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.

£30 is crazy. No way.

I have stopped with Secret Santa participation.

More than one time I ended the game with no gift. 'Oh I forgot - today?!...” or with a £1 gift when the budget was £15.
Fun after spending the budget trying to find a nice gift? No.

I'm better off spending the money on myself and my family.

Make sure you end your email with "please send any feedback to ". "

Sorry probably being thick since no one else has asked but what is ‘very PT?’

But yes £30 is a bit insane. I don’t even spend that on some adults in my family for Christmas, never mind a work colleague!
I agree with others who’ve suggested that £30 should be a maximum. Perhaps say ‘please only spend what you feel is appropriate as it’s all for fun and definitely £30 is an absolute maximum’. Or refuse to participate in the whole thing.

Ours is a fiver.

£30 is far too much. We used to do £5 but put it up to £10 last year. I might even pass this year, although I’ve been called Scrooge in the past for trying to get out of it.

I wouldn’t send the email on the basis that most people will find it too high, and you’ll get the blame, even more so if you don’t join in yourself.

^This^ make it clear you have been asked to send this information.

don't send the email! people will forever associate you with the budget-busting secret Santa! there is no way I'd be taking part in that unless it was £5/£10.

It's much too much.

I'd be happy with 5 - 10£s.

You will find that not many people opt in. I organised the school secret Santa and the limit was £5. Some people spent more because they were close with the person they got. £30 is just too much.

can you speak to the actual staff like drop it into conversation? Do not send the email as all the replies will comeback to you.

speak to head teacher as it also won’t look good to parents when schools are saying they are struggling financially and then word gets out about this. Even some of the teachers will struggle as I was top of the pay scale but all the extra bills meant less disposable income.

you need to say something. Many of the TAs will also be on universal credit.

I have children and grandchildren I don't spend that much on - and parents!

Jesus we just do £10

Unless you send out all the other school e-mails, do not do it. Do not be a catspaw, especially not to this entitled person. She can do it herself.

I work in a law firm in central London and we do a tenner.

no one wants to spend £30 on a random colleague 😂

Agree with PP's who said start email with 'Mary has asked me to share this with you....' or you could put 'Mary has suggested £30' and let her deal with the complaints!

Every time this headline pops up in trending I have to read it twice. 😂 There and they’re.

That's a lot IMO, I like my work colleagues but I couldn't afford to spend £30 on them, I don't even spend that much on my friends! Send out the email and change the amount to something more reasonable, £10 is sufficient. If she challenges it tell her she asked you to arrange it and that's what you've done.

OP corrected it within less than a minute.

I see. 😅

it’s probably harder to find a good gift for £30! for £10 you can get the cherry chocolate box or any other edible thing/drink. yes £30 is too much on secret santa. let her send out the email if she insists.

Thank you all for offering your words of wisdom

The colleague in question has since said something incredibly offensive over her 'assuming' I'm a part of a certain community and 'like to spend so nobody would think it's odd I suggested £30' Big boss heard, had a quiet word and she apologised in front of me!

I really thought she was trying to suggest something about me with what she was saying but had absolutely no grounds to think it really, until she said that comment and got her arse handed to her for it

Anyway, no emails regarding secret Santa will ever be sent by me moving forward and the email that will be going out is for a £10 limit

Great update! Glad she got spoken to about it.

Wow. So she really did want you to take responsibility for the 30 quid, that is outrageous.

What's the "community that likes to spend"????

(Was my Mum part of it? Spending money was her favourite pastime)

It’s one of mine too, I didn’t know there was a community of us!