Secret Santa CF's

[BoyzIIMen]

If your group of friends do a Secret Santa, is there always one person who spends the bare minimum rather than the budget you've all agreed in advance?

Every year there is always one awful present and it's happened again this year. The budget is £10 and someone has bought a large bag of crisps!

We always give the option that anyone can withdraw from being part of it if they want, but they never do! None of us are struggling financially!

I'd be interested to hear of other CF Secret Santa presents!

I think if it's £10,you should aim to spend near £10 not £5

I always take care to spend the suggested amount and chose something I think the recipient would like

Some secret Santa’s involve adding a gift to a pile, and then people take turns to select a random gift (only those who gave a gift can take one)

Lol I wonder if we work together?

Once getting in the lift on the way in I said to co-worker 'what you get your SS?' and he yelled shit and ran out the lift.

Came bolting in 15 minutes late with a newspaper and a box of dairy milk from the local poundland and tried to oragarmi it into wrapping (without sellotape) which did not work. He was red and sweating profuseness.

There SS still had better luck than me as at least he ran and got something though. I got a flyer from the lobby of work (its kind of twice as insulting as I know I was forgotten and its an add insult to injury non present... not funny).

I also once got a gift card in a carrier bag for the shop downstairs with the receipt in the bag showing it had just been bought 15 minutes earlier. I don't shop there and nothing cost £5 so I would have to spend money to buy something I don't want.

I once got something for the wrong religion, they where so proud of themselves too (tbf they had gone to a specialist shop but why on earth they assumed I was that obscure religion was odd. I wear a cross, have a photo of my church wedding and have a christian tattoo).

The others I have been forgotten at.

We used to do Secret Santa at work (I'm not there any more).
One year l got chocolate body paint and an illustrated sex positions book.
Because my marriage was in dire straits (dv) l hid them at home, intending to put them in the bin next bin day when my husband had gone to work.
Apparently the woman l car shared with (who knew my personal situation) was my gifter. Why she chose those, l have no idea.
Anyway, he found them before bin day (they were in the bottom of my wardrobe underneath a pile of clothes) and went mad. Accused me of having an affair, threatened me with all sorts.
When l brought it up with her, she seemed utterly bemused, laughed, and said "It was just a joke! Tell him that!"
I was lucky to live to tell the tale.

This year the budget was £15. I got nothing!

Two bags of these would have been acceptable (for the right person).
www.ocado.com/products/brindisa-torres-iberico-ham-crisps-511219011?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21073525152&utm_content=non-brand&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADi6iHmUKNBRI1XSa6jnvQcCpOqwa&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsOq6BhDuARIsAGQ4-zgYaw7akxJayH1Olc29gPOadufgUxo0C1P_8cvNPe_MMTPyPcYaOsAaApAHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh a Christmas grinch

7 months pregnant, big and obvious.
Got a set of shot glasses from Secret Santa.

This is the expectation in our place.
Unfortunately the highest earners give the cheapest, crappiest gifts (such as a faded address book with the £1.99 price sticker on, gloves that would fit a toddler etc). The staff on minimum wage that take part spend time finding a thoughtful gift for the full £10.
I decline to take part.

not a secret Santa as such but a friend/family present swap. I try to buy nice gifts that I know will be enjoyed. ( Hobby related/previously mentioned etc) I tend to receive generic gifts that have been bought on 3 for 2 etc. perfumed moisturiser’s etc that I can’t use as have sensitive skin. one year I got a gift bag with all minature skin care. . This may be nice you think, except they were winning prizes in the post code lottery raffle as I also won them as same area. Best bit was the silver foil seal was missing 🙈 😂

I can't see that's a real issue.

Years ago my boss who was quite religious, received a very graphic sex dictionary for his SS gift - he was stone faced when opening it - we all felt rather embarrassed for him - l discovered who the gift was from - a person you’d never suspect (it wasn’t me😅).

Unless they are these: https://www.bonillacrispsuk.co.uk

Ah, this reminds me of the best Secret Santa thread ever www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4425676-mortified-by-gift-from-boss?flipped=1&page=1

This was not Secret Santa but when I had my first baby my Dh's brother and sister-in-law gave us a stained white baby sweater with buttonholes but no buttons.

Glad it's not just me! I see no problem with it.

I'm so sorry, she clearly had zero understanding of DV. I hope you are away from your husband now and have far better Christmas' now!

Not me but my mum once got a roll of toilet roll… she wasn’t impressed

I think the worst I've seen is a ball of string, never did find put the giver or why.

Someone at work forgot to get me a gift for the secret Santa. it was only meant to be a fiver. That day we were getting take away bacon and egg sandwiches as a team. He paid for mine.
I was actually quite pleased as it meant I didn't have to pay for my own sandwich. A small amount but in December it's always helpful. The person who arranged the secret Santa wasn't impressed though as she thought it was thoughtless.

5 litres car shampoo.
They didn't drive.

MR MEN BOOKS were added our SS gifts

Mr lazy
Mr wrong
Mr greedy

Also lots of little miss.. books all linked to the character traits.
Was really funny.

Noone owned up.
Some were upset with their books.

A No.7 eye shadow palette, which had obviously been part of a freebie offer and had obviously already been opened. To add insult to injury, someone accidentally dropped it before I was handed it and the mirror was cracked.....

I don't agree that if the budget is £10 you can buy anything up to this.

This is what allows people to get away with spending as little as possible like in the OP.

If the budget is £10 then you spend close to this amount - no - one is going to quibble about £8/9 but £1/2 spend is just unfair and cheeky.

I disagree. I think a £10 budget means you spend as close to that as possible even it means going over a bit. Last year we had a £30 budget and got an £8 present. I knew the price because the CF had left the price and the 'sale' sticker on it. I was really pissed off not just because they had spent £22 less than I had but also because the gift was shit.