With Christmas just around the corner, less than a month now, it is time for us to start thinking about buying gifts for family, friends and maybe that unwanted person. Now I say that with the assumption that many people who read my blog work or have a circle of friends where they feel obligated to buy presents for people that they don't really want to buy for. Or I may just be completely absurd and you are super excited about gift giving. Nevertheless, when it comes to Christmas, the older we get the more we think about saving money. And that's where Secret Santa comes into play for a lot of people. Everyone who does Secret Santa develops their own rules; this can be in regards to spending limit, silly or serious gifts and so on. But I hope to help those out who may be reading this thinking' what the hell do I get Maggie from Marketing who I only ever see in the break room?'. Or even if you are struggling for friends and want some ideas on present ideas or where to shop, this blog post is for you!
Food and Drink
One of my favourite things I like to go for when it comes to Secret Santa is food and drink gifts, you can't really go wrong and you know they will be used! Depending who the person is, be observant about what they like- this is important for anyone you buy for- what alcohol do they like to drink? Are you aware of any food they love or hate, or any allergies? What do they like to treat themselves to on a Friday? Where do they like to eat out? All of these can help you with Secret Santa; one of my favourite gifts I have ever been given as Secret Santa was a giant jar of Nutella just because they overheard how much I love it! So from something like a bottle of their favourite alcoholic beverage, restaurant vouchers, chocolates, tea sets, food hampers... the world is your oyster. Just make sure it doesn't go out of date too quickly!
Spending Limits
I find spending limits for Secret Santa both a blessing and a curse. The restriction means that you may be limited to certain gifts or shops where you have to think on your feet. You may even have to get crafty and do a handmade gift. When it comes to spending limits, simple gifts can be a lot easier (my jar of Nutella), but you can quickly overthink too much. Target shops like Tiger, Wilko and Superdrug to find cheap and tasteful gifts where you can find lovely things and ever funny, silly presents. They normally have sections which have novelty presents suitable for all, and ones which are especially good for people you may not know so well.
Getting Personal
Going back to an earlier point, make sure you know who you are buying for. And if you are unsure try and do some research and make some smaller observations. What is their job role? Does it involve a lot of writing? Do they enjoy a good cuppa? Do they normally enter work wearing a scarf hat and gloves? Do they wear bold makeup to work? By being observant and asking yourself a couple of questions, you can some up with some simple clues to help you find a great Secret Santa gift. Or, if you know them well, you can still get personal with their gift by doing something personalised, it is so surprising how many gifts you can get personalised on the cheap now. One of my favourite gifts I gave was to a mutual friend who I go drinking with but don't share a lot of common interests with, (we all have those kind of friendships right?), and because she was my 'shots buddy' I bought her a personalised shot glass for less than £5 online and she loved it!
Secret Santa can be something which can be really daunting, and something which stresses people out purely because they over-think what they are going to get. My best advice would be to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, analysing the person you are buying for. By doing this, instead of fretting about buying something which you want to be 'good', think about something that they can use and enjoy. At the end of the day, Secret Santa is something which is supposed to be fun, enjoyable and stress-free!
One of my favourite things I like to go for when it comes to Secret Santa is food and drink gifts, you can't really go wrong and you know they will be used! Depending who the person is, be observant about what they like- this is important for anyone you buy for- what alcohol do they like to drink? Are you aware of any food they love or hate, or any allergies? What do they like to treat themselves to on a Friday? Where do they like to eat out? All of these can help you with Secret Santa; one of my favourite gifts I have ever been given as Secret Santa was a giant jar of Nutella just because they overheard how much I love it! So from something like a bottle of their favourite alcoholic beverage, restaurant vouchers, chocolates, tea sets, food hampers... the world is your oyster. Just make sure it doesn't go out of date too quickly!
Spending Limits
I find spending limits for Secret Santa both a blessing and a curse. The restriction means that you may be limited to certain gifts or shops where you have to think on your feet. You may even have to get crafty and do a handmade gift. When it comes to spending limits, simple gifts can be a lot easier (my jar of Nutella), but you can quickly overthink too much. Target shops like Tiger, Wilko and Superdrug to find cheap and tasteful gifts where you can find lovely things and ever funny, silly presents. They normally have sections which have novelty presents suitable for all, and ones which are especially good for people you may not know so well.
Getting Personal
Going back to an earlier point, make sure you know who you are buying for. And if you are unsure try and do some research and make some smaller observations. What is their job role? Does it involve a lot of writing? Do they enjoy a good cuppa? Do they normally enter work wearing a scarf hat and gloves? Do they wear bold makeup to work? By being observant and asking yourself a couple of questions, you can some up with some simple clues to help you find a great Secret Santa gift. Or, if you know them well, you can still get personal with their gift by doing something personalised, it is so surprising how many gifts you can get personalised on the cheap now. One of my favourite gifts I gave was to a mutual friend who I go drinking with but don't share a lot of common interests with, (we all have those kind of friendships right?), and because she was my 'shots buddy' I bought her a personalised shot glass for less than £5 online and she loved it!
Secret Santa can be something which can be really daunting, and something which stresses people out purely because they over-think what they are going to get. My best advice would be to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, analysing the person you are buying for. By doing this, instead of fretting about buying something which you want to be 'good', think about something that they can use and enjoy. At the end of the day, Secret Santa is something which is supposed to be fun, enjoyable and stress-free!
Elisa x
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