I know there unreasonable but £30 is insane!

[FranksBank]

To spend on someone you don't really like. For Sectet Santa

I am very PT and have been asked to arrange this, with them saying 'we knew you wouldn't want to join in because you don't celebrate it' I do actually celebrate it but I'll gladly let them think I don't now!

Anyway, the budget the person asking me to arrange it has set is £30. They want me to send out the email asking people to opt in, and mention it's a £30 budget.

AIBU to actually ask what madness has embedded within her to think this is a fair amount?

I said 'Is that not very high?' And she said 'Sent it out after Halloween! They'll have time to save, won't they?' And she seemed very smug to announce this obvious information

It's a school. Nobody is rich.

Thread title should say 'they're'

And it's Secret Santa not sectet

Tell her to do it herself.

I’m horrified! £30 is outrageous. I wouldn’t participate.

Yes mad. But secret santa is just awful regardless of how much is spent..is there nothing else that can be done to celebrate Xmas.?

Just say no, people would rather it was a fiver. 30 is too much

Don't do it!

Everyone will think you've set the budget. Refuse!

Hmm I dunno really. £30 isn't that much money anymore - I mean, you can't buy a lot with £30 so I don't think £30 for secret santa is unreasonable.

And it's optional, so if you don't want to do it you don't have to.

This is why I'm glad that me and my friends and colleagues always just arrange a nice meal out at christmas rather than buying gifts. We all have what we want, we really just want to spend time with friends occasionally and eat good food.

Why don't you suggest a meal out instead?

£30 is crazy for secret Santa - especially in a school! £10 is more than adequate

@Chowtime £30 is 50% of some people's food shop budget. A lot of people are really skint right now. I can afford it but don't want to spend £30! On a colleague

They already go for a meal with all school staff over 2 separate dates - You pick the one you can attend

Start the email with..... Mary has asked me to share this with everyone. Then put whatever bollocks she's decided on and leave them to it.

You could also end the message with the suggestion they should contact Mary with any queries.😊

Send it out if you have to, I’d say ‘Jane has suggested the SS should be set at £30 this year…’

I wouldn't call it a 'budget' as such. I'd just say please no gifts over £30, and less than that is totally fine.
I think it used to be tenner, then it went up to 20, at my work. But that was about 7 years ago.
As long as nobody feels they must spend that much then it should be OK.
I would discuss amongst my friends that I felt it was quite high, and how I will be spending a bit less.
Hopefully they'll agree and choose to do the same. It's just meant to be a bit of a laugh. So don't get too worked up about it.

Just say 'I've been asked to send this email on behalf of x' and then list the details.

Or refuse to send the email if it's not really your role.

Tenner tops, £30 is an awful lot of money to some people, particularly with the cost of living. If the budget is colleague's idea then put that in the email as per PPs' suggestions.

This is a better phrasing, do this.

Surely the whole point of a Secret Santa is that it is low budget and either finding something silly, or the best value for that low budget. I have relatives that I only spend £30 on

She must like her colleagues A LOT to spend that much. I thought secret Santa was meant to be just a bit of fun. A tenner would be more than enough.

I agree with the others.

X has asked me to let everyone know blah blah
Maximum spend 30
Contact x with any queries etc

I've never participated in a secret Santa, it's a wank tradition that needs to die.

I don’t see the problem, phrase it that the email is on behalf of the person who suggested it with her suggested budget. Make it clear that this is entirely optional and nobody is expected to participate, only those who want to.

Wait for everyone to decline as they don’t want to spend £30 on crap, or receive £30’s worth of crap. Then you never have to do secret Santa again!!

in the past I did a secret Santa where you could only spend £5 and you HAD to spend it on something in a charity shop or something home made. We opened all the gifts in a team meeting with hot chocolate and biscuits/mince pies, and played a few silly games together (we did a Family Fortunes style game that was a good laugh, and a dressing up game where you had to make a festive hat out of bits and pieces).

It was really funny and a few people got some amazingly creative things!

maybe do a straw poll aand find out what people really want. For me, Christmas should be about the spirit of the season, not the stress of shopping.

I hate how the first reply is ALWAYS someone correcting spelling or nitpicking terminology, etc of the OP!

🤣

We set our close family one for the adults at £25 and just buy for the children and we are all happy with that. £30 for work is over the top.

I would send it out with the budget set to £10, tops. £30 for this sort of thing is fucking ridiculous.

Yes, this is perfect