Tis the season to be jolly… Falalalalala lah… This is also the season where there will be office parties and gift exchanges. It can be the most stressful part of the year when you grimace and pull your hair out, going from stores to stores to find the perfect gift for Janice – the dull accountant from your office.
Here are some tips that help you to save your office Christmas:
Short of Money
Buying Christmas’ gifts can be a toll on your wallet especially when you have a huge family, huge group of friends and huge office. Rather than starving yourself through December, why not rope in a group of people from the office to share the gift?
Quote Helena “I never know what to buy for our boss, she already have everything! So every year, I’ll go around asking who is buying what for her and ask if I can chip in. If you ask nicely, no one will say no. After all, it means that person I have asked is going to fork out less money or we can buy a much bigger present.”
One for Each
Do the secret Santa thing! You may groan if you get Joel the nerdy engineer or Fiona the wallpaper admin girl but this way, everyone gets a gift, no matter what and no one gets left behind during this sharing season. And you may not be as unlucky as to get the same person in a row for three Christmases. May the odds be in your favour.
Pinky Promise
Have a pact with anyone not to give presents to each other and resist the urge to buy and surprise.
Quote Tim “I have two very close buddies at work, we swore to each other never to buy gifts for each other, whether it’s our birthday or Christmas. It’s too much pressure to choose the right gift. Instead, we’ll go for a round of beer after work.”
Food
If you are a baking genius, kudos to you! Bring a huge box of cookies you baked and shared among the colleagues will get you brownie points every time. If you can’t bake to save your life, having a spouse who can do wonders as well!!
Quote Wilson “During Christmas, my wife will bake cupcakes for her colleagues and leave a batch for me to take to work as well. Her cupcakes became so popular, my colleagues have been pestering me to ask my wife to make more!”
Buy in Bulk
If you don’t know what to buy or your budget is looking nonexistent, purchase your gifts in bulk. I know I know, having individual gifts are more meaningful. Some would say if I have nothing better to give, rather not give at all. However, you can not giving to your family or your friends, these are colleagues we are talking about. They might not be close to you but you see each other 5 days a week, a tiny little gesture might mean the world to the person to say “Hey, you are in my thoughts although I don’t know you very well.”
I once bought 100 candy canes and tagged it with a personalized quote and Christmas wishes, giving it to whoever that passes by my cubicle. Soon, I have a queue of people who heard I’m giving out sweets! And it’s not Halloween!
Forecast
Buy in advance and don’t wait until the year end to rush in with the crowd. I bought Christmas gifts during mid year sales and store it safely until the time comes. This way you’ll never clash with someone else who is giving the same thing.
Emergency Gift
Always have one or two generalized gift in the office desk. It’s really embarrassing if you gave everyone a gift but you happened to miss out giving to Betrica the receptionist, perhaps now you know why you have to pick up your own letters from the mailroom while others get theirs delivered to their desk.
Do you have any tips to share on office gifting?
MiddleMe 
I’m not a fan of giving out gifts at the office because its just so hard to keep track of everyone! I always end up missing a bunch and getting weird stares lol. This year I’m planning to bring food to share with everyone instead. Great tips as usual Kally 😉
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Hi Kat!! Yep, I agree food sharing is the best. I brought along a hamper of food and I just mass emailed out to the whole company, “Food is in the pantry. While stock lasts. Merry Christmas!” Haha! It works all the time. People will just go and finished everything.
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I agree! Haha.. Will be bringing my share tonight! 😀
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So did it work?
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Reblogged this on Lost Dudeist Astrology.
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Thanks Kally great helper ideas.
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You’re most welcome as always, Leland!!
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Agree with all these tips, especially the one where you say don’t leave it until the last minute. Lollies always help and are certainly popular, like lollipops. I don’t mind chocolate but I do mind when someone gives them to me and they are all melted to heat 😀 It is usually chocolates that go round the offices where I work.
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If you like lollies, why not try candy canes? Definitely gets into the Christmasy mood and all. I love chocolates especially those that comes in multiple flavours. You never know what you can get. I alway shared those out too and see the faces of my colleagues if they got something nice or yucky. Lol!!
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For a very long time, I thought biting the candy cane was the way to eat it – and I tried eating them that way and they hurt my teeth. It was until only a few years ago that I realised candy canes are meant to be sucked 😀
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Hahahaha.. I love biting into my candy cane as well or sucked them until they’re sharp and pointy!
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Love this! Thanks for the tips! I’m a fan of online shopping to miss the crowds!
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You’re most welcome! I’m a fan of online shopping too however, I get frustrated when shipments get delay especially during the hectic season of Christmas, parcels do get lost!!
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Oh totally! I always need to make sure I leave enough time to hopefully not get delayed!
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this is cute..thanks kally..I can use this tips with my relatives and friends…
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So glad you like it, Michelle!!
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I am preparing for the cookies…after leaving my work I learned to bake so I might share it with some of my friends this Christmas…Thanks for that tip.
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Wow!! Just in time for Christmas too!!
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nice gifts…I LIKE YOU POST
advance Christmas wishes to you
.AND THANKS FOR YOUR POST…
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Advance Merry Christmas to you too!!!! Hugz!
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thank you……..kally Jesus bless you……
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Some great ideas here Kally, thanks.
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Thanks, Miriam. Glad you like it!
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These are super great tips! I agree it can be super stressful trying to figure out gifts for everyone- and affording them all!
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I agree on the stress out part. It felt so bad to miss someone out yet, to not give anything at all during Christmas to anyone.
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I’ve always liked the idea of making a pact to avoid gift-giving in the office. I suppose that’s kind of scrooge-y, but it seems everybody has enough on their plate without worrying what to get their coworkers. On the other hand, bringing in baked goods, as you suggest, is a nice way to show everyone that you appreciate them. Or bringing in bagels or lunch. Everybody loves free food!
Thanks for visiting my site. Much appreciated.
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Welcome to MiddleMe, Carrie. I love bringing baked goods, although they are rather bought than baked myself. Lol! I love to see the delight on people’s faces.,
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Great advice here, and I do most of them… always have spares on me as I often forget someone. Then also I make gifts my self all round the year which comes in handy at Christmas.
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Ah.. You’re the wise one. It took me sometime to figure out these are the easiest steps to follow when comes to gifting. 🙂
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Reblogged this on wwwpalfitness.
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Thanks for sharing this out
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No problem
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Wonderful ideas! I love the Emergency Gift and Pinky Promise ideas. Thanks!!
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Thanks for loving it!! No more pressurized gifting.
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