Ridiculous £5 secret Santa

[Baileysoncereal]

I’m new at work and they’re doing a secret Santa. I didn’t want to do it but everyone else was very excited and I wasn’t going to be a big Scrooge and refuse to join in, especially when I’m so new. It’s £5 limit which is ridiculous too and we are telling people after they open the gift who got what (again, not my idea) so I don’t want to buy something shit and then have to confess

i honestly don’t have the time to be going to the shops hunting around so it needs to be something I can buy online.
any ideas?

ive never even met the person I’ve got, it’s a woman in her 20s-30s, no idea if she has dietary restrictions, allergies etc. So I’m worried about just buying food gifts.

Please help me!

Id be asking others what she likes OR asking others what kind of gifts people usually give

“I wasn’t here last Christmas - what sorts of secret Santa gifts have you had before, it was different in my last work as I knew the team more” etc

Get her a notebook or a plain black umbrella. Always useful. Should be affordable in Home Bargains type places.

You can't go wrong with:

Candle
Socks
Chocolate

Maybe not everyone's favourite but its a fiver and non-offensive

A nice Christmas decoration, M&S have nice ones or something simple like a pair ofmsquishy fluffy socks, they have velvet ones.

A candle. If she doesn't like it, she can regift it. But as you're new, why not use it as a way to get to know your new colleagues?

Measuring spoons? A nice Christmas bauble? Bubble bath?

Scratch cards

Buy a nice scarf from Primark. Or a candle.

Not very "secret" if everyone shares who bought what.

Can't really offend anyone with a Christmas mug
Worst case scenario it ends up in the mug cupboard at work.

An amaryllis £5 in some supermarkets

Christmas/warm socks

Pointless secret santa if you reveal the secret

I don't know if it makes me a Scrooge, or an opposite of Scrooge, but I don't take part in Secret Santa unless it's at least a tenner, preferably a bit more.

It's not that I don't like getting the tat (although I really don't need a can of Impulse and shower scrunchy), but it just makes it impossible to buy for

I’d prob go with something from primark too. Or wilko had the Baylis and Harding Xmas bauble shower gel in a nice box (Molton brown dupe), sure it was about a fiver. Or a Xmas mug- b and M/home bargains have loads

Don’t buy a scratch card most likely to be a complete waste of money .

Does she drink coffee?

Grow Your Own Coffee Plant Tree Gift Present for Him Husband Boyfriend Dad Men Man Her Wife Ladies amzn.eu/brSQTrR

And a choc bar?

Or

Windhorse Mini Elephant Shaped Candles Gift Set (1 Gift Set) amzn.eu/7O3dfeA

Or

Dove Restore & Nourish Hand Collection with a sleek nail file Gift Set perfect 2 piece gifts for her amzn.eu/2tQYtFF

Or

Baylis & Harding Mulberry Fizz Luxury Hand Treats Gift Set - Vegan Friendly amzn.eu/goQDtpA

For £5 it's always going to be a bit ? So just go with it :-)

This. At a fiver I would assume the aim is just to have a bit of fun and everyone goes home with a box of chocolates or similar. You're new and don't know the lady so no one is going to be judging what you buy, provided it's inoffensive.

It’s just a bit of fun and I’d rather that than a hand soap or cheap scarf! Also OP had said she’s short on time so scratch card isn’t a big effort.

This or something pretty pens off Amazon

This is why when the organiser organises Secret Santa its always a good idea to put a column on the list saying dislikes/allergies.

What about a reusable coffee cup? (And a sachet of hot chocolate for inside if it’s not the full river?)

I would give a £5 gift voucher/£5 note. At least she can buy what she likes then. I hate Secret Santa. Such a waste of money and generates so much tat.

We do a £5 Secret Santa, but it is entirely optional in a small-ish team that know each other (we have a few not taking part as have some that don’t celebrate it etc) and those that do want to complete a little form that asks about any allergies, loves and dislikes eg if you don’t have a bath (so no bath bombs for example) and love white chocolate you can give a big hint. We don’t put specific wants down but it really helps to know someone dislikes red wine or whatever.

With no hints I do wine or chocolate as that can be easily regifted.

I’d get a nail polish.0

Buy a nice £4 tree decoration. I just pooped into a garden centre. No parking fee. No faff.

I always go for Christmas themed loo roll