Secret santa at work

[Puffins4eva]

Whats the
average price people’s set for secret santa at work please.?
I work in education where colleagues earn high and low wages
I think 10 - 15 pounds is too.much
Am being unreasonable

We ditched this a couple of years ago as a team, suggested a charity donation instead. This was partly promoted by me as I find the whole buying something for the sake of it pointless. The department now does a big food bank donation and people bring in something to donate if they want to.

£10 has always been what I've done in every work place. There's not much you can get for £5 but no-one checks if you want to spend less spend less. Or just don't take part

Ballpark £10. But it is fine to spend £5/£6..

Had it at £10.

At my previous work. One year we had a colleague who only bought a £3 box of biscuits to the colleague she picked. The latter was so pissed off about it as she said whoever picked her name probably spent the full £10.

Another colleague discovered who was the £3 box of biscuits giver. A manager got involved. The biscuit box giver was made to apologise, get the biscuits refunded (as colleague wouldn’t eat them as reminded her of the issue) and got the secret Santa to select things added to £10.

This is why we stopped secret Santa.

whatever the amount, the main thing should be that it's entirely voluntary and nobody should be pressured into it. Even "just" a fiver can be more than some have spare to spend, and even if they could afford it might not want to.

It doesn’t have to be bought in a shop. If someone has for example a unopened gift box of toiletries in their cupboard - use that.

I think £10 to £15 is reasonable.

A fiver is unrealistic- such a low budget would force people to devote a considerable amount of time to find anything. (Even if we priced their time at the minimum wage, it would likely exceed the “saving” of the lower gift limit.)

On an irrelevant side note, a Caffè Nero hot chocolate cost me £4.90 yesterday! Just wanted to share my outrage.

What's not to understand?

The budget is £7 but the present has to be purchased in a charity shop.
It's often double bubble for the charity shop - they get the £7 when the item's originally bought and they are very likely to get a different item worth £7 donated to them in the new year 😂

@DayTimeRoses because a lot of charity shops sell total crap.
I'd prefer a box of Maltesers to a random ornament from a charity shop.

£10.00 where I work but it's optional and some people choose not to join in.

I was just guessing at the reason - I haven't taken part in a charity shop secret santa before.

But I see your point about it being restrictive. I don't live in an affluent area; there are only a couple of tiny (poorly stocked) charity shops locally, so I'd have to go into the city centre.

It’s also a bit more environmentally friendly as well I guess? So instead of spending £5 on some plastic tat which the person doesn’t want. You can spend £5 on something that already existed, plus the money goes to charity.

If £10 - £15 is already decided as your work secret santa amount and you dont agree, or don't want to spend that much don't take part.
I know you shouldn't give to receive, but it is pretty hurtful when you spend the agreed amount on a colleague, and in return get a load of second hand tat.

@Raspberryripple11 or not buy "plastic tat" in the first place.
Seriously....as I said above I'd prefer a box of Maltesers over some of what's in my local charity shops.
One seems to specialise in old ornaments and random plug leads.

The best secret santa i've ever taken part in was a £1 one.

Everyone bought something for £1 and put it in a container. Then people took it in turns to choose gift. We all opened together. It was quite good fun. Everything from a stewing vegetables packet, pack of pens, poundshop firemans calendar, lottery ticket. This was back when poundland actually sold things for £1.

It created some entertainment. No hard feelings from people getting ill thought out gifts, or things that were clearly bought for less than the budget and actually some usable gifts in there.

I hate regular secret santa. No one really knows me to buy anything i'd actually want. So it's a waste of time and money. Maximum i'd consider participating in would be for £5.

We do £10, years ago used to be £5 but it's now more challenging to get a gift for £5.
Of course you don't have to take part and not everyone does in our office although depending on when or how it's done it can be difficult to refuse.
If it's £10 - £15 stick to lower amount or decline to take part.
Tbh it's the same for works Xmas meals out, they can also cost a significant amount and not everyone wants to pay that or attend, it's part of work life.

The amount to be spent should be agreed prior to people signing up. I’d say £5 to £10.

£5 is reasonable.

Ours is always £10. I don’t think a fiver is worth the effort.

In my last teaching job we did the same. Brought in a food donation for a food bank and paid £5 to put up 1 Xmas card to everyone on a wall display. Both were optional and both very sensible in my view. Deputy head drove over goodies and money to a local food bank the first week of December.

It should always be ok to opt out of Christmas events. So those that want to get involved. I don't go on the Christmas do as I don't have the money. It's not an issue as other people can still go.
So with the secret santa if it's £10 then either get involved if you want to and can afford it or don't.

To be honest, a lot of other shops sell total crap.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads depends what you buy.....

But that's part of the fun.

One person's tat is another person's treasure.
A few years go, a colleague bought DP what she thought was a hideous old man's jumper and a calendar of the queen that she thought he'd immediately bin (he's a staunch republican).
He uses the calendar as a list of his employee's birthdays and I look very good in the jumper 😅

If you don't like the thing you get, just re-donate it to a charity shop.

This is what I never understand, employers or colleagues can’t just tell you how much to spend if you’re not happy about it. Just tell them to take your name out or suggest a lower amount