Useful Yankee swap gifts?

[maslex]

We have a Yankee swap coming up Christmas Eve with a $20 limit. If you've ever participated in these what has been the most useful gift you have either given or received.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

We have one of these at work. I literally just brought back the same thing I ended up with last year and re-gifted it.

I did like some soup cups that I ended up with. I like stuff like that. Some people really liked silly stuff like Snuggies and stuff like that.

 

[mmbrad02]

I've never played under that particular name but my daughter had what seems like a similiar exchange last week with one of her clubs. We ordered a set of Emotional Support Chicken Nugget stuffed animals from Amazon and included a $10 Chick Fil A giftcard.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We have a Yankee swap coming up Christmas Eve with a $20 limit. If you've ever participated in these what has been the most useful gift you have either given or received.

(hands out gift card)

 

[CynBeth]

When we did at my former job people seemed to like gift cards, Bath and Body Works (you would need to be sure no one is scent sensitive), and scratch off lottery tickets.

 

[fla4fun]

Something useful to anyone, like some kitchen towels/pot holders in a neutral color were always appreciated. I never wanted anything that wasn’t useful. Gift cards only work if they are very generic (for example, not everyone drinks coffee or likes a specific restaurant). I have sensitive skin so any kind of bath or lotion gift set was automatically regifted. One year I got a set of small kitchen utensils (a manual can opener, measuring spoons) and that has been very useful. Another year I got a crank powered flashlight which is always handy since I don’t need batteries for it in an emergency.

 

[disneychrista]

I am not a fan of these types of things especially if you don't really know the people well. What is useful and fun for one person may not be for another. We used to do this for my department at work. I opted out the last few years as I don't really want these types of gifts. Even though they were with "good gifts" not joke gifts, I still ended up donating the items to Goodwill.

If I was to do it again I would probably pick up some cozy socks or something similar.

 

[Genie+]

Roughly $20 - I think people would find these more useful than they expected, and if not something they’d ever use probably know someone else who’d enjoy them

 

[kanne323]

My large extended family does a Yankee swap- our limit is a little higher, though. You never really know what's going to be the biggest hit, but the most fought-over gifts of the last few years have included a set of Pyrex (not sure if that's in your budget, it was a Costco thing), LED flashlights (two people put them in one year), and believe it or not, a Squatty Potty. That one was stolen three times, our steal limit. Gift cards usually go over well, too.

 

[barkley]

I like useful things so here's a few I've gotten or gifted-


(I like the sets b/c that way every seat in the car has one within hand's reach)





zipties are VERY handy to have on hand/a few in the car. likewise are-




but then I would also be very pleased to get one of those big packs of brand name double or triple A batteries from Costco.

 

[LoveDaisy]

We have one at work that is optional. I don’t do the gift exchange but I usually go to watch. It was a $25 limit. This year the popular gifts were gift cards to a local breakfast and lunch place by work, gc for the movies, a collection of gift sets from Trader Joe’s (3 packs of balsamic glaze and a 3 pack of honey with a grump tree), scratchy tickets, and a beautiful hand knitted scarf, hat and mittens.

Grump tree. I bought one at Trader Joe’s today.

 

[anniemae]

One year I bought a pizza stone and it was the gift everyone wanted. Another year I did some fancy dipping olive oil's and that was a hit too.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Somebody brought a Covid test to ours this year... I gotta admit, I laughed a lot over that. Another one that got a lot of laughs was a partially used Starbucks GC.

For legit gifts though, I think a GC would be a good idea (if it was fully loaded)

 

[barkley]

rolls of pennies for the dollar amount of the swap. tell the recipient to put them away for nostalgia purposes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Last year or the year before my husband got a tortilla throw blanket that he ended up with, that was quite useful while being playful as well.

 

[mjkacmom]

I am not a fan of these types of things especially if you don't really know the people well. What is useful and fun for one person may not be for another. We used to do this for my department at work. I opted out the last few years as I don't really want these types of gifts. Even though they were with "good gifts" not joke gifts, I still ended up donating the items to Goodwill.

If I was to do it again I would probably pick up some cozy socks or something similar.

Bombas are popular at gift exchanges.

 

[Mle8308]

I agree with the blanket idea. A nice fuzzy blanket in a neutral color. An Amazon gift card can work, too!

 

[disykat]

I hate the swap because no one but me ever wants useful gifts. I'm amazed there are people out there like me!!! In my circles it has become all about sticking someone with the worst gift. Useful gifts are basically ignored except for me trying to get back the useful gift I brought. I was literally already thinking about giving in and buying the tortilla blanket if we do a swap again this year.

I don't enjoy the whole gift thing in any form. I have tried for years to come late, to busy myself in the other room, etc. They insist I have to participate and wait for me. Erg.

 

[anniemae]

I hate the swap because no one but me ever wants useful gifts. I'm amazed there are people out there like me!!! In my circles it has become all about sticking someone with the worst gift. Useful gifts are basically ignored except for me trying to get back the useful gift I brought. I was literally already thinking about giving in and buying the tortilla blanket if we do a swap again this year.

I don't enjoy the whole gift thing in any form. I have tried for years to come late, to busy myself in the other room, etc. They insist I have to participate and wait for me. Erg.

I don't like it either. My workplace gets really cut throat at the yankee swap lol. I always buy a thoughtful gift but end up with something I don't like or can't use. One year it was a cork screw, aerator and bottle of wine. I don't drink. Another year I wound up with a plastic vase that looked like it was from the dollar store. Another time I wound up with golf balls, tees, golf towels and golf socks. You guessed it, I don't play golf I know it's hard to find a gift that is appropriate for everyone but I always wind up with something I cant use.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

We have a friend who used to insist we do this Yankee Swap thing at our annual gathering. I think she is the one who bought ALL the gifts originally every year people brought back the same stuff and they would have a new owner for a year. Seems like over the years that tradition faded and fewer of us attend (which is sad), but talk about useless gifts. These were things like a sun visor hat w/a mullet, fannypack that looks like a beer gut, and I know my brother inlaw ended up with a cap that says "I Pee in Pools".