How Much Should You Spend on Gifts for Coworkers?

Not much. I'll start right off by telling you this. Your budget for coworkers should never be very high. Yes, you spend the vast majority of your time with them, but save your money for your loved ones and yourself. A gift for a coworker should be a lot more about the thought than the actual present. Buying the right gift can be a bit tricky, but simplify your decision by keeping your spending to a minimum. Again, the thought is more important than the price. So, what can you buy that's inexpensive and appropriate? First stop, head to your local dollar store. Nowadays, dollar stores offer so many things, it's almost ridiculous. Everything you can imagine is in there. It's the best place for cheap gifts for people you work with. The good thing about these dollar stores is that they often sell some really funny stuff. There's all sorts of silly, fun and outright weird gift possibilities. I'm a big advocate of having a really fun office environment and funny gifts are a great way to make that happen. Generally speaking, limit your total purchase to $10-20 for one person. If you need to buy 3 gifts, then max it out to $10 per person. The more gifts you have to buy for your office coworkers, the cheaper the price should be. Some of you may not feel particularly comfortable giving someone a $2.00 'cat' calendar that you found at your local dollar store. But try to get past this thought. First of all, what on earth can you buy for a coworker that will really please them anyway? Seriously, think about all of the office gifts you've received in the past. Has any of them really made your heart thump? Probably not. The purpose of an office gift is to tell someone you enjoy their presence and are happy to be working with them. And that thought is way more important than the gift itself.