I have no idea what to get for the office gift exchange

by Alison Green on November 26, 2024

A reader writes:

I’ve signed up to participate in my office’s gift swap, where everyone is supposed to bring a wrapped gift and we’ll each pick one to open. I think it’s a Yankee Swap, where people will pick one at a time and then can either keep what they opened or “steal” someone else’s gift. Since I don’t know who’s going to end up taking home whatever I bring, I have no idea how to shop for this! What’s a good generic gift to bring when you don’t know who it will be for?

You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today, where I’m also answering these additional questions about holiday gift-giving at work:

  • Should I give my boss a gift?
  • Should I get my employees gifts?
  • My boss wants an expensive gift!
  • My company gives terrible gifts
  • My coworker gives me a gift every year – should I be reciprocating?
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{ 124 comments }

{ 124 comments… read them below or add one }

      2. LaurCha*

        My last workplace was in South Louisiana, and there were a lot of home cooks in the department. Knives were actually very popular in our Christmas gift exchange. The guy who summered in Alaska brought one of those ulu knives one year, the head of our study abroad brought a lovely little set from Italy, etc. Obviously these were of the kitchen/dining type variety, not weird hunting or tactical knives.

        We did the yankee swap thing, and the most popular gifts were booze and knives. I don’t know what that says about the art department, but there you go.

        Reply ↓
    3. Artemesia*

      A decent one is really expensive; a cheap one is junk. If the dollar amount is high enough to get a nice cheeseboard with tools, it is a lovely gift but it is out of the range of the exchanges I have been in. A nice small box of candy is safe and easily regifted and of course the price range on that can be anywhere.

      In yankee swaps, oddly the gifts that were most popular in several exchanges I have been in were toys. I remember a bathtub submarine that was the most stolen item. Jigsaw puzzles — local art museums have cool ones. And in fact the gift shops of local museums often have things that would work well for exchanges including nice puzzles. I remember someone getting one of those vases that is flat and then folds out to hold water and flowers. And you get the double benefit of supporting a local institution.

      Alcohol is a know your group thing.

      Reply ↓
    4. Three Flowers*

      USB mug warmer (with an auto-off weight sensor for safety). I thought this was a total gimmick until I tried it. Now it has a permanent place of honor on my desk.

      Reply ↓
      2. LaurCha*

        Did you find one for less than those Ember ones that are like $100? I have a colleague who really needs one (her coffee always goes cold and she gripes about it)…. but I’m not spending that much!

        Reply ↓
      1. NotBatman*

        It can also inspire some overly personal conversations by accident. The question “why don’t you drink?” has like 8 extremely personal answers (religion, medical condition, family alcoholism) and yet people feel the need to ask it at work all the dang time.

        Reply ↓
    2. Venus*

      I remember seeing a bottle of wine at one of these random gift exchanges, and the person wrapped it up to make it obvious that it was a bottle of wine and it was picked early on by someone who knew exactly what they were getting. I wouldn’t get alcohol myself, and wouldn’t suggest it, but in that case it worked well.

      Reply ↓
    3. Drago Cucina*

      It’s also a big matter of taste.

      I have a serious wine hobby: WSET 2, working on my wine judge certification, etc. But what I drink for pleasure is different than what I know about and have to judge. I don’t like sparkling wines. I can name at least 5 wine judges who don’t like sparkling wine. Invariably there are suggestions to give wine lovers Champagne.

      I would never give a bourbon drinker a brand unless I knew it was something they liked. The same fors for any alcohol, perfume, etc. It’s all a matter of personal taste and preference.

      Reply ↓
      1. Caramel & Cheddar*

        This is a Yankee Swap, though. The expectation that a gift will be personal and thoughtful isn’t realistic because it’s different from, say, a Secret Santa where you specifically draw someone’s name. Like, you shouldn’t pick any obviously bottle-shaped items at a Yankee Swap given your expertise and interest, but the person bringing the wine isn’t choosing one with Drago Cucina in mind, they’re just picking whatever was under the price limit at the store.

        Reply ↓
      2. Dido*

        sounds like a Yankee swap is not for you if your tastes are so specific and you’re not willing to regift what you get if you don’t like it

        Reply ↓
  4. Bettyboop*

    jigsaws always go down well. books. I tend to stay away from smelly stuff like soap and candles because they’re a bit old hat. often stuff like travel games go down well too

    Reply ↓
    1. Admin of Sys*

      oh, i like the idea of a jigsaw puzzle, I’m going to keep that in my hat for the next time one of these comes up

      Reply ↓
    3. IT But I Can't Fix Your Printer*

      My puzzle contribution was popular last year! I picked a wintry non-Christmas design so it would be festive without excluding anyone.

      Reply ↓
    1. Sleeping Panther*

      This is more or less the direction I go. A festive box, a holiday mug, a gourmet cocoa mix, a couple of large candy canes in different flavors, and maybe some cozy socks if the price limit allows.

      Reply ↓
  6. NotBatman*

    I also think officeware can be nice for this kind of impersonal exchange — a matching mug and coaster set, a mouse trackpad, a chair cushion, a whiteboard and markers. Keeps things practical and increases the likelihood someone will use your gift.

    Reply ↓
    1. sacados*

      Agreed. Last year, the gift I got (after it had been stolen multiple times, so highly in demand) was one of those little mini “desktop vacuums,” the small battery-operated ones that kind of get all the dust and whatever else to clean off the top of your desk. It was such a great idea!

      In previous years, my go-to has always been a Starbucks (or wherever) gift card in the amount of the gift limit. Simple and most people do like it.

      But at my old job last year, there were actually two people who gifted lottery scratchers — like, an assortment of the $1-$5 scratch-off games. And those were also wildly popular. I did wonder if that also is a “know-your-audience” type of thing, in the same sense that alcohol is. (Is it not “work appropriate” to bring scratchers because someone in your office might have issues with gambling, or is that overthinking it …? I don’t know.) But personally I found it a fun idea.

      Reply ↓
  7. Manager*

    Last year I got my team JBL bluetooth speakers for $35 each. They LOVED them! It was possibly the most well received gift I have given my staff. If $35 is out of your budget, you can find versions for less on Amazon. I’ll post the link to the ones I got below. Highly recommend!

    Reply ↓
      1. NotBatman*

        That’s a great idea that’s practical, fun, but not so common (e.g. a mug) that everyone’s likely to have one already.

        Reply ↓
      2. porridge fan*

        It p*sses me off So Much when I go out in nature and can’t hear the stream and the birds for some entitled a-hole’s boombox.

        Reply ↓
        1. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

          I do charity 5k’s and I do NOT want to listen to other peoples’ boomboxes while walking- that’s why I have my own headphones. (Inevitably, it’s someone with a stroller that they’ve hooked it onto- one memorable time, it was a woman with a tiny dog in a stroller.)

          Reply ↓
        2. Elle*

          I hate these people with the fire of a thousand suns. Headphones exist. I didn’t drive out to this trail to hear techno.

          It’s always the people with inappropriate shoes/not enough water/etc, too.

          Reply ↓
    3. A Simple Narwhal*

      Oh that’s a great gift, I don’t think anyone would be disappointed to end up with a good quality bluetooth speaker.

      I’m going to keep this in my back pocket for my family yankee swap next month!

      Reply ↓
    4. Wayward Sun*

      On the cheaper end, the Ikea VAPPEBY bluetooth speakers sound surprisingly good for what they are and are only $15. They’re not audiophile quality or anything, but I use them all the time for listening to podcasts in the shower or the garage.

      Reply ↓
  8. HE Admin*

    My go-to for this is a small cast-iron skillet (you can get one for about $10 on Amazon) and a bag of cookie mix so the person can make a skillet cookie for dessert.

    Reply ↓
    1. Admin of Sys*

      It’s a pretty common phrasing along the east coast in the us? When used in comparison to white elephant, white elephant swaps have the implication of ‘useless’ gifts, where as yankee swap tends to be cheap but usable things.

      Reply ↓
      1. A Simple Narwhal*

        I wouldn’t necessarily call it “cheap”, you can set it for whatever budget you’d like. (I tend to see around $20 but it can definitely be more or less.)

        But yes the idea is that you bring a good/real gift, not a gag gift.

        Reply ↓
    3. Jiminy Cricket*

      It’s a group gift exchange with rules. Everyone brings a wrapped gift. People take turns choosing and opening the gift. Then, there are complicated rules that vary by group that allow someone to “steal” someone else’s gift rather than keeping their own.

      It turns gift giving into a game and is supposed to be fun, with lots of laughing and stealing. Sometimes the point is to bring a real gift that someone might actually want. Sometimes the point is to bring something ridiculous to see who gets stuck with what.

      Reply ↓
      1. Not my real name*

        The rules do vary. One important “rule” I like is that you either open or steal. In my experience the more common way is to open a present. And then the person says, “I’ll steal the Godiva chocolates and you get the scented mug mats.” In my family, if you want the Godiva Chocolates, you steal them. Whoever you stole from then gets to open a present. I never “stole” in a Yankee Swap with the traditional rules because I never felt comfortable dissing a gift that someone made the effort to choose and bring.

        Reply ↓
      1. NotBatman*

        I think OP would need to judge office culture and their own standing, but that it could be awesome. My husband got one for my mother one year, and it really is the best of being both funny and practical.

        Reply ↓
  11. Admin of Sys*

    I always used to get a small bag of coffee beans, a cheap but nice glass mug, and a stick of cinnamon. Or the same combo but with a selection of nice holiday themed teas. Invariably /someone/ wanted it. You can do it with hot chocolate mixes too. But I found adding the mug really elevated the gift.

    Reply ↓
  12. Venus*

    You can never go wrong with a variety of food or consumables, like chocolate, soaps, unusual local drinks (teas, coffee, booze), crackers and cheeses… because no one will hate it, and hopefully at least one person will be really excited to get it.

    I spent years of frustration with family who never seemed to like any gifts, yet thankfully they were quite happy when I switched over to food and drink. I also prefer it myself, because I live minimally and rarely need to buy myself things. It may not be everyone’s preferred gift, and it’s not very exciting, yet it works well enough.

    Reply ↓
    1. hereforthecomments*

      I like to give local food: honey, hot sauce, salsa. Gives business to small owners and the products are usually very desirable.

      Reply ↓
  13. LifebeforeCorona*

    The only gifts that I remember that everyone wanted were: a 5lb bag of pistachio nuts (maybe not these days) a new word a day calendar or almost any kind of very nice themed calendar if you know the person you are buying for. An indoor/outdoor thermometer that can hang on a window, a book of simple magic tricks. These were for a gift swap and everyone really wanted the big bag of pistachios.

    Reply ↓
  15. Gift giver*

    The most popular uni-sex gifts that I’ve seen were the glass/ceramic Tupperware, a massage gun, kitchen mixer. The women really loved this high end skin care set. Fuzzy blankets, puzzles, family board games are safe options. Instead of alcohol, a wine/whisky glass set is a good alternative.

    Reply ↓
    1. Adds*

      I was at a beer league hockey team holiday party and one of the gifts was a set of small, perfect-for-leftovers-sized Pyrex… there was almost a fight over it.

      I think nice food storage containers are always a good choice.

      Reply ↓
  17. new librarian*

    my go to for swaps was always a neoprene lunch sack. They come in fun colors/patterns, fit the usual $10-$15 expense rule, fit all sorts of lunch containers, and are practical but not too work related.

    Reply ↓
  18. CoffeetoContracts*

    My team is all about plants. They can sit on a desk, go home, or easily re-gift. I’ve currently got a stash of monsteras in my bath tub just for holiday gifting purposes.

    Reply ↓
    1. LadyAmalthea*

      My go to gift when I don’t know the person getting the gift is a small teapot, big enough for 2-3 cups of tea. non offensive and generally useful for hot drinks other than tea.

      Reply ↓
    2. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

      I’m choosing to believe that 1) you don’t use that tub and 2) you’ve turned it into one gigantic planter full of dirt and you just repot the monsteras as necessary out of your bath tub as necessary.

      Reply ↓
    3. AFac*

      I keep reading ‘monsteras’ as ‘monsters’.

      Which either says something about my brain on a holiday week or something about the size of your plants.

      Reply ↓
  19. Tradd*

    When I used to work places that had the White Elephant/Yankee Swap, I would just buy a 13 case of beer. It was the most popular gift. Other places I’ve worked since (and I don’t participate now) said no alcohol.

    Reply ↓
  20. Caramel & Cheddar*

    Consumables are really good for this sort of thing — I’m fussy about gifts in that I’m at an age and living space size where I no longer want stuff, especially in a context where the gift won’t really be personal, but consumables that I can either eat/drink myself or pass on to a friend are always welcome. Even if you don’t love the thing you ended up with, they’re great as a last minute gift or as a host gift for a holiday party you might attend, etc.

    I did always enjoy things like those weird “cozy” sets where you’d get a mug and hot chocolate combo, slippers and hot chocolate, a set of coffee syrups, etc. You can’t go wrong with gift cards to the coffee chain within walking distance of your office, but I’m always hesitant to go the gift card route because it’s the kind of thing where if too many people do it, the point of the game kind of gets lost.

    Reply ↓
    1. HE Admin*

      You could do a fun mug and then the gift card. Then even if EVERYONE did mugs and coffee gift cards people could steal for the mug design they liked best.

      Reply ↓
  21. Wayward Sun*

    In my office we specifically do holiday ornaments for our swap. I like that because it avoids a lot of questions about what’s appropriate, plus it keeps the dollar limit low. I think ours is $20.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kendall^2*

      Holiday ornaments really means Christmas ornaments, though. If your office ends up with folks who don’t celebrate that holiday, they’ll always opt out, so you might not realize how it’s not welcoming for some.

      Reply ↓
      1. Wayward Sun*

        That’s true. Our office only has like eight people in it, though, so it’s easy to know if that’s going to be an issue. So far it hasn’t been.

        Reply ↓
    2. LaurCha*

      It also gives the artists/crafters an opportunity to make an ornament to give! We did Dirty Santa at a museum I worked in and the artist-made ornaments were always in high demand.

      Reply ↓
  22. Keira*

    I usually go to T.J. Maxx or a similar store and get one of those $20 gift baskets full of chocolate and snacks – Ghirardelli or Godiva, not cheap stuff. They’re always very popular and sought after during work exchanges where people can “steal” gifts.

    Reply ↓
  26. shelly*

    If it is a fun group where people swap and it’s like under $20 you should def get a fun weird gift A few years ago someone gave in a wooden cat with spooky eyes that rotated around the office desks based on birthdays and accomplishments. If that is not your crowd I saw recently someone gave stamps and some postcards. Everyone can use stamps and the postcards were hysterical. I hate when it gets too serious. Last one I went to I gave a STACK of lottery tickets and everyone fought over them! Def scope out form a coworker what the vibe is.

    Reply ↓
  27. Steve*

    these are all great suggestions – I’ve been to some gift swaps that are “real” gifts and some that are “gag” gifts – be sure to know in advance which one you’re going to. lol :)

    Reply ↓
  28. Dave the Cat*

    Last year I brought a set of spices from a high quality spice place. It was a big hit. That said, I don’t like it when people bring food because there’s a chance someone with restrictions will get stuck with it. I don’t try to find something that will please everyone – I’d rather bring something that will make people say oh, of course Dave the Cat brought that one.

    Reply ↓
    1. HomebodyHouseplant*

      yes, it sucks to be that person with the food restrictions that somehow ends up with the food. one year I ended up with a giant reeses cup (allergic to peanut butter), cookies (outside of my macros), and wine (i don’t drink). so I ended up with…nothing. I didn’t choose any of these, they ended up being mine as a result of stealing/swapping. I ended up giving everything away.

      Reply ↓
  29. LM*

    I’ve seen cookbooks get stolen at these exchanges more often than not! From famous local restaurants/chefs, celebrity cookbooks, etc.

    Reply ↓
  30. Good Wilhelmina Hunting*

    I would prefer not to play this type of game. Only played it one year where I used to work, but having had at various times a nice toiletries set, a fun looking game, and then a book voucher (ideal, as I was about to start study), it was disappointing to up with a stupid comedy movie that I simply donated on the way home.

    Reply ↓
    1. Fíriel*

      When I’ve played there’s been a max rule for how many times an individual person can be stolen from for this exact reason (I think twice?) – losing out on the good stuff repeatedly sucks.

      Reply ↓
  31. Cate*

    Our office’s parking lot is in the woods and is surrounded by trees. As a result, sap regularly falls on our cars. Last year was especially bad, and we were constantly trading tips for how to best get it off our cars. So for last year’s Yankee Swap gift, I made a “sap removal set” – a bottle of the removal spray I swear by, a microfiber cloth, and car windshield glass wipes. (Our limit was $15, so it just made the limit.) The colleague who won it decided to leave it in the office for all of us to use when needed.

    Reply ↓
  32. Sangamo Girl*

    The mug with a coffee shop gift card I brought one year was very popular. Maybe because the mug said, “Did you read the f&$#*@% email?” It was stolen the maximum number of times.

    Reply ↓
  33. marta*

    pizza fixings- dough mix, jar of sauce, pepperoni log, bottle of hot honey; candle warmer, and several smaller jarred candles; vintage flower pot with plant rootings.

    Reply ↓
  34. Benihana scene stealer*

    I agree in general that you don’t need to get boss a gift, but I think there’s an exception to be made if we’re talking about a $5 secret santa item or similar.

    Reply ↓
  36. MAC*

    One year at Previous Job, we each brought a $15 gift card and did the open/steal thing with those. Another time it was coffee mugs. Sometimes having a theme makes it easier than being completely freestyle. Less hurt feelings when an opened gift DOESN’T get stolen, too.

    Reply ↓
  38. Lore*

    My most successful gift for a swap was a mini French press and insulated cup. (I think the limit was $20.) The best gifts I’ve gotten were fun office supplies—snowman pen, cool paper clips—and travel games. My office used to do a variant where you did all the swapping with the gifts still wrapped so it was as much about fun and misleading packaging as about the gift, though, so it didn’t so much matter what you unwrapped at the end.

    Reply ↓
  39. Ami*

    I know the suggestion is to go with a generic gift that everyone might like, but I’ll chime in with some of the opposite advice and say, why not go for something distinctive? The yankee swap gift I remember most is a big brass candleholder shaped like a stag head. I think I might have been the only one who wanted it, since no one tried to steal it for me, but my reaction also made it pretty clear how much I loved it and we were a polite group lol. It’s perfect for my sense of decor and still sits in pride of place on my mantel; I’m never getting rid of it. I don’t think I ever would have been able to justify buying it for myself, but that’s exactly the kind of gift I love to get most. Maybe one of things you look longingly at in the store but think “oh I love it but that’s too much/I don’t have space for it” is going to be someone else’s favorite gift.

    Reply ↓
  40. Csethiro Ceredin*

    We do this kind of exchange for about $25 value. I have given and received some popular items:

    -An umbrella that folds up with the wet part on the inside (we’re in the PNW)
    -A set of fancy salt, oil, and vinegar with little dipping bowls
    -A high end pepper grinder I got on a really great sale
    -Nice faux-fur throw
    -A winter-themed serving plate with a tea towel
    -A waterproof bluetooth speaker
    -A blanket scarf

    Reply ↓
  41. Anonymous Penguin*

    I’m going for one of the small Dolly Parton cast iron skillets and a box of cornbread mix. Even if you don’t cook, the skillets are decorative, and Dolly Parton is very popular here.

    Reply ↓
      1. Anonymous Penguin*

        No, but some of them have her silhouette on them, and the one I love most says “Jolene, please don’t steal my pan!”

        Reply ↓
  42. Not my real name*

    Is anyone else having trouble accessing this site? I usually use chrome but beginning today there are issues. I tried a different browser and it worked fine.

    Reply ↓
  43. VoPo*

    The bad at gifting company reminds me of the first company I worked for out of school. Every Thanksgiving they would give everyone in the company a frozen turkey. I was 23. I travelled out of state to see family for Thanksgiving and lived in a dinky studio with a tiny freezer. The turkey wouldn’t even fit. It was also heavy and I commuted via public transit so just getting it home to find out it didn’t fit in my freezer was an ordeal. I ended up having to dumpster it after I couldn’t find anything else to do with it before it thawed too much.

    The following year, I just left mine at the front desk in a refusal to deal with it.

    Reply ↓
  44. Chocolate Teapot*

    I have 2 Secret Santa gifts to buy this year. One is a team member I know quite well and I have a good idea of what to buy them, the other is a recipient as part of a floor wide exchange.

    I vaguely recognise Floor Wide Recipient’s name and that’s about it. We all had to give a quote about ourselves and apparently I have an optimist to buy for.

    Reply ↓
  45. Rebekah*

    I’ve had good luck with a funny book like “100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings” or a funny notebook with a set of pens. One year someone in my office brought a bag of potatoes because he had forgotten to bring a gift but had some groceries in the car. It made people laugh and was surprisingly popular.

    Reply ↓
  46. Anon for this one*

    The most popular gifts I’ve seen at a “steal or open” work gift exchange:
    1) a heavy plastic skull (think anatomy class study aide) – yes, it was highly entertaining
    2) teapot set
    3) kits of various types
    4) postcards with stamps

    Reply ↓
  47. Susie and Elaine Problem*

    My office is doing a Yankee Swap – I saw some discussion the other Friday about gifts and picked up on someone’s hot sauce idea. I got a multi-pack “hot sauce from around the world” box with 4 different kinds: Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and interestingly enough: Australia.

    Reply ↓
  48. Sara without an H*

    Re office gift-giving: There was a Secret Santa every year at Tiny Women’s College, but participation was voluntary and not everybody participated. I never heard any complaints about the quality/taste level of the gifts, though.

    At Tiny Women’s College Library, staff occasionally brought small, low-monetary-value gifts for everybody. I had one staffer who made small felt sculptures as a hobby and brought in several to give to coworkers. Everybody liked them and there was no sense of imposing an obligation on anybody.

    As director, I didn’t give my staff gifts per se, but I did bring in chocolates during the run-up to winter break. Judging from the speed with which the bowl emptied, it was a good choice.

    Gifts, in my view, can be problematic at work. If they’re too expensive, they seem to impose an obligation on the recipient, and they can easily go wrong, as the terrible-gift-giving company episode shows. If you’re going to do it at all, keep everything voluntary, low-key, and low-cost.

    If this sounds like a recommendation for yet another round of gift cards to the local coffee shop — well, gift cards were invented for a reason.

    Reply ↓
    1. A perfectly normal-size space bird*

      I am very glad my employer doesn’t do December holiday parties or gift exchanges (we didn’t even before everything went remote). I’ve been at other employers where office gifting was the norm and it was always stressful to have to buy gifts for all my coworkers when it was a time of year that was already filled with Christian holiday parties and “optional” gift giving.

      I have a friend who, in July, was showing off the specialized crafting equipment she bought so she can make all her coworkers gifts for Christmas. I would be very uncomfortable knowing that a coworker spent that much money and effort making a gift. Especially since I know what the gifts will be and they are the kind of thing that requires the recipient to have a specific kind of doohickey with which to use it.

      Reply ↓
    1. A perfectly normal-size space bird*

      Those are good for all occasions. A friend of mine had a death in the family and I gave her a gift basket that included one of those. She said she would activate it on her desk whenever she was feeling sad and it cheered her right up.

      Reply ↓
  50. EngineeringUnicorn*

    Those cooky kitchen gadgets that are also animals (like the whale strainer and the vampire garlic mincer and loch ness monster ladle, etc) are generally really well received in my experience.

    Reply ↓
  51. Hospital PT*

    Things that went over well in my office last year… A jar candle, soft throw blanket, scratch tickets, restaurant gift cards, movie tickets…

    Reply ↓
  52. Anita Brake*

    As someone who previously hated “Yankee Swap” and “Dirty Santa,” I have come to realize the fun of it! Along with the previous great suggestions, may I suggest:
    A “Squatty Potty.” Makes #2 easier, especially if pregnant.
    Duct tape-not along with zip ties
    Zip Ties-not along with duct tape
    Poo-Pourri
    Batteries
    A Home Depot Orange bucket-with or without gift card

    Reply ↓
  53. A Little Bit Alexis*

    Some of the hits from gift exchanges I’ve been a part of:
    – puzzles (especially with local ties/art)
    – fancy pasta and sauce set with wooden utensils
    – fun food/snack sets
    – A battery organizer and storage case
    – anything related to a local sports team
    – nice hot chocolate mixes
    – an oversized soup mug

    Reply ↓
  55. HomebodyHouseplant*

    im going to go against the grain and say not food. people have allergies and dietary restrictions for all sorts of reasons. at a friend’s white elephant a few years ago both me and my husband ended up with food gifts I couldn’t eat, so we basically ended up with nothing. it was really frustrating because we brought nice gifts. if you’re going to do something food related, include something that is not consumable so the person at least walks away with something in the end.

    Reply ↓
  56. The Formatting Queen*

    My go-to for yankee swaps that are in the $10-$15 range is a 5-pound bag of gummy bears (or Sour Patch Kids, coke bottle candy, etc.). You can find them on Amazon. It’s a big enough bag to be a “novelty,” and it’s rare that you’ll see someone else bring something similar. It works for work, family, and church groups, and appeals to both adults and kids if necessary (although their parents might disagree…) Other novelty candy or novelty-sized foods are options too – one time I gave a friend an 80 oz. jar of peanut butter and a 35 oz. jar of Nutella. $10 each and there’s just something about those giant jars that tickles people’s fancies.

    Reply ↓
  57. Spooz*

    For the person who gets gifts from their coworker and does not reciprocate…

    PLEASE don’t feel the need to reciprocate. This has been going on for several years. It is abundantly clear to your coworker that this is not a two-way gifting relationship. They have all the information they need to decide whether they want to get you a gift anyway. Some people truly do just like that sort of thing. Absolutely do NOT start getting them a gift just because they continue to get you one. If they don’t like it, they can just stop getting you a gift. It is 100% their decision to continue and 100% NOT your obligation to reciprocate.

    Reply ↓
  58. Honoria Lucasta*

    I’m a big fan of browsing those buzzfeed shopping articles that are, like, “65 amazing things under $20 at Amazon right now that you didn’t know you needed in your life!” Usually I see three or four things on there that I think could work as gift-swap item. Sometimes they’re a little goofy, like lightstaber chopsticks, and sometimes they’re useful but quirky like a keychain flashlight or a fire starter survival tool. Then I save them to a wish list so I have them gathered in one place when the time comes.

    Reply ↓

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