How Much Should You Spend on Secret Santa?
“What should the limit be?” is the first question every organiser asks, and the answer is rarely the number people expect. The right budget depends on the group, the country, and how much every participant can comfortably afford. This guide pulls together published survey figures and practical rules of thumb so that you can set a limit that feels fair to everyone.
What surveys say people spend
Published figures on Secret Santa spending are limited, and most come from commissioned polls, so treat them as indicative rather than definitive. The clearest recent number comes from a Confused.com survey carried out by OnePoll between October 29 and November 3, 2025 among 2,000 UK adults who have taken part in Secret Santa. It found that Secret Santa gift exchanges cost UK participants an average of £21 a year, depending on how many exchanges they take part in. Most people take part in one exchange a year, and 21 percent take part in two or more.
The same survey found that overspending is common: UK participants exceeded their Secret Santa budget by £14 on average. Taken together with the £21 average, this suggests that the limit people announce and the amount they actually spend are different numbers. It is a good reason to choose a limit that is a little below what you would be happy to spend.
In Australia, PerthNow reported in December 2025 on how much companies should propose their employees spend on Secret Santa. The article included a view that a limit as low as $20 would struggle to buy a good book or quality hand lotion, and it quoted a speaker who said that setting the Secret Santa budget at $30 had kept participation levels high. It is one workplace and one opinion, but it illustrates the practical point: limits that are too low produce gifts that feel like filler.
For a US reference point, SecretSantaMatch publishes a one-page set of white elephant rules suggesting that $20–$25 is the most popular range and that office parties often use $15–$20. That is the publisher’s own guidance, not a survey, but it reflects what experienced organisers recommend.
Typical limits by group
Putting these sources together with common sense, these ranges are a reasonable starting point. They are guidance, not rules, and you should adjust them for your local cost of living.
| Group | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Large workplace | $15–$25 / £10–£20 / A$20–A$30 | Keep it modest so that no one feels pressure. Many offices cap at the lower end. |
| Small team | $20–$30 / £15–£25 | Fewer people means each gift can be more personal. |
| Friends | $25–$50 / £20–£40 | Agree it before the draw; friends have different incomes. |
| Extended family | $20–$40 / £15–£30 | Often replaces many separate gifts, so the limit can be higher than at work. |
| Online or remote team | $20–$35 plus delivery | Decide whether shipping counts towards the limit. |
How to choose a limit your group can live with
- Start from the least comfortable person. Ask what the lowest-paid participant could spend without feeling the pinch, and set the limit there or lower. A limit that excludes someone defeats the point of the exchange.
- Make it a ceiling, not a target. “No more than 20” allows a thoughtful 12 gift. Add a minimum only if you have a real problem with very cheap gifts.
- State whether tax, delivery and wrapping count. In a remote exchange delivery can be a third of the price. Most groups say the limit includes everything.
- Offer an easy opt-out or a lower tier. A “handmade or under 10” option helps students and people on tight budgets.
- Write it down. Put the limit in the invitation and again with each person’s match.
Why people overspend and how to avoid it
Overspending is rarely about showing off. It happens because the person does not know much about their match and buys a safe, slightly bigger gift, or because they fall in love with something that costs a little more than the limit. The Confused.com figure that the average UK participant exceeds the budget by £14 suggests that people see the limit as soft. You can reduce the effect:
- Ask for a short wishlist, so that buyers do not feel they need to compensate for lack of knowledge.
- Encourage experiences and consumables. In the same survey, 23 percent of participants had given or received show or concert tickets and 21 percent real-life experiences, which suggests that many people are open to non-traditional gifts.
- Suggest a “one great small gift” rule: a single item, no bundles.
- Remind everyone of the limit when you send the shopping reminder, and never publicly compare prices.
The wider spending context
Secret Santa sits inside a larger holiday spending picture. In the US, the National Retail Federation reported in November 2025 that consumers planned to spend an average of $890.49 per person on holiday gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items, the second-highest amount in the survey’s 23-year history. In the UK, Confused.com’s respondents reported an average Christmas cost of £596, including £355 for presents, £172 for food and £69 for decorations, and nearly a third said they had dipped into savings to pay for Christmas gifts. Against that background, a Secret Santa limit of £15 to £25 is a small slice, and keeping it small is one of the few places where an organiser can directly reduce other people’s stress. Our holiday gift budget guide shows how to fit the exchange into an overall plan.
Special cases
Teams across several countries. Exchange rates and shipping costs differ. Use a single local currency per country, and set limits that feel equivalent rather than numerically identical.
Charity alternative. Some groups replace gifts with a donation. Wikipedia notes that charities such as Action for Children offer the chance to act as a “Secret Santa” for a vulnerable child, and any limit you set can be treated as a donation target instead.
Managers. If a manager takes part, they should keep to the same limit, and nobody should feel pressured to buy a more expensive gift for a more senior colleague.
A simple recommendation
If you need a number and nothing else to go on, choose about the price of a good lunch where you live, and say it is a ceiling. For many English-speaking workplaces, that means roughly $20, £15 or A$25. Friends and families who know each other well can go higher, as long as everyone agrees. Whatever you choose, the budget you announce matters less than the care you take over how it is communicated.