Oh god, office Secret Santa

[hyperborea]

I HATE office Secret Santa. The terrible pressure to get something pretty or thoughtful or funny for someone you don't really know, for almost no money. Without further destroying the environment by buying some pointless novelty crap which will go in the bin five minutes later. But if you don't participate, you are officially a Scrooge. So, anyone want to help me out? Middle aged guy, nice chap, got a sense of humour, no real idea what he's interested in out of work. £5 limit. That's it. You have as much to go on as I do . Help!!

[olivesnutsandcheeseplease]

I was in a shop called Flying Tiger earlier.
They had a sort of helmet that you put on that has Velcro over it. It came with 3 x fabric poo shapes that you throw at the person wearing the helmet. Was about £5

[isacurlypotatoaquaver]

Pencil that once it's done you plant it because it has seed in it.
Beanies coffee? Is he a coffee drinker?
A belt.
Scarf.
Rubix cube.
Nice pen for the office?
Does he wear glasses? Novelty spectacle holder (looks like a nose)

[SprayedWithDettol]

@KimikosNightmare I agrée.

[PurpleHydrangea1]

Or a Costa voucher

[PurpleHydrangea1]

Books (look on world of books for 2nd hand)
Scratch cards
Nice-ish biscuits
Socks

[KimikosNightmare]

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

And I don't believe there's such a thing as a 'nice' fountain pen for £4.50.

I was thinking that.

I'm going to sound extremely bad tempered but all the hand wringing at COP26 has now been followed by the annual festival of useless tat to add to landfills.

[Avarua]

Photo frame with a picture of your boss inside

[Buildingthefuture]

A tin of shortbread! Or, if he drinks one of those miniatures with a glass set from Boots. I got one about 15 years ago….still use it now

[Ormally]

Milk frother for coffee - Flying Tiger has some if you can get there.

[evilharpy]

@FlorenceWintle

The Beano annual

This is exactly what I was going to say. £4 in Home Bargains I think so enough left to add a bag of chocolate coins.

[goose1964]

A couple of these and a bag of mini marshmallows www.hotchocolatebombes.co.uk/orange-hot-chocolate-stirrer

[CharityDingle]

[quote RedSquirrelsAreAwesome]@CharityDingle - The story gets worse but I didn’t think anyone would believe me……..the plonker did the wrapping at his desk…….I can’t quite remember if it was in works time or during his lunch break but knowing him more likely the former 😂[/quote]

[foxgoosefinch]

The Private Eye annual would surely be a win.

[Lindy2]

Lottery scratch cards. If he doesn't win at least he's not stuck with some item he doesn't want or need. If he wins he'll be very happy.

[pinkksugarmouse]

@FoxIvy

Don't understand why books are deemed inherently less wasteful than some of the other gifts suggested. Ones like those Famous Five ones are just tat (funny, but tat nonetheless). Increasingly people are reading things on kindles etc anyway.

The ladybird “funny” (not) books are definitely tat but a popular book is easily passed on. If nobody read paper books anymore then retailers wouldn’t stock them.

But joke books are just rubbish.

[pinkksugarmouse]

@Blackberrybunnet

£5 worth of scratch cards or lotto tickets

🤦🏻‍♀️ No. Really no. That smacks of “I would rather put the bins out than spend two minutes considering what to get for you” imho.

[pinkksugarmouse]

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

When I was forced to do it, I would give anything to anyone, e.g. a man's wallet to a woman, measuring spoons to a man, got rid of a dreadful ceramic photo frame that we had been given by an aunt to someone one year!

Fortunately it was secret, although maybe not that secret because I don't get asked now...!

I’m not a man but I wouldn’t be impressed with measuring spoons. However I know a few men who enjoy cooking and baking. Perhaps you weren’t that far off after all.

[Laufeythejust]

My go to when I get someone I don’t know well but has a good sense of humour is a cup with something jokey on it. They’ll always get use in an office. If he has a hobby get that on it- my secret Santa last year loves cycling so his cup says Lycra wanker- he fortunately found it funny!

[RedSquirrelsAreAwesome]

@CharityDingle - The story gets worse but I didn’t think anyone would believe me……..the plonker did the wrapping at his desk…….I can’t quite remember if it was in works time or during his lunch break but knowing him more likely the former 😂

[SequinsandStiIettos]

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1104289233/squid-game-marbles-set-of-10-matching

[SequinsandStiIettos]

www.amazon.co.uk/Cathys-Candy-Cart-Traditional-Juggling/dp/B09HSN99G9/ref=sr_1_101?keywords=secret%20santa&qid=1638649700&sr=8-101&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Icantremembermyusername]

I've been very lucky this year! I know my secret santa recipient well :-) so I'm fairly confident she will like it! In the past I've had a bath bomb - just a shower here, a pair of chocolate boobs- which I took into work melted into crispie cakes, to name a few...
One year I did so well he sent out a whole staff email to say how much he loved his secret santa gift. That made me smile all through January and he still doesn't know it was me lol. His screen saver was Dr Who so I bought him a wind up dalek!
If you can't find out anything personal about him, go very generic so he can pass it on.

[Benjispruce5]

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

And I don't believe there's such a thing as a 'nice' fountain pen for £4.50.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

When I was forced to do it, I would give anything to anyone, e.g. a man's wallet to a woman, measuring spoons to a man, got rid of a dreadful ceramic photo frame that we had been given by an aunt to someone one year!

Fortunately it was secret, although maybe not that secret because I don't get asked now...!

This is just crap.