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!

It's not much of a surprise, though, is it? And it's not much of a present, either. You get the kudos for doing it. She gets nothing at all.

I wonder why the one’s who “forget” don’t have the grace to excuse themselves from the proceedings, rather than grabbing their gift anyway?
The organiser shouldn’t have to fund standby gifts out of their own pocket for these grabby bastards.

We do a Ss £10.00 shit pressie thing each year. I am going to suggest we all donate the £10.00 to charity from now on

Food bank collection would be a much better option than SS, surely.

Not everything has to be about charity.

I used to work in a small team so everyone knew each other really well. Secret Santa gifts tended to be both relevant and sometimes hilarious. We had a royal family fan so someone had her picture superimposed onto one with the queen and framed. Tongue in cheek somewhat but but she loved it!
Someone got a signed autobiography of their favourite footballer.
We also had crisps gifted but an insane amount of someone’s faves in a Fortnum style hamper. With dips AND wine!

Indeed not, but I've never seen the point of exchanging presents with work colleagues or friends. Call me Mrs Scrooge if you like, but every single year there are umpteen threads on MN from people upset about getting something nasty or nothing at all in a Secret Santa, or from people who get awful presents or no presents at all from family. Gift giving is a minefield. It has the potential to cause so much upset. Much easier and better for the environment just not to bother at all except for the very closest people in one's life.

Deliberately shit? What a waste of money.

Next year only put half your names in, the other Hal pick out a name and whoever they get they give their name to… so although it’s not ‘secret’ everyone is buying for the person buying for them! If someone gives a crap present you Atleast know who the CF is !!

Someone at my old workplace gave a tv remote. All wrapped up, no batteries, no idea for what tv, just a random remote.

No one owned up. It was £5, some got a box of Lindor, bottle of wine, shower radio etc, so you can imagine the tv remote recipient's face.

Nice idea to have the organiser know who's buying for whom.

You can donate your money and just opt out.

I don't have many exciting SS stores from my work place. One year, my SS got me one of those M&S mini chocolate bars assortment.
A bit of an unimaginative gift, but I'm glad it wasn't a rude one!

I'm shocked at the stories of people getting underwear, sex joke items and Vagisil as "gifts" in the workplace. To me, it's bullying and a form of sexual harassment.

I got socks and everyone else was getting lovely perfume or gift sets. Was a bit embarrassed opening mine. Budget was 20

I'm afraid you won't find it at the bottom of a box of Secret Santa presents, judging on this thread ha ha 😆 😉!!

Schindler's List for a Jewish colleague?! Words fail me!

I once got a gin bottle that had been emptied out and refilled with Twiglets. I love gin and hate Twiglets as my Secret Santa well knew. He thought it was HILARIOUS 😂. It took me at least a year to come round to his way of thinking 😆

Our work one was £5 from a charity shop - could be something nice, something new (lots do Christmas gifts eg candles etc) or something hideous! The hideous ones were hilarious and either remained on display in the office, or returned to the charity shop. It was good because charities benefited, and the opening was brilliant fun

There's a huge amount to be said for all agreeing to Martin Lewis' Christmas 'Pre-NUP' - no unnecessary presents for other adults.

I came on here to say exactly that. You got all the credit and she gets nothing. The present was supposed to be FOR her. Next time buy a gift and donate your own money separately. I bet you got a nice gift yourself though didn't you?

Is it OK to buy unnecessary presents for children?

That's a good point!

I suppose it's usually easier to buy for youngsters; plus you don't have the pointless token present 'swapping' that you do between adults, as they obviously do more of the taking than the giving at their stage in life.

If they're things the children will use then all is good, but if it's plastic tat they'll play with once and then forget about I would consign that to the same rule.

There are a few miserable people at Xmas thankfully not to many 🤣

I love a charity gift rather than something lying in a cupboard unused
How bizarre to donate a gift intended for someone else to charity whilst happily pocketing the gift they gave you.
And feeling so smug about it as well …
Wow 😂
@UndeniablyGenX ’s post went straight over your head, didn’t it?

My kids school did secret Santa one year, $5-$10 gift. I was so concerned about it because it is a school in an impoverished neighbourhood and I knew a bunch of kids hadn’t got the kind of parents who would bother with it. I went to five and below and bought fifteen nice gifts and wrapped them with boy or girl or generic wrapping paper so teacher could hand them out to kids who weren’t given a present.