Secret Santa is a marvelous idea. It saves everyone from having to think about dozens of gifts, and allows them to consolidate their spending into a single item that might actually be valued. But once you’ve been assigned a person to buy for, you might start to struggle, especially if you don’t know the person all that well.
Fear not; there are some tried-and-true gifts that’ll go down well without breaking the bank, whether you’re buying a gift for a man or a woman. Most Secret Santa arrangements impose a limit on spending, but you can easily adjust bring your gift in line with your budget.
Booze
A posh bottle of alcohol is almost guaranteed to go down well, and it doesn’t have to be Christmas-themed. You might think that quality spirits are prohibitively expensive, and in some cases you’d be right. Limit the cost by buying a miniature 5cl bottle of something that’s really nice. Better that than a larger bottle of something revolting.
Chocolates
A box of chocolates is an ever-reliable gift. Again, quality is better than quantity – six posh chocolates beat an entire tub of Roses. After all, it’s not like they’re going to be stuck for chocolate over the festive period. Steer clear of anything with nuts in it, on the off chance that the person happens to be allergic to them.
Mugs
If you’re sharing a workplace with this person, then you might have a sense of the sort of mug that they’re drinking their tea (or coffee) out of. If it’s not up to scratch, or they don’t even have one, then they’re sure to appreciate something that they can drink out of every day, and be reminded of the spirit of giving every time they go to make a brew.
Bath Salts
Bathroom supplies are a staple gift, because they tend to be consumed over time, and thus they need to be replaced. Pick some appropriately fragrant salts, and make bath time more enjoyable.
A Houseplant
While there is such a thing as too many houseplants, the fact is that most of us have too few of them. They don’t significantly oxygenate the room, like Simon Pegg claims in Hot Fuzz, but they do make the room more pleasant to inhabit.
Slippers
Pairs of slippers, or cosy thick slipper-socks, tend to wear out as the year goes on, especially if they’re seeing regular use. A set of tasteful, comfortable replacements is sure to make home life more tolerable – especially for those working from home.
