Pick an amount everyone in the group can spend without thinking twice, and announce it as one number. Our starting points: about 10 for a large office or a student group, 15 to 20 for a small team or friends, and 20 to 30 for adults in a family, where drawing one name replaces buying for everyone.
All figures are in euros; pounds or dollars are close enough at these amounts, and in lei multiply by a bit over five. The site's gift ideas use the same two levels: low (about 10 euros) and mid (about 20).
Four questions that set the number
- Who has the least to spend? Set the budget for the intern, the cousin who's still studying or the friend between jobs, not for the average. If even one person would struggle, lower it.
- How well do people know each other? In an office of 40 where half have never spoken, a bigger budget doesn't buy a better gift, because the giver has no clues to work with. A small budget there means fewer expensive misses.
- Does the draw replace other gifts? In a family of seven adults who used to buy for everyone, one gift of 30 still costs each person half of what six gifts of 10 did.
- Does shipping count? Leaving it out is simpler: the gift is worth the same whether it's handed over at the party or sent across the country. Say which you chose in the first message to the group.
Suggested budgets by group
| Group | Our suggestion (euros) | Why this level |
|---|---|---|
| Office, 15 people or more, mixed seniority | 10 | Juniors and seniors spend the same, and nobody receives a gift they feel they have to match |
| Small team of 4 to 10 who work together daily | 15–20 | They know enough about each other to buy something specific |
| Friends | 15–20, or 10 if anyone is studying or between jobs | The person with the tightest month decides |
| Students, dorm, sports club | 5–10 | A low number makes it easy for everyone to say yes |
| Adults in a family | 20–30 | One gift replaces several |
| Children in a family | The same for every child, set by the parents | Kids compare, and parents usually pay |
Ideas for an office budget of about 10:
Where the table needs adjusting
Adults and kids at the same family dinner
Run the children as one group with their own amount and the adults as another. That way a 7-year-old doesn't draw an uncle with a 30 budget, and parents aren't paying adult amounts for kids' gifts. The site is free, so two groups cost nothing, but each needs at least three people.
A team spread across countries
A team with people in London, Berlin and Bucharest should announce one currency and give the conversion once, rounded: “20 euros, about 17 pounds or 105 lei”. Nobody shops to the cent.
Last year's gifts went over
If gifts crept up last time, write the amount as a cap (“15 at most”) instead of a target (“around 15”).
What counts toward the budget
- The price you paid, after any discount: a 25 item bought on sale for 15 counts as 15.
- A gift card for exactly the amount, not more.
- Shipping only if the first message said so.
- Wrapping and the card don't count.
- Something homemade or a secondhand book in good condition fits any budget, as long as it would look right next to the other gifts.
How to announce it
Put the number, the currency, cap or target, and the shipping rule in one line: “Budget: 15 euros at most, shipping not included.” Enter the same amount and currency when you create the group in the free Secret Santa generator. Each person's private link then shows who they buy for, that person's wishlist and interests, and gift ideas in that budget.
Ideas from the catalog for friends or students on a low budget:
More ideas on our low-budget gifts and mid-budget gifts pages.
FAQ
Is 10 euros too little for Secret Santa?
No, as long as everyone spends the same. At 10 you can buy a paperback, a bar of good chocolate with a card or a small desk item.
Can you go over the Secret Santa budget?
Only if it was announced as a target, and then only slightly: our rule of thumb is no more than about 20% over. Beyond that, the person who stuck to the number ends up looking stingy, so put the extra effort into choosing instead. With a cap, stay under it.