No idea what to get for your Secret Santa this year? We asked the experts. 

It’s the most terrible time of the year: a time where good folks across the motu are emotionally strong-armed into dropping a crisp $20 on a colleague, relative or frenemy they know little to nothing about. Add on top of that the fact that there’s a recession looming, a climate emergency humming around us, and the thousands of unwanted gifts that flood Trade Me every festive season, and you are probably not alone in feeling slightly frazzled by the prospect of buying a Secret Santa this year. 

Hannah Blumhardt of The Rubbish Trip knows this anxiety all too well – she and her partner have been living a Zero Waste life since 2015, and Christmas is always a difficult time of year. So, before we get into some recommendations, here is her sage advice. “I would reconsider the concept of Secret Santa altogether,” she says. “Or at least, if you have to do it, make it clear who it is you’re buying for and don’t have a random one, because otherwise you have no guarantee that you’re actually buying someone something they want.” 

Nicola Turner, author of Living Lightly, agrees. “Look at why you are giving gifts in the first place. My North Star for giving gifts is all about showing gratitude or appreciation for someone.” If your Secret Santa is someone you don’t know much about, make it your special creative mission to discover what they are into, or what they would find useful. “There’s a fair few ways you can find something out about a person these days,” Turner says, slightly conspiratorially. 

But if you don’t have the time to rake through someone’s Facebook page and/or household bin to uncover their true personality, here are some ideas that aren’t total shit. 

Something to eat or drink

“A really safe bet is something consumable,” says Turner, “give them something that they can eat, drink, or use.” One of her go-to affordable gifts is finding a big old jar at the back of the cupboard and taking it to a local refill store (or even the humble supermarket pick n mix) and filling it with some delectable snackage. “Pop it all in a jar, stick a recycled bow or ribbon on it, and you’ve got a great gift.” 

The Spinoff’s own Secret Santa savant Toby Morris says it is always a funny idea to get a “humourous amount” of a cheap snack. “Like, if they like peanut butter, get them $20 worth of peanut butter,” he says. “It’s funny, but also afterwards they’ll actually eat it.” There’s also some great affordable ideas here from our resident foodie Charlotte Muru-Lanning, including mammoth jars of gherkins, fancy dinky tins of fish and flash salt. Delicimo. 

Something secondhand

Hit the op shops or your local flea market on the weekend and look for something unique and pre-loved for your secret Saint Nick. “There is that treasure hunt aspect of it which is really fun,” says Turner. “You never know what you’re gonna find, and you often find some really cool stuff.” For example, earlier in the year I found an original made in the USA “Cookie Cop”, identical to the one who badgered workers at Wernham Hogg, for a humble $10 at the Sallies. Imagine buying that, filling it with $10 of cookies and giving it to an Office fan? If you don’t have the energy to leave the couch, save some favourite searches on Trade Me and wait for the bargains to roll in. Just make sure you stay away from the Nazi stuff. Fancy candles are always good. 

Something reusable

We all want to Be Better, but I’ve found from personal experience it can be really hard to bite the bullet and drop some precious cash on the humdrum likes of beeswax wraps or reusable straws. Enter Secret Santa stage left, the perfect opportunity to give the gift of less waste during the most wasteful time of the year. Ironically, op shops are now teeming with unused PR keep cups and pristine reusable tote bags. Products like bar shampoo and conditioner are also a handy low-impact gift – check out Ethique’s affordable mini range for adults, babies and pets alike and get someone else on the plastic-free buzz this Chrimbo. 

Something to donate

There are so many places in need of more cash this Christmas. So, for the person who has it all, why not give to someone with less? Women’s Refuge has a great gifting initiative where you can give someone a safe night away from family violence for just $20. If you want to donate a food bundle, peruse this wonderful piece about how to make your Christmas kai donation count. City Missions across the country will be flat out preparing support parcels over the festive season, with 10,000 planned for Auckland alone. The festive season is also hellish for any and all of our animal rescues, who could always do with a couple of extra bob for our furry friends. 

Something to look at

If you are buying for someone you know well and have taken tonnes of piccies with, get a real life “photo dump” printed for around 20c a pop and chuck them in a cute photo album from an op shop, or make a mini-scrapbook of happy memories. If you are buying for someone who you don’t have such memories with, aka a co-worker who might be weirded out by blurry photos of them hunched over their desk, go on the hunt for a fun, cheap film camera so they can keep their summer snaps forever – just make sure they know you are NOT paying for the printing.

Something to grow

“Giving a living thing can be cool,” says Turner, quickly clarifying that she is referring to plants and not kittens. “Maybe it is a plant for their desk, or something they can take home.” Last Christmas, a precious friend hand-painted a cheap terracotta pot and planted a lush bush of cat mint in it for my indoor cat Link. ‘Twas a lovely heartfelt gift that both myself and the cat were grateful for (he immediately ate it all and the plant later died, but let’s focus on the positives here). If your Secret Santa doesn’t have green thumbs, here are some handy articles about the easiest plants to keep alive. Buy a snake plant if the person is your office nemesis. 

Something you’ve made

“Make something, or draw something,” says Morris. “Even if you ‘re crap at drawing, it’s about the gesture so they’ll love it – it’s personal and one of a kind.” One of his favourite Secret Santa gifts he ever gave was a large portrait of the recipient’s face made out of “luncheon and different salamis” and various other cold cuts. “I was proud of that one.” 

Something to do

For under $20 you can buy someone a truly crack-up day out. GrabOne has affordable vouchers for every activity under the sun including mini golf, snorkel hire, ice skating, rock climbing, even super cheap waxing deals (but be careful gifting that one). Have a cruise through your local night schools and dance studios and try to find a taster class within your price range. For example, this beginner contemporary dance class in Wellington only costs $15! Hobbies! 

Something that resembles a $20 note in an envelope

Get creative with cash-giving if you don’t want to feel like a grandma at a first communion. One colleague made a meme about their Secret Santa and then framed it with a $5 note. Think of it as emergency cash or just a little chuckle. Another family member once gifted a $20 note inside a peanut butter sandwich. In this climate, I am sure anyone would welcome it.