The 5 Fastest Ways To Become Rich, According To Experts And it’s likely others involved won’t even notice you didn’t participate in the actual exchange of gifts.” By taking part in the more administrative parts of the exchange, you can still enjoy the festive atmosphere and social aspect of the event without spending amounts you can’t afford. Instead, get involved in some other way, like helping with the hosting or decorating. “You don’t want to be in a situation where someone gives you a gift but you have nothing to contribute. “If you can’t participate, make sure to withdraw your name from the activity,” said Melanie Pitman, personal finance expert and content specialist at creditcardGenius. If you have a limited holiday budget, it may make it difficult to participate in extras like Secret Santa this year, and that’s OK. In some cases, the Secret Santa is never revealed (it’s always a secret), so make sure you know the rules for the one you are participating in.” What If You Can’t Afford To Participate in Secret Santa? “It takes the fun and festiveness out of the activity for the whole group.
“Don’t give away who you are buying for - especially to that person,” DiNardo said.
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More Gift Tips: How To Approach Budget Differences for Family Gift Exchanges Keep Your Secret Santa Identity a Secret If you only give a gift card (especially to a generic store or chain) it comes off like you didn’t put any thought into the gift for that person.” By giving the actual coffee you show that you put in some effort. For example, if your person loves coffee, perhaps a pound of specialty coffee and a gift card to their favorite coffee shop would be appropriate. “Generally, unless someone specifically asks for a gift card, I would not make it the whole present. If they are pet lovers and we get them a gift card from Petco, this will show that we really paid attention to their personal life apart from the office.”ĭiNardo also offered a way to make giving a gift card a bit more personal. As a matter of fact, if we know that our co-worker loves Starbucks, a $20.00 gift card could be a great gift. “We always can bring a personal touch with a card and express our wishes for the new year. “Gifts cards are also great,” Parker said. Holiday Money Etiquette: Everything You Need To Know for the Season Is It OK To Give Gift Cards for Secret Santa? Sticking to the spending limit is the top etiquette rule you should follow for Secret Santa.” By overspending, you might make someone feel uncomfortable that they weren’t able to spend as much money on their Secret Santa as you were. “By underspending, you might make someone feel undervalued. “When specific spending limits are given, always aim to be as close to the gift-giving limit as possible,” DiNardo recommended. Good To Know: The Etiquette of Requesting, Giving and Receiving Money as Gifts Is It OK To Spend More or Less Than the Spending Limit? Elena Brouwer, managing director of International Etiquette Centre, said that a spending limit of $20-$25 is reasonable. If a gift limit is not specified, ask around to get a feel for what other participants plan on spending in general, or ask the organizer for some guidance. “Usually the company indicates what are the limits, $20.00, $30.00 $50.00 … ” said Maryanne Parker, founder of Manor of Manners.
“A good Secret Santa host should give you some guidelines to follow - the spending limit, how and when gifts will be exchanged and whether gift cards are allowed or not,” DiNardo said.”A great Secret Santa host might also survey the participants to pick a gift limit and ask participants for their hobbies or interests (to give the gift-givers some ideas for presents).”īe Prepared: Here’s How Much You Should Budget for Seasonal Tipping How Much Should Participants Spend on Secret Santa Gifts? If you’re in charge of organizing the office Secret Santa activity, here are some helpful tips to consider from Jacqui DiNardo, owner of Mommy Maker Teacher.