secret Santa present?

[Dumptyhumpty101]

I’ve got two secret Santa’s coming up this week and have no idea what to buy either recipient (one is a 20 year old girl and one is a 30 year old guy).

It got me thinking, I don’t know what I would actually want to receive for £10 and I certainly don’t know what to buy someone else that they would actually love. Of course I can do the usual smelly bits but to me that’s not what gift giving is about. I want the recipient to receive something they would genuinely like.

So AIBU in thinking no one has ever been over the moon with their secret Santa gift.

If you have great ideas, please do feel free to share...

[SuperMeerkat]

Probably no use to you OP but we’re using a fab Secret Santa website. You put your name in and put in specific items you want and then when your name is allocated the SS just buys from your list. So easy.

[CaramelCrunch]

I agree with you OP - it's rubbish. Usually I am given some awful bath stuff or candles which I won't use. But plenty of PP have said that would be lovely for them so there you are. I'd rather not do it at all, save the money and reduce the consumerism.

Following with interest as I have to go buy something for my person today after the item I ordered has not arrived (bloody Hermes). Was thinking scratch cards as it's a bit of fun and he might make a profit (I would be very happy to receive these myself but I'll probably get another candle)

[myself2020]

I opt out. previously most “gifts“ literally went in the bin on the way home, they were so crap. i like the charity idea!

[SkateAway]

For your Johnny Walker lover, what about a cool whisky glass?

You can get ones that aren't flat on the bottom so the look as if they're sort of levitating. Or Granite whisky stones? I like whisky and I liked receiving these as a gift.

I do agree with you though, it's a pain in the arse unless the people you are buying for are people you genuinely know and like.

[Ponoka7]

My best one was a pair of M&S slippers with the receipt inside. I swapped them for a £10 steak.

[honeyloops]

I've had a few that I loved! One was a pin badge that suited my tastes, a book I wanted, a plant for my (already full of plants) desk :-)

[LittleAndOften]

I always seem to get really pongy hand cream. I don't use hand cream. My mum always gives me hand cream too. WHY?!!!!!

[halloumi2019]

Well with secret Santa and a £10 budget, I don’t think anyone’s going to be specifically over the moon with their gift. Also most people can afford to buy themselves a gift for £10, which would be exactly what they want vs something random or useless.

I don’t think alcohol is thoughtless, especially if you can’t think of an alternative gift. At least you know he’ll use/enjoy it. He’s not expecting you to give him something mind blowing.

If she drinks alcohol, M&S have a Christmas snow globe gin which is apparently really popular. It’s aesthetically pleasing, festive and usable and worst case scenario, something she can easily regift lol. If not, a lush gift set or gift card would be acceptable too. I’m the same age as her and would be more than happy with a £10 Zara (etc) gift card from an unfamiliar colleague, it’s not thoughtless

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

My best ever secret Santa present was a ridiculously spangly Christmas decoration (we call her the Carmen Miranda fish) about 15 years ago. She has pride of place on the tree every year.

[halloumi2019]

Side note, it’s a bit patronising to refer to a 19/20 year old as a girl

[JaJoJe]

I love the idea of secret santa and I've seen girls get other girls great things but I always get picked by a guy and its always last minute and thoughtless or horribly misjudged which sucks because I put so much thought in.

[thecatsthecats]

Ours at work is purely about mick taking in a friendly way.

Everyone is disappointed to receive something like wine or chocolates because its being left out of the fun.

Half the fun is in dissecting who would have made that specific joke, or what the joke even means.

I loved mine!

[StinkyWizleteets]

Someone who doesn’t really like me got me for
Secret Santa last year. They got me something with a really vulgar swear word on it expecting me to be shocked and hate it but I loved it. That didn’t go down well 😂

[nonevernotever]

The things I've given that went down best were a travel mug with a miniature of whisky for a very outdoorsy boss (he must have known who it was from, because he appeared at my desk afterwards to say that he hoped his secret santa person knew how much he loved it) an d a Christmas breakfast kit for a single mother (one of the penguin 60s mini books, a tub of croissant dough, bottle of clementine juice, a small bottle of prosecco and a few nice chocolates) she said that was brilliant because her son loved popping the tube and making the croissants while she drank bucks fizz. Have to say though that I knew both her and her son well so it wasn't much of a gamble.