A small desk plant that survives neglect
A pothos or a snake plant tolerates a fortnight of no water and no window. Avoid anything that will die and become a small guilt.
Have a look →Secret Santa gifts under $30 for people you barely know
The constraint that makes Secret Santa hard is not the budget. It is that you have to buy something thoughtful for a person whose surname you had to look up.
The answer is to buy for a situation rather than a personality. Everyone gets cold, everyone loses their keys, everyone has a desk.
A very good chocolate bar, or three
Consumable, universally acceptable, and obviously better than supermarket chocolate. Nothing to store, nothing to display, nothing to explain.
Have a look →A key organiser or a tile tracker
Solves a problem roughly half of any office has. Neutral enough to give to a stranger.
Have a look →Hot sauce with an actual reputation
Low risk, high enthusiasm from the third of people who care about this, mild interest from everyone else.
Have a look →A pair of good gloves
Touchscreen-compatible, in black. In December this is used the same afternoon.
Have a look →Whatever you pick, avoid anything that comments on the person. A mug about their job is a small hostage situation.
Stop guessing next year
Holiday Registry is a private gift list for your family. Everyone writes down what they’d actually like, anyone can claim something to buy, and the person it belongs to never finds out. It is free.
Start your family