Secret Santa Hacks: 6 Quality Gifts That Won't Break the Bank

A Secret Santa gift exchange can be a great way to organize holiday-minded folks in settings like offices, or even among big families. After all, buying one gift is a lot easier on your checking account than buying for a lot of people, and the holidays are already a very expensive time of year for many of us. But finding the right gift to make the recipient say, "Cool!" can be a challenge.

What if I told you I had a great go-to list of Secret Santa ideas that are thoughtful, fun, and all under $30? Plus, all of them are available from Amazon (and using the right credit card for online shopping means you'll be rewarded for your purchase).

Let's take a look at some excellent gift ideas for the special person whose name you drew out of a hat and you may know only slightly. Note that prices are accurate at time of writing, but are subject to change -- so if you like an item on this list at the current price, it pays to snap it up!

1. Lovely pastel markers

You never really outgrow a love of good writing implements. When you're a kid, you might be all about Crayola, but your colleague's tastes are likely more sophisticated.

Feast your eyes on these gorgeous mildliner markers. They come in a set of 25 for $24.50 and are in pastel colors. They function the same way as highlighters, but instead of retina-scorching bright yellow and green, you can take notes and mark up a book in softer shades. Plus, they're double-ended, with both a broad and a fine tip.

2. LED string lights

Who doesn't love string lights? These come in a variety of colors, brighten your living space, and are just plain fun. They're on fine wire, which makes them nearly invisible when they're not turned on, and they make it easy to dress up a room in a festive way.

All of the available options are under $15 -- you can purchase the blue ones (which are 66 feet long and consist of 200 LED lights) for just $11.99. I recommend pairing these with an inexpensive bottle of wine or even a pack of hot cocoa mix to give the gift of cozy hygge for a cold winter's night.

3. A microwave popcorn popper

Popcorn is a great snack -- it's cheap, high in fiber, and very easy to make. But the kind that comes in microwavable bags isn't great for you, due in large part to the chemicals that line those convenient bags.

What's the solution? How about a silicone popcorn popper that still works in your microwave? This neat gadget is just $25, and you can use any kind of popcorn you want in it. This could be a great gift for a family member or a colleague (perhaps the one whose microwave popcorn habit hits you in the nose every afternoon in the office).

4. A miraculous (and reusable) pet hair remover

I love my cats, but I don't love how much hair they leave all over my upholstered furniture. But this pet hair remover does an absolutely amazing job of collecting the hair, and you empty it by opening the compartment and dumping it right into the trash.

Sticky tape rollers eventually run out of sheets, but you can use this device again and again. Get it for $26.99 and give it to the person who always has new pet photos to show you.

5. A travel jewelry organizer

Got a colleague or family member who loves to travel? Packing in an efficient and space-saving way can be a challenge for a lot of people (guilty). But this neat jewelry organizer can help. It comes in two different sizes and a variety of colors at excellent price points.

For example, you can get the teal one for $15.99 for the small size or $19.99 for the medium. It has zippered pouches, a little section where you can secure stud earrings, and even a place to store rings for safekeeping.

6. Fairtrade chocolate bars

What do you get for the person who has everything (or the person you don't know very well)? How about chocolate? Tony's Chocolonely is particularly special because it's Fairtrade certified and the company is working hard to fight the inequality and exploitation in the chocolate industry. You can scoop up four full-size bars for just under $27 right now, and there are some excellent flavors in the bundle -- the milk chocolate caramel sea salt is a favorite of mine, and I bet it will be for your lucky gift recipient, too.

If you're feeling anxious about buying a gift for a coworker you don't know well or a relative you don't see often, don't sweat it. These gifts can be yours at a low price point, and they're thoughtful and useful enough to be appreciated by just about anybody.