What are your top Secret Santa suggestions?

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  • shzl400
    shzl400 Posts: 22 Forumite
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    edited 19 November 2014 at 11:35PM
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    Oxfam used to do manure at £5, which is our going rate for Secret Santas. Unfortunately now gone up to £7 a go. Other ideas for 'good gifts' in their catalogue.

    My other favourite SS gift is a lottery ticket with five lucky dips.

    Both these ideas are also pleasingly unisex, as well - no unwanted smellies.
  • loocyloo
    loocyloo Posts: 265 Forumite
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    cute cookie cutters with a laminated copy of an easy biscuit recipe.


    snowman soup ( AKA hot chocolate in a mug )


    'Oxfam unwrapped' gift
  • candygirl
    candygirl Posts: 29,455 Forumite
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    I once bought a blow up sheep, and the recipient was delighted:eek:
    "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

    (Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
  • CCP
    CCP Posts: 5,061 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
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    We're doing a variation of Secret Santa in our office this year: we're all donating the usual £5 and nominating a favourite charity - whichever charity gets their name pulled out of the hat at our Christmas lunch gets the contents of the pot.

    It's wasn't my idea, more's the pity, but it's a great one!
  • millysg1
    millysg1 Posts: 532 Forumite
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    I got a glass jar with all the dry ingredients to make brownies. It was a case of pour ingredients in a bowl, add eggs and bake! It was great, easy and yummy
  • AnneMary
    AnneMary Posts: 69 Forumite
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    After several years of people grouching over gifts they received ( a bottle of wine shaped candle and racing grannies were particularly unpopular). We tried only gifts from the newly opened 99p shop; we haven't looked back!
    We changed the rules to maximum spend £1 as someone wanted to get something from a carboot! It is amazing how inventive people are and if you hate it - you can write off a pound.
    We also do "lucky dip" that is pick any present except your own - it takes the pressure off.
  • pinknfluffy28
    pinknfluffy28 Posts: 736 Forumite
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    I always make up "break time" mini hampers as my secret Santa gifts.
    A plain mug decorated with ceramic pens, filled with coffee & hot choc satchets and individually wrapped tea bags, a few "posh" individually packaged chocolates & biscuits, and (if budget allows) a book.

    Once wrapped in cellophane they look lovely, and last year I had several colleagues begging for me to pick their name out, so I would say they go down well!
    It's not about getting what you want, It's about wanting what you get.
  • iclayt
    iclayt Posts: 454 Forumite
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    edited 20 November 2014 at 4:50PM
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    My colleague and I hate secret santa - our colleagues have literally no idea what constitutes good SS presents. Lots of '!!!!!!' moments around our christmas lunch table...

    So my/our top SS tip is to buddy up with someone else who hates SS, neither of you put your name in the hat, buy for each other that the other will actually appreciate, and add the parcels to the pile anyway :D we've got away with it for the past four years and have no intention of stopping now! Helps that we're friends outside work too I suppose.

    In previous jobs - I always used to buy a nice reasonably priced scarf or gloves from Primark or similar. Works for either gender and always seems to have gone down well.
  • Hedgehog99
    Hedgehog99 Posts: 1,425 Forumite
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    I once picked, shall we say, one of the less popular colleagues at my workplace. I was still going to be fair and spend the required c. £5 though. I got a gift voucher and bought something physically small & v cheap (& relevant to the voucher) to wrap the voucher around so that it was a parcel and not just an envelope. In the end, he pulled out the item and didn't notice the voucher & was accusing whoever picked him of being mean! He looked ashamed when someone else pointed out the voucher.
  • Ggardener
    Ggardener Posts: 5 Forumite
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    We're doing a £1 shop Secret Santa at my workplace! Basically we're all tight and you can get some decent stuff in £1 shops.
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