Page 6 | Secret Santa CF's

BoyzIIMen · 2024-12-11T23:26:20+00:00

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!

KimberleyClark · 12/12/2024 23:26

I wouldn’t mind a big bag of posh crisps as a Secret Santa present.

ForPearlViper · 12/12/2024 23:29

I've given crisps as a secret santa present. I got an entire trade size box from Costco of my colleague's favourite crisps within the budget. It was a pain to wrap but she was delighted. I think I won best secret santa gift giver that day.

pepperonipizzaaaa · 12/12/2024 23:36

i once got a half used bottle of body spray, also got a box of chicken wings the next time 😭

ChristmasfoodisOverrated · 12/12/2024 23:43

Poppins21 · 12/12/2024 03:22

I have never discussed this with friends - we buy each other gifts and I would say unspoken rule of about £20-30 each.

As we have had kids the same amount for each kids birthday and Christmas too. But I don’t remember ever having an active discussion and it has risen from about £10 over the last 20 years. I broke the rule one year I found my friends son something I thought he would adore and it was above the budget. I was right he did adore it and that is was what mattered. I don’t think my friend thought I was being a dick - I hope she thought I knew her son would love it.

Secret santa seems to be especially fraught though- we put our names on gifts so cheeky fuckery would be easy to see and spot I guess.

Aww that is so lovely. I would be delighted it somebody thought to do that for one of my children. It shows even more thought.

ChristmasfoodisOverrated · 12/12/2024 23:44

ForPearlViper · 12/12/2024 23:29

I've given crisps as a secret santa present. I got an entire trade size box from Costco of my colleague's favourite crisps within the budget. It was a pain to wrap but she was delighted. I think I won best secret santa gift giver that day.

Hope they were a good date 😂

SilverChampagne · 12/12/2024 23:55

SunnyHappyPeople · 12/12/2024 19:44

Hey, brussel sprouts aren't shit!! I'd be over the moon with that!

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You’d be over the moon to spend twenty quid on your secret Santa and get Brussels sprouts back?

mondaytosunday · 13/12/2024 00:50

It's not anyone being a CF. My son has secret Santa at his work . He is the most junior (by decades) and on just over minimum wage. There's only about 8 or so staff. Last two years he's got the boss/owner so has felt (totally self imposed) obliged to get a proper gift (I think the limit is around £10). He spent £35 this year and at least that last. I told him it wasn't expected but he feels he should! That's more than he's spending on his sister or me (partly because I ask him for something specific I know he can afford).

MeanWeedratStew · 13/12/2024 00:51

@MounjaroOnMyMind unfortunately it was anonymous, and no-one was going to own up after seeing the look of horror on Sue’s face.

TeaAndTattoos · 13/12/2024 00:52

The last time I took part in secret Santa I got nothing.

pollyglot · 13/12/2024 01:49

"To James from your Secret Santa". This was ten years ago. Tucked inside the gift, which had evidently never been opened by James in 2013. Guess how I knew that my SS was James? A pair of raunchy underpants gave me the clue as to the donor's identity.

PrincessOfPreschool · 13/12/2024 02:09

Around 15 years ago, DH's family used to do secret santa for £50 which was more than we spent on presents for each other, but in the spirit of joining in, we did (£100 when we had bought 2, which was a lot more 15 years ago when we had a young family!).

I always gave something with receipt in envelope as it's a lot of money to just waste of it doesn't fit it someone doesn't want the item. We never, not once, received items with receipts. One year DH got a beanbag. Another year I got a summer blouse, obv no receipt. It had clearly been bought in the summer sales and then not worn but nothing I would have bought myself. Once I got something I wanted! (I think it was a freebie from work but v nice so I didn't mind they hadn't spent the money). I think we did it for 3 years and gave up.

Original poster

BoyzIIMen · 13/12/2024 08:14

PrincessOfPreschool · 13/12/2024 02:09

Around 15 years ago, DH's family used to do secret santa for £50 which was more than we spent on presents for each other, but in the spirit of joining in, we did (£100 when we had bought 2, which was a lot more 15 years ago when we had a young family!).

I always gave something with receipt in envelope as it's a lot of money to just waste of it doesn't fit it someone doesn't want the item. We never, not once, received items with receipts. One year DH got a beanbag. Another year I got a summer blouse, obv no receipt. It had clearly been bought in the summer sales and then not worn but nothing I would have bought myself. Once I got something I wanted! (I think it was a freebie from work but v nice so I didn't mind they hadn't spent the money). I think we did it for 3 years and gave up.

£50 each is a lot!

OP posts:

UndeniablyGenX · 13/12/2024 08:17

Ilovelblue · 12/12/2024 23:08

Not something I experienced directly, but a friend of mine had the pleasure of a Secret Santa every year in her office, Her boss (of a different culture but who wanted to take part) wrote an email to the Secret Santa group saying something along the lines of "Dear Santa, I don't want the usual rubbish from you and I don't drink. I am doing my house up at the moment so would like....." and then sent a list of tools the unlucky recipient of his name could buy in B&Q. I think that put the kibosh on the idea of Secret Santa presents in her office. I can't remember what the limit of spending was as it's a few years ago now, but whatever it was would have been less than the B&Q tools.

Surely just buy her a B&Q voucher for the agreed amount?

housethatbuiltme · 13/12/2024 09:03

25percent · 12/12/2024 20:57

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.

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I think its rude to dictate how much someone HAS to spend... the limit is to stop more well off people going over the top.

Some people who do SS have NO ONE else that they get presents from, not everyone has partners, kids, family etc... they could genuinely be exited and want to take part but also not be financially well off (single income, could be one of the lower pay brackets etc...). As long as thought and effort is put in price doesn't matter.

But then someone well off enough to afford £30 on a SS (and insane budget for many by the way, pops up every year as a moan about a budget set by the higher up not considering others aren't as highly paid) is unlikely to understand struggle. I have know people where £30 has been the whole budget for their kid at Christmas. I think many find £8 (and if its in the sale it was WORTH more, so they got a bargain in the budget... good for them) is a perfectly acceptable amount to receive as a gift from a co-worker. Greed is not becoming.

CF is about people who forget, give the laziest most unthought out gift, give deliberately hurtful gifts or inappropriate gift not the poorer members of the team taking part but are living within their means.

suburburban · 13/12/2024 13:23

I think it's good form to be close to the budget

SilverChampagne · 13/12/2024 13:34

housethatbuiltme · 13/12/2024 09:03

I think its rude to dictate how much someone HAS to spend... the limit is to stop more well off people going over the top.

Some people who do SS have NO ONE else that they get presents from, not everyone has partners, kids, family etc... they could genuinely be exited and want to take part but also not be financially well off (single income, could be one of the lower pay brackets etc...). As long as thought and effort is put in price doesn't matter.

But then someone well off enough to afford £30 on a SS (and insane budget for many by the way, pops up every year as a moan about a budget set by the higher up not considering others aren't as highly paid) is unlikely to understand struggle. I have know people where £30 has been the whole budget for their kid at Christmas. I think many find £8 (and if its in the sale it was WORTH more, so they got a bargain in the budget... good for them) is a perfectly acceptable amount to receive as a gift from a co-worker. Greed is not becoming.

CF is about people who forget, give the laziest most unthought out gift, give deliberately hurtful gifts or inappropriate gift not the poorer members of the team taking part but are living within their means.

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Think of it as being more of a guide price, rather than a ceiling you shouldn’t go above?
A quid or two above or below is fine, spending £8 when you know everyone else is spending c£30 is really not on.
Why not opt out instead?

housethatbuiltme · 13/12/2024 14:45

SilverChampagne · 13/12/2024 13:34

Think of it as being more of a guide price, rather than a ceiling you shouldn’t go above?
A quid or two above or below is fine, spending £8 when you know everyone else is spending c£30 is really not on.
Why not opt out instead?

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Did you miss the entire first part of my post... how for some people its literally all they have? Those people that are also more likely to be financially disadvantaged from not having shared expenses.

ChristmasfoodisOverrated · 13/12/2024 15:24

luckylavender · 12/12/2024 20:13

Oh a Christmas grinch

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Because secret santa is fun, and you get the surprise element. Obviously hoping it'll be a good surprise of course!

Manara · 13/12/2024 15:58

The organiser needs to tell the CF that they're disqualified, Why aren't they?

Chimperino · 13/12/2024 17:43

Budget was £10, a colleague received a really hideous Poundland Xmas snow globe...

BeensOnToost · 13/12/2024 17:48

Do you know who it is? Like through gossip or because you've organised it? If so, buy them crisps next time you pull them

IsawwhatIsaw · 13/12/2024 17:57

For a work secret Santa I received an Oxfam goat voucher……

restingbitchface30 · 13/12/2024 18:01

I hate secret Santa’s. It’s the opposite problem in my partners family. We have £20 budget. But if someone gets someone they like more they go way ott! Last year SIL got me and got me a smelly set. This year she got her brother and got him a bike! I don’t want a bike don’t get me wrong, but I will not be partaking again!

SunflowerSeahorse · 13/12/2024 18:01

I cannot believe how tight some people are. At my previous workplace one year I got a candle holder in bashed packaging. It was a free gift from Avon. Secret Santa was entirely optional, so why do it if you don't want to do it properly? There were a couple of people who 'forgot' too; the organiser anticipated this and had a couple of bottles of wine in bottle bags.
This year my Secret Santa bought me an adult's dinosaur colouring book and a pack of dinosaur stickers - I was thrilled as I'm a Science teacher who is mad about anything to do with dinosaurs! 😁

Shitgift1 · 13/12/2024 18:04

I got a second hand Roy Cropper style shopper bag and the cheapest pair of black gloves I’ve ever seen (£10 budget). The gloves were so thin.
My partner has been victim to SS too. He is into DIY. He got a two pack of screwdrivers from the pound shop and a selection box (£15 budget).
The genius who is organising it this year has set a sliding budget of between £5-£35 so buy what you feel you can afford… A brilliant way to make everyone feel crap.
I like the idea of SS, good way to get to know your work mates better. Also, nice to not know who is getting you something, but I don’t see why it has to remain a secret. The big reveal of opening the gift and also finding out then who bought it for you would stop some of the CF’s.