Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Help me buy a Christmas gift for £2.40!!

90 replies

geisha · 19/12/2008 22:28

I have 50 people to buy for, with a donation of £100 from the boss and I could probably contribute another £25 so about £2.40 per head! Can't do gambling or alcohol so those out of the question! Would be grateful for any suggestions, there are women and men to buy for! Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
geisha · 19/12/2008 23:48

thanks - i'll sleep on it.........

OP posts:
DisasterArea · 19/12/2008 23:49

10 marlborough lights.

callmeovercautious · 19/12/2008 23:53

Shared pressies would be the way to go. I suspect they get chocs from patients etc. How about a nice coffee machine? Sandwich toaster etc for the staff room. Is that allowed?

Or even a foot spa?

Failing that a small bottle of foot massage oil each? Look at the Bodyshop, not sure of prices though.

chatname · 20/12/2008 08:28

Marks and Spencer 3 for 2 here

If you spend less than £3.60 on each present, with 3 for 2 it will work out as £2.40 or less.

M and S also had an offer of 3 small boxes of chocolates for £5 - the cherry liqueurs being esp nice.

Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 09:18

There are some good ideas here. I need to make an executive decision today and am a bit concerned about getting it wrong!...oooh, what to do....

OP posts:
madamy · 20/12/2008 09:26

I'm a nurse and would much rather have either £50 spent on nice food/nibbles/drinks at both Christmas and New Year OR have the money put towards something to make the place a bit nicer for staff eg microwave, nice mugs and glasses, nice plates/bowls etc etc rather than a cheapo present for everyone.

Most people will be working either Christmas or New Year, and if by some miracle they've got both off, that's a gift in itself!!

secretsanta1314 · 20/12/2008 09:27

I had a budget of £2.50 to get DSs teacher a pressie and I went to a little chocolate shop where I chose 4 beautiful handmade chocs and they put them in a little gold box with a bow and a hollyberry - it looked lovely! Any good?

madamy · 20/12/2008 09:28

Why can't you get alcohol? I've bought it for my staff in the past.

secretsanta1314 · 20/12/2008 09:28

actually scrap the choc idea - something shared for staffroom great idea!

madamy · 20/12/2008 09:32

I'm on a roll! How about a large cafetiere, really nice coffee, a nice selection of T bags, nice mugs, loads of lovely biscuits and long life savoury snacks. Then at least the staff can have some yummy food in dull January.

PortAndStilton · 20/12/2008 09:49

I think the nice food/drink/nibbles for Christmas and New Year or something shared is the best idea. Getting lots of £2.40 presents is a huge amount of work for you, and realistically everyone's just left with a £2.40 present that they could easily buy for themselves if they actually wanted it. Whereas the food and drink is a social thing for everyone and gets more happiness vibes for your £2.40.

Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 09:59

love the cafetiere idea - would stop them drinking the patients stuff as well!

OP posts:
Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 10:01

the alcohol thing is two-fold. we work on a liver unit and there are a couple of staff it would be very inappropriate to buy alcohol for and i didn't want to single them out. Also, can you get a reasonable bottle of wine for £2 and how will i carry 50 to the ward?!

OP posts:
Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 10:06

actually that was 3-fold wasn't it?!. no 4

OP posts:
starbear · 20/12/2008 10:10

Geisha, Well done to your bosses. In our last week before Christmas all our boss gave us was a split in the team and a huge row to the point I'm now looking on going back on shifts and my DH, Ds and Mum will have to dig deep to work it out.

starbear · 20/12/2008 10:14

Geisha, Well done to your bosses. In our last week before Christmas all our boss gave us was a split in the team and a huge row to the point I'm now looking on going back on shifts and my DH, Ds and Mum will have to dig deep to work it out.

starbear · 20/12/2008 10:14

sorry

Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 10:23

oh dear starbear. Although £100 doesn't seem a lot, they didn't have to bother (most haven't) so I do want to spead it wisely.

OP posts:
MissisBoot · 20/12/2008 10:43

They have 2 for 3 on body/bath stuff at boots and you get a free goody bag with every purchase so you could use that as a present and get everyone a bit more of an expensive present?

SueW · 20/12/2008 18:40

If you don't have a flash boiler in your staff room, you could get a Tefal Quick Cup. Some people ocmplain it doesn't get the water hot enough but it worked brilliantly supplying tea and coffee for a group of 18 I had round here recently.

Apparently there are two versions, DH tells me, one of which is programmable so you can change the amount of water dispensed if you don't use a regular (200ml, 250ml?) mug.

tattycoram · 20/12/2008 18:44

I think nice stuff for the staffroom is the best idea, far better than lots of cheap little bits. What about some really nice coffee and biscuits?

GentleOtter · 20/12/2008 18:46

They have half price luxury Christmas crackers in Tesco £5 for 6. Now purely for research purposes I have taken a knitting needle and poked in to one to see if the gifts are ok and they are - nail sets, key rings that sort of thing.

jollyoldstnickschick · 20/12/2008 19:01

TESCO MEMO*

Would all store managers and staff please be advised that we have recently viewed cctv footage which clearly shows a fanatical xmas cracker spy -armed with knitting needle to probe our christmas cracker gifts.

If you see the customer do not apprehend she is armed and dangerous.

GentleOtter · 20/12/2008 19:53

...

Original poster
geisha · 20/12/2008 22:14

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to get a coffee maker for the staffroom - the one whre you put the cartridge in. I think they have a half price one in argos so I will have plenty left for cartridges and nice tea bags and biccies for the non-coffee drinkers.

OP posts: