Nothing says ‘family fun’ like going into debt for a candle no one wanted.
One woman says this year’s Christmas spirit is being measured in dollar signs.
She wants to ditch the family gathering after they set an outrageous price tag for Secret Santa.
‘Totally unrealistic’
“This year my family decided to raise the price limit to $250 per gift,” the 29-year-old explained.
It’s a far cry from the traditional gift exchange, where a modest Kmart gag gift would suffice.
“I’m honestly a little shocked. I get that inflation has hit, but that’s a lot of money for one gift, especially for something that’s supposed to be fun and quirky,” she said.
Understandably, she doesn’t have the budget.
“After paying for all my bills and essentials, there’s barely enough left to get by. The idea of spending $250 on a gift is totally unrealistic for me,” she shared.
Her hesitation has left her feeling isolated from both the tradition and her family.
“My mum thinks I’m being ‘petty’ and that it’s ‘just one gift.’ My dad says I’m overreacting and that it’s not about the price, it’s about the spirit of Christmas,” she revealed.
“Some of my siblings are saying I should just suck it up and ‘join in’ because it’s about being together.”
The event doesn’t seem worth the damage to her bank account.
“I didn’t want to be the person who has to sit awkwardly and watch everyone else exchange expensive gifts when I couldn’t contribute. Plus, I didn’t want to feel embarrassed about not meeting their expectations,” she said.
The majority of her large family—up to 25 people—agreed to the dollar amount with only minor hesitations. Despite the pressure, the expectation remains.
“$250 is the amount my family ‘agreed’ to when it comes to the cost of the gift. I don’t even think a maximum amount was discussed,” she added.
‘Don’t tolerate it’
Taking to Reddit, she sought reassurance that skipping the gathering was the right decision.
Many commenters were outraged by the Secret Santa requirement.
“Your family is bullying you, even if not maliciously. Don’t tolerate it,” one commenter wrote.
“Sounds like this ‘tradition’ turned into a luxury spending competition nobody asked for,” another said.
Others shared what they do to keep holiday gifting budget-friendly.
“Our family has a rule about gifts: take care of the kids. Adults don’t swap gifts,” one commenter shared.
“We just find weird hand-me-downs from our basements or give each other the goofiest stuff we can find,” another joked.
Unfortunately, the Secret Santa gift is just the beginning of the shopping frenzy she’ll need to submit to.
“While we’re not expected to get gifts for every family member, we do still give other gifts. So I’d be getting that gift on top of gifts for my parents, siblings, and grandparents,” she explained.
One thing’s for sure—if the price of family bonding is $250, the couch is looking like the best place to spend Christmas.
