A secret Santa one (peed off)

[OneGreyBiscuit]

Went out with girls from work and done secret Santa. The spend was £20. I got a tiny box of celebrations, cheap socks with my initial on and mug with my name inserted into a quote. It basically looked like a raffle and nowhere near £20 worth, a tenner at best. I had to sit there and watch others opening some lovely things - an ornament from next, no7 stuff, fuzzy duck, perfume. And the thing is I know full well who it was from. Obviously that person doesn't think as much of me as I hoped. Aibu to feel a little miffed? Id appreciate no hateful comments as I feel crap enough.

Chuck it away, that’s what I did with all the shit I ended up with when working in an office. Can’t say I put much effort in to buying anything either.

Buggered if I’d spend 20 quid on a work colleague.

See, everyone is different. I’ve had a Bayliss and Harding set in SS before. I showed gratitude and when I got home I binned it. I wouldn’t even pass that on to a friend or a charity shop. I hate the stuff.

The mug with your name was probably at least £12 ordered online. I think it sounds nice and personal

I wouldnt have thanked you for B and Harding - its crap toiletries.

@BunsBoots

why on earth wouldn’t you give it to charity shop? Do you think it’s toxic waste or something?!

Bu stuff you brought could have been got in local teacos while doing a shop with zero thought.

Secret Santa is a lucky dip thing for a bit of fun. I think the value of your gifts was probably around £20 and perfectly ok.

We're all different. I wouldn't want an ornament from Next or cheap perfume and yours does sound like it cost £20 to me. But just don't do it again.

We use Elster so you can add a wish list of things you’d like - still gives the buyer choice but means you get something you’d want.

I'd have been v happy with the gifts you received and on the flip side wouldn't want to be gifted a bloody ornament from Next. Just goes to show you can't win with secret Santa!

Quite! Somebody would be grateful for it!

Yes.

I can't go anywhere near Baylis and Harding. Just the thought of it makes me come out in hives

Years ago , also with a £20 limit I managed to get a Radley umbrella and tote bag set and a huge bar of their favourite chocolate
I got a rip off of cards against humanity ‘a game for terrible people ‘ and some socks with ‘fuck off’ written on them

The person who got your gift will be on here in a moment starting a thread about what you got her.

Disappointing, I agree, but that's what happens so often with Secret Santa. I once had a £5 Boots gift voucher and that really upset me as I'd gone to a lot of trouble for mine. But as a friend pointed out, it's people doing their best usually, just not what you would do!

@BunsBoots

youre very silly then, because it isn’t. They are simply products to clean one’s hands or body with. What products do you normally use to do this? Jo Malone??

Sounds like a thoughtful £20 spend to me. What did you give?
personally I’d be disappointed if I received no 7 or cheap perfume. No idea what fuzzy duck is. Next decoration is a maybe. It just shows we all have very different tastes, it’s very hard to choose a perfect gift, even when you try hard to.

You really are not coming across well here. Secret Santa is meant to be a bit of fun, not provide you with the gift of the year. It’s not about the gift, it’s about the occasion and the fun, it’s the thought that someone put into it going out if their way to personalise your present. It’s people like you that give Secret Santa a bad name.

That actually sounds like some lovely personalised gifts. Ok it might not be to your personal taste but it looks like they have put a lot of thought an effort into it and wasn't to know that.

some of you are placing a lot of stock and emotion for £20 secret santa gifts.

you are adults if there is something you really want, give a hint I'm sure there's a groupchat or buy it yourself.

you cannot let a £20 gift make you feel sad, its a bit silly.

Obviously I haven't seen them but as others have said it sounds like it could be £20 worth of stuff.

I gave a decoration for my SS that cost me £14, our budget was £15 but I was worried it didn't look like it was worth that much so I got something else and went over the £15 😂

Does she genuinely know you quite well? I pulled someone I'm friendly with but don't know their taste all that well. We're actually on a website where you can list things you want/your interests but she didn't list any and I did have to guess based on the little I did know about her.

I'm sure whoever pulled you would be heartbroken to know you don't like it!

I remember at our secret Santa, I gave a £20 gift card (the spend was £20) and I received a half eaten tub of chocolates!

baylis an Harding smellies

I would have hated that with a passion

I’d rather get the gift you received than the one you gave.

Assuming she hasn’t actively shopped for the lowest price items, I think I’d expect £6 for socks £5 for a mug, £2 for chocolates, a few points for delivery - and she easily could’ve spent more on any of the items to get to the £20. The small box of chocolates made me think she was topping it up to get to the target price.

Secret Santas are inherently disappointing. I love them for the surprise, but not because I expect a thoughtful gift.

It’s a basic secret Santa. Not fabulous, not awful, just fine. As was yours which sounds like you raided tkmaxx. I don’t hate B&H, but I know loads of people do so I’d probably avoid. I wouldn’t want perfume or an ornament. I’d be happy to have any of the things you or the other woman bought but they are all very generic and basic and I think I’d prefer one £20 thing like a good China mug, or a really nice box of chocs or fancy shampoo or a really good pair of socks rather than 3 more basic things but people don’t like to do that for secret Santa as it looks like you haven’t spent your £20. I think you are out of your mind to think what she bought was closer to £10 whether you like the stuff or not. Everything is £££ these days