Gift ideas for older female colleagues

[LongWalkShortPlank]

I started a new job in September and I work with 4 other ladies. I'm the youngest by 20 years and I'm a little stuck on something lovely I can get for them that fits in with the budget they have of around £5-10 per person. I dont know them well enough yet and I'm stumped! Help!

[Violetparis]

When my daughter was at primary school and I was stuck as to what to buy her teacher for christmas I bought a nice christmas decoration from M&S for about a fiver. Something like that may be ok for an older colleague too.

[BeaLola]

I’m 50 - for £5-10 per person

I love the EOS lip balms that earlier poster mentioned - they have them on offer in M&S

A Christmas cacti - could wrap nicely in cellophane/tissue - ditto potted hyacinths

A red magazine subscription - think you can get 6 months for £9.99 BUT don’t forget to cancel your psyhent in time.

Hand cream

If they all get on buy them the M&S advent calendar and they can draw numbers for days and open 6 boxes each .

[Petalflowers]

I’m an older lady by your standards, and would hate nail varnish, a mug, chocolate, hand cream or a scarf.

Would like a bottle of wine, book (latest cookery book, biography, top seller etc), cinema tickets etc.

Nowadays, you can generally buy the same for a 50 year old, as you can for a 30 year old.

[bellinisurge]

I'm in my 50s. If in doubt, buy me Prosecco. Or a plain photo frame. Or chocolate.
Don't buy me smellies because you will get it wrong.

[Mayhemmumma]

Blimey going but these replies don't bother, they'll hate it and can afford better. Great Christmas spirit.

Personally I'd go for a bottle of prosecco

[borntobequiet]

I’m 65. If you really want to give me anything, make it a nice(ish) bottle of red wine. (Look for supermarket reductions to fit your budget.). Please no chocolate, bath stuff or hand cream.

[borntobequiet]

Or flowers. I hate them.

[April2020mom]

How much older are you talking about? I work with a variety of people of all ages.
What about plants from the local garden centre? Or a not so healthy box of chocolates for Christmas? Books always go down well at Christmas.
I’ve always appreciated books for my students as well. Regarding presents for me I personally recommend small bottles of nail polish or makeup or hair care stuff.
Gift cards are also welcome. But as a teacher what really makes me happy are thoughtful high quality homework assignments and comments etc on reading records too as well. A hello from one of my first graders makes my day much better.

[junebirthdaygirl]

Im in 50s. Would love flowers/ bulbs planted or plain photo frame or a nice handmade pottery mug. . Hate smellies or chocolate.

[SpeckledyHen]

I’m older too and hate body lotion / hand cream sets . No mugs either thank you or nail polish unless it is a shade of orange. Anything pink is straight to the charity shop .

Things I would like - a bottle of red wine , a panettone , good quality chocolate, a white candle , M&S hair turban thingy . Thank you

[Ragwort]

Are you sure your office does individual gifts? I suggest you find out first.

As you can tell from the replies on this thread, we 'older' women all have different tastes, just like younger women, I doubt you will find a generic gift that would suit everyone. Personally, the only gift I really like (and which I never receive) is a charity 'goat type' gift. I have everything I need, I can afford to buy myself a bottle of wine/candle/chocolates etc. I buy myself a charity gift every birthday and Christmas .

[Petalflowers]

I’m not sure that us ‘older ladies’ are making it any easier for op!

[QuaterMiss]

Surely the difficulty is that the budget is too tiny for the gift giving to be worthwhile? Some (additional) communal gathering would make better use of the £10 per head.

[boux]

A small box of charbonnel et Walker champagne truffles?

[LeMesmer]

I second listen to what they like over the next couple of weeks, or just observe. In one job a fairly new colleague bought me a lovely set of nail varnishes, as she had noticed despite me having no interest in beauty type things I always painted my nails. I am 53, so about the age you are looking for. I hate Prosecco, would have to be red wine or good beer. I never eat chocolate usually but enjoy it at Christmas. Just goes to show it is a bit of a minefield.

Now is the perfect time to start a few Christmas gift conversations , you will probably get from that what they love or hate and buy accordingly .

[PeggyIsInTheNarrative]

www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/neals-yard-geranium-orange-range-hand-wash-200ml/752991-107066-107067

I like these as they smell lovely and get used up! 1/3 off Neal’s Yard at Waitrose at the moment.

[sirmione16]

I have no different suggestions but do bare in mind, these ladies will appreciate the fact you've only worked with them a few months and that any gift isn't going to be ultra personal, instead a token of friendship - and they'll appreciate that. As this is the case, I would generally go with something edible as it can be either be given to someone else if they don't eat chocolate or such, or thrown away at home without any awkward talk of where it went/what happened to it/why don't you ever use it etc later down the line. Mini bottle of prossecco and some chocolate won't offend anyone. Despite some of these rather blunt replies which seem awfully ungrateful and make me take a second look at who I'm buying for slash wasting my money on unknowingly !!

[TheClitterati]

Cats. Two each if your budget stretches that far.

(Not mugs ffs - by the time you are older you have lots of mugs already).

[TheClitterati]

Does everyone in your office give each other gifts? I've never worked anywhere like that.

Been at current place many many years and we give each other a hug at Christmas.

[shiningstar2]

I am 66. For under £10 I would like small box really good chocolates or a scarf or half bottle of Baileys or Gin or a really nice soap or a pair of ear rings from accessorize/monsoon or a plant. Problem is you don't have much time to get to know them. Usually can't go wrong with a nice wine if not teetotal but still need to know a bit about them to get right sort.

[Jackietheduck]

I'm in my forties and I would hate so many of the gifts mentioned. Somebody gave me a bottle of nail varnish last year. It was glittery and a brand I had never heard of. I wear nude varnish or red varnish. I generally only use a couple of brands. I threw the varnish straight into the bin. I don't use handcream. I would not want a candle of any description. I would find getting a magazine quite odd and a subscription for a magazine far exceeds the budget. Similarly I find being gifted books rather odd as its too personal. I have been given books that the person buying them must like but I don't.

A starbucks card is something I would use. A cheap bottle of plonk would be used. Chocs would be used or passed on. Consumables are a far better option especially for someone you don't know very well.

I find the culture of buying a gift for the sake of buying a gift a terrible waste of time and money.

If they all get on buy them the M&S advent calendar and they can draw numbers for days and open 6 boxes each

^ This actually sounds quite fun. At the very least, it would be festive and they could swap things around or leave things in the office for general use by everyone if they didn't care for them much themselves.

[bellinisurge]

I don't think it's very nice that you or anyone else has to cough up all that cash for people you barely know.
I would hate that waste of money and feel embarrassed if I go anything. What will they all be getting you, op.
Aren't cards enough?

[Bloodybridget]

I'd echo other posters in saying get something consumable - wine, good chocolate, hyacinths in a pot. Personally I loathe scented candles and never use nail varnish (am in my 60s). OTOH there's no such thing as a fail-safe present and they will probably appreciate the thought, whatever you give them.

[funmummy48]

Forget the fact that they're older.....it means nothing!😉 They're still ladies with likes/dislikes irrespective of age. It's still just October so you have plenty of time to get to know them a bit before you make a purchase.

[AwkwardSquad]

If they all get on buy them the M&S advent calendar and they can draw numbers for days and open 6 boxes each

I think that’s a great idea. I’m ‘older’ and I’d enjoy that.