Sorted by budget, then by who’s in the draw: office, friends or family.
The usual Secret Santa mistake is buying something funny for a person you don’t know well enough to joke with. Pick the budget, pick the setting, then buy one small, useful thing they’ll still be using in February — each budget below ends with the pick to choose if you’re stuck.
The tightest budget, and the one where a decent everyday object beats anything clever.
usually around £4–5 together
Good if they take notes in meetings or keep a paper to-do list.
Skip if they do everything on a laptop and you’ve never seen them hold a pen.
usually around £4–5
Good if they have their own desk near a window.
Skip if they hot-desk or are mostly at home — a plant with nowhere to live is a chore.
around £3–5
Good if your group plays cards at the pub, on holiday or after dinner.
Skip if nobody in the group plays; it’ll sit in a drawer.
around £3–5
Good if they’re outdoors a lot or complain about winter hands.
Skip if they’re particular about skincare — they’ll already have a favourite.
around £4–5
Good if you know what they drink and you know their dietary needs.
Skip if you’re guessing at either.
If you’re stuck, pick this: the notebook and pen. It works for a colleague you’ve barely spoken to, a friend or an uncle, and nobody has to pretend to find it funny.
Enough to buy something with a bit of quality to it, not just more of something.
usually around £6–8
Good if they do a puzzle at lunch or on the train in.
Skip if you’ve no sign they enjoy puzzles — then it’s homework.
usually around £8–10
Good if they’re on video calls all day and their desk shows it.
Skip if their setup is already tidy, or they hot-desk and carry everything home.
usually around £8–10
Good if your group gets together and someone always says "let’s play something".
Skip if the game needs more players than you usually have, or rules that take longer than the game. Our board game how-to covers player count and session length.
around £8–10
Good if they cook and you know they like heat (or don’t).
Skip if you don’t know their tastes or allergies.
usually around £8–10
Good if it’s a family draw and you have a photo everyone remembers.
Skip if it’s the office or a loose friends group — too personal for a near-stranger. The framed print how-to helps with size and frame.
If you’re stuck, pick this: the small card game for friends or family. For a colleague you don’t know, the puzzle book is the safer finish.
The budget friends and family groups often pick. Spend it on one better thing, not three small ones in a bag.
usually around £15–20
Good if they commute and arrive holding a takeaway cup.
Skip if their desk already has a cupboard’s worth of mugs — most people own at least one.
usually around £12–18
Good if they plan on paper and haven’t bought next year’s yet.
Skip if they’ve already got one — people who use planners tend to buy their own early.
usually around £15–20
Good if your friends already play together and you know roughly how many usually sit down.
Skip if you’d be using it to start a hobby nobody asked for.
around £10–20
Good if you know the exact thing: a local cinema they use, a comedy night, a climbing taster.
Skip if it’s a vague voucher they’ll have to organise — see experience gifts are great, vague vouchers are not.
usually around £15–20
Good if they have a sofa that gets used on winter evenings.
Skip if they’re short on space or already have a basket of them.
usually around £15–20
Good if it’s family and you know they burn candles and which scents they like.
Skip if you’re guessing the scent, or it’s for anyone outside close family. The scented candle how-to explains why.
If you’re stuck, pick this: the insulated travel mug. It’s useful in the office, among friends and in the family, and it doesn’t depend on knowing their taste.
| Budget | Office | Friends | Family | If you’re stuck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under £5 | Notebook and pen, desk plant | Playing cards | Unscented lip balm, tea or hot chocolate | Notebook and pen |
| Under £10 | Puzzle book, phone stand or cable tidy | Small card game, hot sauce or oil | Framed shared photo | Card game (puzzle book for colleagues) |
| Under £20 | Travel mug, next year’s notebook | Small board game, specific ticket | Throw, candle in a known scent | Insulated travel mug |
Prices move; treat these as usually / around, not a catalogue. Staying on budget matters more than the exact figure.
Treat it like a present that’ll be opened in front of your manager, because it might be. Keep it useful, keep it neutral, and keep it on budget — going well over makes everyone else’s look small. If you only know their name and their desk, the notebook and pen or the puzzle book will do the job better than anything with a punchline.
There’s no set figure. Offices often settle on a low cap such as £5 or £10 so nobody feels stretched; friends and family groups sometimes go to £20. Whatever the group picks, stick to it.
Not by much. Going well over can make other people’s presents look mean, which isn’t the point.
Use the "If you’re stuck" pick for your budget. Useful and neutral beats a guess at their personality.
It can be if it’s for one specific place they already use. A general voucher at this budget can feel like you ran out of time.
Last updated 2026-10-07.