We used to do white elephant with my cousins but we havent had a get together in a few years, so we've been skipping it for awhile. Honestly, I'm quite ok with that because I don't feel like anyone ever really got something they wanted lol, so it was kind of like wasting money in the end.

Secret Santa with my fiancé’s relatives and White Elephant with my friends. There’s a set budget for both. Wishlist for SS and a theme for White Elephant. This year’s is “retro” and my gift is a simple use Lomography camera.

We get both our immediate families more personal gifts, usually things they request and vice versa.

We are doing a white elephant type of exchange at work this year. Our limit is $20 and we have a general guideline.

I went the safe route with a giftcard and chocolate haha.

One of my friends from high school usually hosts an end of the year get together on Winter Solstice/Christmas time both to celebrate Christmas and because they have a Christmas birthday, but they didn't do it this year and last year though. The rest of my high school friends mostly live out of state and those friends I usually just buy them something from their amazon gift lists or I send them an online gift card. This year, none of them requested anything so I didn't send them anything though.

They're dealing with some personal stuff this year, and they're also not comfortable hosting any gathering type of events because of Covid right now either. But I usually go to that get together every year, barring this year and last year as my major Christmas event usually, and they've always had either a book exchange, a la Iceland's Jolabokaflod or a White Elephant type thing.

More info on Jolabokaflod because it's just a nifty tradition.

info on that tradition in Iceland.

In 2019, they had a book exchange where the limit was $20-30 per book, I got a Doctor Who anthology for mine, gave Stephen King's Dr. Sleep to whoever received mine. The year before that was a white elephant exchange, where the limit was $20 per item, gave a Star Wars action figure of an X-Wing for my gift which was about 15$ from holiday sales at a mall Disney store.

My personal immediate family though doesn't really celebrate Christmas other than setting up a tree and putting up lights but my parents are overseas in Taiwan visiting family for a good month or two at least so won't be back in the states for Christmas.

I'll be visiting my uncle's family who lives nearby for Christmas though and because my parents gift chocolates to everyone, gifting them chocolate, haha. I did get a fountain pen for my cousin who's visiting from San Fran. to see her family again though. My uncle and aunt will probably get chocolates.

Yeah, I've had to have a talk with people in my family about buying a bunch of dumb things that end up being a waste. Sure, get me one stupid dollar thing that's cute or funny, but some of them are notorious for spending $20+ on things I'd never use/want. But I also hate the list-giving/buying off of. since it just takes the fun out of it and is annoying to come up with. If you're just basically exchanging money, why bother? Buy your own stuff. It's different when there's kids, especially if they aren't going to be getting you gifts back.

At work we WERE going to go SS route, to be run by myself and a coworker as we both had different days off to cover questions or gift receiving. Last year we set a $20 limit but EVERYONE who took part went over. So this year we set it to a $30 tops limit so people had room to go for a nicer gift without "breaking" the rules. We even put in if $30 was too much do something reasonable in your budget for this year. We even suggested getting food or gas gift cards for anyone not sure what to do but wanted in on being an SS. But people complained that "not everyone is able to afford $30" which means they stopped reading at that part. So because of that it got turned into a white elephant exchange, which apparently even LESS people want to take part of because they have NO IDEA what it is.... again the rules and how it works is posted but nobody reads. When it was SS I had an awesome gift basket planned. Now that its white elephant I'm either going with a heat wrap and other small "relief" items or a thermos with a cheap box of cocoa and snacks. I honestly hate white elephant because you could spend $20 but end up with something thats $5 and useless. At least with SS you know it was going to be useful or have meaning.

As for family. I already gifted them. Got them things of use for their garage and my sister got an opal she really wanted.

I got gift bags for my gaming group, mostly tailored snacks per person and SUPER large 24 oz mugs that you can also use for foods. Honestly the cups were an awesome find because they can go in the oven or microwave for small foods to cook. Or just to have 24oz of coffee lol

The exchange was fun. One of my colleague got my gift and I got his. I'm happy because it's a meat thermometer and I needed one haha! A lot of people gave chocolate and 3 people literally gave the same gift. It was hilarious. I was the only one with the giftcard and one of my colleague gave a yoga mat.