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

£20. We're all on reasonable salaries. Personally I would opt out for anything less than £10 because I like buying something decent.

@DayTimeRoses I actually love charity shops. I have certain things that I collect and I can be found regularly rummaging away in one.
But as a random gift for someone - it's literally is so random as charity shops are so hit and miss.
I would rather go to one normal high street shop that I know I can easily get something that's fairly generic (paperback book, box of chocolates, tree decoration etc) than have to go rummaging and hoping there will be something reasonably decent.

Ours is £15, upped from £10 so that people could get something they actually like/is useful - however it is very clear that it's voluntary (we opt in, rather than opting out) and it's done through an online app where we can suggest things we like or definitely don't (eg so tee totallers don't get bought wine etc)

It used to be lower but it seemed to end up with people getting tat for the sake of something to buy, hence the change.

@Wimberry I like the idea of people being able to put a few suggestions.
Perhaps that should be the way to go. Someone picks a name and on a card there can be 3 "Things I like" and 3 "Things I really don't like".
And they can add if they don't drink alcohol, have allergies, are vegan or whatever.
So for me it would be :
I like....
Crime novels
Chocolate
Bubble Bath
I really don't like.....
Puzzle books
Candles
Hand cream
I don't drink Alcohol
So it gives the gift giver a starting idea but it will still be a surprise.

We do £10 & has to be charity shop purchase!

I think I'd buy paperback from the supermarket and say I got it at a charity shop.
I mean - who is gonna know 😂

(Also education)
I think ours went up to £10 as people were finding it difficult to keep at £5.
However, I opted out years ago, and last Christmas there were only quite a small number that wanted to do it.

It is partly the waste of money (buying/ receiving something the person probably doesn't want or can use) but is also "just one more thing" to remember to buy, to wrap, to bring in on the right day, etc etc.

it shouldn't HAVE to be done at all. It's a pain in the arse and lots of people hate it. There are threads on here every single year.

Lots of people don't have random toiletries or chocolate lying around because they can't afford to buy them in the first place!

Tbh I could easily afford to spend £10 on a secret santa but I don't want to because I hate the entire concept. I hate the fact that most people will just spend it on wastefill tat from home bargains. I hate the fact that people who don't celebrate Christmas are either bullied into participating or feel excluded. I hate wasting money and time trying to guess something a recipient might like and then get some random tat in return, I'd be annoyed if I had bought something nice and someone got me some crap toiletries from the back of their cupboard.

I didn't say don't do it. If people want to do it fine. Just make it completely optional.

@another1bitestheduck I've never known a Secret Santa be compulsory.....

@Needmorelego agree, i think it's nice that people can get a gift that they like, especially as our team is mostly women with children who can feel a bit forgotten at Christmas! Last year I got a book by a favourite author and some galaxy chocolate and I was very happy!

I do think that it's important to 'opt in' rather than have to opt out, as then no one has to feel embarrassed (and there shouldn't be any need to be, but if someone is wanting to avoid it due to finances they may not feel able to speak up to say they don't want to take part)

I usually have a toiletries gift set unopened as has bubble bath in it - I don't do baths.

I find this has to be a charity shop purchase thing ridiculous and it would prevent me from joining in. I never ever go into the town centre and I wouldn't be doing so just to find some tat for >£5.

It's 15 quid this year. Public sector smallish close team. I suspect like many people I can regift something decent depending on the draw. I keep a stock of stuff in the cupboard. I'm always happy with anything nice to eat, a candle. Booze. Less welcome are scarfs or gloves as I never wear them or novelty mugs etc. but I accept with grace. It's just a nice ritual.

Also in education, ours is £15 this year. If I receive something wank I'll be pissed off...

Ours is opt in £5-£10. There are a few people I’d love to get because I can think of things that they’d love in that price bracket. Knowing my luck however…(I took a while to recover from getting the big boss as a newly qualified in a new office many years ago)

I would think that the charity shop idea is a good one, coz in that easy, a fiver will buy a better item, and it's a "win" for the charity shop.... a lot of charity shops sell new items too...

Love the charity/pound shop idea.

I think this year i'm going to do lottery scratch offs for secret santas. Could be worth something or nothing!

Reminds me of Secret Santa at work- a lovely lady who was very prim and proper and never understood rude jokes went round to everyone involved and said "If you pick my name, I don't like willy warmers"

It’s £15 for us. I’m finding it a bit of an awkward amount tbh - a bit much for tat / joke / small token, but not enough to get something decent.

I’ve done the charity shop thing before. I think pretty much everything got donated back to charity on the way home from the Christmas lunch.

They're banned at my work, along with collections for any other occasions.
It's great 👍

Certainly no more than £10. Used to be £5 but really that is only going to be a cheap Christmas mug at that price point.
My DS works in a men's fashion boutique where he is youngest by at least two decades. There's a woman's shop too so he inevitably gets one of them. Pretty bath bombs and nice chocolates, a book that he knows they're keen on (he will ask one of their co workers), something like that. They aren't really into naff jokey gifts.