Real-life MMD: Secret Santa standoff

onesixfive · 31 October 2012 at 10:48AM

I agree with many of the other - £5 is more than enough - especially when there is arguing over the spending. Anyway it gets the creative juices flowing !!
I dont even spend £15 on some of my "proper" pressies - because I save by buying most of mine in the sales throughout the year.

kessington · 31 October 2012 at 11:04AM

in our office the limit is £10. some folk moan this isn't enough and it always causes fights - this year 2 senior people who should know better have said they will only take part if they can buy for each other as they don't like naff presents. I shan't be taking part next year if this happens again - only found out about this after I'd said I would this year.
at my keep fit class where most people are well to do and retired the limit is £3.00. everyone puts a mystery present in, they are all distributed randomly by Santa and everyone goes home happy with a nice jar of jam or similar. Nicely illustrates that the spirit of Christmas is everything I think!

Sulevia · 31 October 2012 at 11:14AM

£15 ridiculous, even my family don't get that amount spent on them. £7.50 is our office limit but I always spend way less than that but find a bargain that looks as if it might cost that.
Secret Santa should be just that. No-one should know who bought what.

chocaholicmanc · 31 October 2012 at 11:21AM

Never feel bad about something like this! It is supposed to be secret (and supposedly fun!). If other people want to overspend then they clearly have more money than sense.

We did away with secret santa in our office and now donate £5 each to buy toys for a local childrens charity. Nobody ends up with a cheap gift they didn't really want and we all get to feel like we've done something lovely and hopefully brightened up these childrens christmas. Suggest that as an alternative and see what they say. Bet they'd stick to £15 then!

kalaika · 31 October 2012 at 11:30AM

kessington wrote: »

...said they will only take part if they can buy for each other as they don't like naff presents

I think the whole point Secret Santa is the naffness. Our office has a £5 limit. You buy something naff for a colleague, they buy one for you, something odd, something funny, see who gets the best worst present, it's a bit of fun, laugh laugh, joke joke, etc etc, improve office relationships, Merry Christmas, done.

Personally at £15 I probably wouldn't want to take part, particularly if I had colleagues that called me Scrooge for not overspending. If I felt I *had* to take part I would stick rigidly to £15, and would probably look at spend less than that.

warehouse · 31 October 2012 at 11:51AM

£15 and it's not secret? Sounds to me like you've got one of those women running the place who we refer to here as an MFI, (Miss F*****g Important).

As has been pointed out above, it's a form of bullying. Stand up to the MFI and tell them you won't be taking part in the popularity contest this year.

rowansway · 31 October 2012 at 12:16PM

Set a theme - we had a £5 limit last year and a theme of "sparkly". Other themes in the past have been silly socks, scarves.

craftycrafter · 31 October 2012 at 12:34PM

[at my keep fit class where most people are well to do and retired the limit is £3.00. everyone puts a mystery present in, they are all distributed randomly by Santa and everyone goes home happy with a nice jar of jam or similar. Nicely illustrates that the spirit of Christmas is everything I think![/QUOTE]

This sounds like the perfect Secret Santa for nice people.

joehoover · 31 October 2012 at 1:00PM

I feel very sorry for you working in an office with people like that, it's pathetic of them.

Secret Santa's I have only heard of being £5 and buy something silly you can have a laugh over. The cheek of them to call you Scrooge for sticking to an AGREED limit which was pretty high anyway.

I'm guessing they don't see the fun in a secret santa and actually except something they want. If they want something worth £30 then they should go out and buy it for themselves. it's supposed to fun, a bit of seasonal cheer and they are sapping the whole enjoyment out of it. They are the ones who need reminding of the Christmas spirit.

Just awful, sorry I have nothing much to advise you, expect to stick to your guns, £15 is generous and you have nothing to feel guilty about.

I really hope they read this thread and wake up to themselves, have they just been watching Mean Girls and are using it as a lifestyle coaching guide?!

full-time-mum · 31 October 2012 at 1:15PM

I hate secret santa. I've always spent time and energy looking for something nice and suitable for the recipient within budget by looking for good deals etc.
I don't think I have ever received anything other than gifts that look like things my secret santa has been given in the past and doesn't want.
I think the idea is lovely but it only works in very special circumstances and usually causes so many problems in the majority of cases that I try and avoid them like the plague.

Real-life MMD: Secret Santa standoff

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