How do you make your Secret Santa gift look so much more?

24

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  • Spendless
    Spendless Posts: 24,149 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Secret Santa is good is some situations and pointless in others.

    Teenage daughter has 3 close friends. Though it looks like they've now abondoned the idea, it would make sense that in this case instead of each of them buying for all 3 friends, they did secret santa just bought for one. They could even up the budget for that one friend and it would still cost less eg

    Secret Santa for one budget £15, total cost £15

    rather than buy all 3 friends something for around a tenner each , total cost £30.

    Where she is doing Secret Santa is at college with her course mates. Though she really likes them, she's only known them since September we live outside the area so she doesn't socialise with them after college. Without secret santa I don't think she'd have wanted to buy any a gift this year. They have a £5 budget, because their teacher didn't think it was fair to suggest any more.

    The usual suggestions to find cheaper gifts are the likes of Home Bargains, B & M, Wilkos and poundshops. I'm a huge fan of TKMaxx and their savings on brand name items, but a £1-£5 budget in there would be a struggle. If you know someone sometimes picks up a hot drink at one of the chain coffee shops you could get a gift voucher. I've bought a £5 costa one before for my son's stocking.
  • CAFCGirl
    CAFCGirl Posts: 9,122 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    I'm involved in 3 this year that are all through choice.
    Some people may have a really tough time at Christmas for whatever reason so I see it as a chance to spread a little bit of joy.

    I have done things this year and previous such as:
    Homemade body scrubs in hats with a nicely printed label and tag with ingredients, directions for use etc.
    Lip balms (tiny hard from wilko were £3 for 12) with melted coconut oi, smudge of Olive Oil and a drop of essential oil)
    Crocheted body puffs, face pads and channels with 100% cotton,new from charity shop.
    Loom knitted hats and fingerless mittens (yarn from places like b&m)
    Terracotta plant pots - marbled using old ice cream tub, 3\4 full of water and drops of old nail varnish. Dip plant pot in and the varnish adheres to the pot. Can then varnish with some watered down PVA glue or spray varnish
    Books found from charity shops or The Works, especially non fiction like recipe books, mindfulness, poetry dependant on recipient, fabric bookmark made with fabric scraps and sewing machine.
    Soup bowl caddies on sewing machine
    Scratchcards for just fun and you never know!
    Fluffy socks
    Pocket diaries and calendars
    Adult colouring books, set of pencils and stress toys
    DVD and some microwave popcorn if there's a film I think they'd enjoy.
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  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,682 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Savvy Shopper!
    CAFCGirl wrote: »
    I'm involved in 3 this year that are all through choice.
    Some people may have a really tough time at Christmas for whatever reason so I see it as a chance to spread a little bit of joy.

    I have done things this year and previous such as:
    Homemade body scrubs in hats with a nicely printed label and tag with ingredients, directions for use etc.
    Lip balms (tiny hard from wilko were £3 for 12) with melted coconut oi, smudge of Olive Oil and a drop of essential oil)
    Crocheted body puffs, face pads and channels with 100% cotton,new from charity shop.
    Loom knitted hats and fingerless mittens (yarn from places like b&m)
    Terracotta plant pots - marbled using old ice cream tub, 3\4 full of water and drops of old nail varnish. Dip plant pot in and the varnish adheres to the pot. Can then varnish with some watered down PVA glue or spray varnish
    Books found from charity shops or The Works, especially non fiction like recipe books, mindfulness, poetry dependant on recipient, fabric bookmark made with fabric scraps and sewing machine.
    Soup bowl caddies on sewing machine
    Scratchcards for just fun and you never know!
    Fluffy socks
    Pocket diaries and calendars
    Adult colouring books, set of pencils and stress toys
    DVD and some microwave popcorn if there's a film I think they'd enjoy.
    These are really thoughtful gifts - and I'm sure that they'll all be gratefully received. :T

    And if the recipients put the same amount of thought into buying your gifts that's great.
    Secret Santa can work. :santa2:
    But 5 items from Poundland...:think:
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,906 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Photogenic First Post
    I have a default gift of a nice mug with chocolates in.

    The budget steers where I get the chocolate & I do research the recipient's chocolate related preferences/prejudices/anti-palm-oil/type 1 diabetes etc, but the nice mugs are all charity shop finds of a reputable & recognized make, like Denby or Cath Kidson.

    I can then 'bling' it with tissue or cellophane (cadged off an Interflora florist, they always have cellophane that's gone out of requirements) or just wrap in in mysterious copier paper...
  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,357 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Pollycat wrote: »
    But 5 items from Poundland...:think:

    It's better than one item from Poundland, which is what I received. :(
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,682 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Savvy Shopper!
    Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »
    It's better than one item from Poundland, which is what I received. :(
    That's a matter of opinion.
    Personally, I'd prefer to receive zero items from Poundland.
    1 item would be better than 5 items of tat - imho.

    I'm at a total loss why anyone would subscribe to Secret Santa with the intention of spending £1 - unless that was the spending limit put on it.
  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,357 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    This wasn't actually a Secret Santa. This was a proper gift.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
  • fannyadams
    fannyadams Posts: 1,741 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    For men buying for ladies, HWTHMBO has secret santa at his work. Go to Amazon (other tax paying suppliers are available and we often use 123pricecheck.com to find the thing cheaper once we know the ISBN) and put the ladies name in the search bar and look for a book with her name in the title. There's a series about fairies that has quite a number of unusual ladies names in the titles and ladies seem to like this 'thoughtful gift' (plus they are children's books so rarely break the budget of £5).
    just in case you need to know:
    HWTHMBO - He Who Thinks He Must Be Obeyed
    DS#1 - my twenty-year-old son
    DS#2 - my teenaged son
    Barkin Things - my two rescued/retired greyhounds
  • bhjm
    bhjm Posts: 341 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    my Team decided against secrect Santa - we set up a piggy bank and everyone who wants can contribute.
    The money will be given to a local charity.

    fixed
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,682 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Savvy Shopper!
    Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »
    This wasn't actually a Secret Santa. This was a proper gift.
    Not sure how that fits into the 'Secret Santa' thread. :think:
    So someone bought you a £1 gift?
    So how much did you spend on their gift?
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