13 Affordable Things For Your Secret Santa Because You Don't Know Them That Well

I type, as my Secret Santa sits completely oblivious behind me.

It’s Christmas time! And that means lots of shopping – and bloody awful crowds. Fortunately for you, we’ll be flooding our pages with gift guides this month, so keep an eye out for more here.

Ah, Secret Santa. How I love/loathe thee.

ABC Network

On one hand, I get a present. On the other, I have the added pressure of shopping for someone I don't really know. It's like I'm being set up to fail.

If, like me, you fumble around for a suitable gift for that person you know well enough to say hello to in the halls – but don't know well enough to get a personal gift for – this round-up of 13 Secret Santa gifts under $30 is for you.

1. This sloth tea infuser, for the only person in the office that somehow manages to get through the day without any caffeine.

Amazon

I don't really have to say much here, do I? Just look at it. What you ought to know is that it is made of BPA-free, food-grade silicone – cute, useful and safe.

Buy for $23.40 from Amazon Australia.

2. This Sensori + Air Detoxifying Mist, for the nature lover forced to work in a concrete box.

Amazon

I've written about this mist so many times, I'm sure you're tired of seeing it. But just in case you're not, here I go again.

This air detoxifying mist is the number one best-selling fragrant room spray on Amazon and smells so unmistakably Australian, it never fails to soothe me. A blend of geranium, vetiver and Aussie sandalwood, it smells just like a walk in nature after rain.

Buy a 30ml bottle for $29 from Amazon Australia.

3. This FRED tooth holder, for the entertainer with a dark sense of humour and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Maybe you've got the office grouch. This soft, washable silicone holder is the cute-yet-slightly-dark addition your colleague never knew they wanted to accompany their cheese platters.

Buy for $20.24 from Amazon Australia.

4. These Coddies fish slippers, for the resident beach body looking to replace their ratty thongs.

Amazon

These are the number one best-selling men's sandals on Amazon – but honestly, anyone can slip these bad boys on and why wouldn't you want to? Soft and flexible, they feature high-density non-slip soles that will prevent your mate from sliding around like a fish out of water.

Buy for $29.46 from Amazon Australia.

5. This soft-textured, A5 snap-close journal, for the colleague who inexplicably takes their meeting notes on paper and not on their laptop.

@kikki.k / Via instagram.com

Spiral notebooks and notepads are fine and all, but there's just something about a beautiful journal that encourages creativity like no other. If your colleague, like me, refuses to go willingly into the technological-dependent future, this is the gift for them.

Buy the journal for $19.99 and add monogramming for $9.95 from kikki.K.

6. This T2 Sweet Spirited Duo Tea Sampler, for the person who bothered to decorate their desk for the season, they're that much into Christmas.

Amazon

Usually Christmas crackers come with little more than some tacky plastic toy and a really bad Dad joke (okay, I actually enjoy those). These on the other hand? One contains Eggnog loose leaf tea, a combination of custard-like flavours that taste just exactly like a Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere; and Frosted Fruitcake, a loose leaf mix of rooibos, cinnamon, sultanas and rhubarb.

Buy the set for $16 from Amazon Australia.

7. This Frank Body Rose Gold Shimmer Scrub, for the colleague who is a touch more overdressed than everyone else in the office.

@frank_bod / Via Instagram: @undefined

Cult beauty brand Frank Body just gets me. Built from their signature sugar scrub base, this particular scrub has been blended with grapeseed and coffee seed oil for an extra hit of antioxidants – and most gloriously, with rose gold mica particles that make your skin absolutely shimmer.

Not convinced? My boss went and wrote a whole bloody post about its wondrousness here.

Buy a 220g bag for $19.95 from Mecca.

8. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, for the...well, anybody and everybody.

@20000readsbythesea / Via Instagram: @undefined

This was the first book my Book Club took on – and two years later, it's still one of our most unanimously loved. Born A Crime is the autobiography of a man born to a white Swiss father and black Xhosa mother – during a time when such a relationship was punishable by five years in jail. Noah's writing voice is impossibly engaging, funny and touching at once. Your co-worker is going to love it and insist the entire office read it after.

Buy the paperback edition for $15 from Amazon Australia.

9. These statement earrings for the person impossibly put together at 8:30am on a Monday morning.

Amazon

Geometric shapes, texture and a polished sheen – these earrings are every damn trend in accessories right now and I am living for them.

Buy for $14.59 from Amazon Australia.

10. These silicone pot holder mitts, for the homemaker who is still using a tea towel in place of oven mitts.

Amazon

I mean, look at them. They are brilliant and are making me hungry, somebody please let my Secret Santa know they exist. Dishwasher proof, heat-proof and non-slip grip – useful and the bloody cutest addition to any kitchen.

Buy for $14.95 from Amazon Australia.

11. This clip-on selfie ring light, for the colleague who you'd kill to have teach you how to work your angles.

Amazon

They already know their angles, so now they just need the perfect lighting. This selfie light ring clips onto any device easily – and with scratch-proof pads, won't damage your screens. Choose from three levels of brightness and thanks to charging capability, never have to dig around drawers for the correct size battery.

Buy now for $16.90 from Amazon Australia.

12. This Ernie Ball Royal Orleans Jacquard Strap, for that co-worker who pulls out a guitar come Friday afternoon.

Amazon

I kid you not, this is actually something that happened every Friday at my last job. In case you, too, work alongside casual musicians, this embroidered guitar strap is a beautiful addition to any guitar, no matter the finish. Featuring leather ends – soft and durable against polished wood – it is adjustable from 1 to 1.8 metres.

Buy for $27.97 from Amazon Australia.

13. And finally, this Funky Pop! Britney figure, for the person in charge of the daily playlist and favours early 00s pop.

Amazon

Add a bit of whimsy to your colleague's desk with this bit of pop nostalgia. If we're honest, "Slave 4U" Britney was absolute peak pop culture and we should all aim for a bit more of her energy in our everyday lives.

Buy for $15.99 from Amazon Australia.

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