Subscription boxes have been all the rage lately. People love getting mystery gifts in the mail. As a postal worker, I can say that the number of care packages, subscription boxes and just plain treating yourself to some online shopping is very popular with college students. So, why wait around until the holidays for the ever anticipated Secret Santa exchange, when you can do it all year long?
Redditgifts.com is a website that hosts a mix of Secret Santa exchanges every month or two. Best of all, unlike a subscription box, you choose which exchanges you want to participate in. That means, you could choose to only do one a year, do three in a month or skip an entire year. This allows you to participate based on your financial ability.
Here's how it works. First, you sign up and make a reddit.com account. You do not have to post anything or be a part of the Reddit community, but that can be half the fun! Then go to redditgifts.com and make an account there. You will not need to put in a credit card, only your address, and your address will only be seen by the person who will be giving you a gift in the exchange. After you are signed up and your account is approved, you are good to go!
After signing up for an account, sign up for whichever exchange you please. During sign-up, you can provide as much information that you believe your "Santa" will need in order to get you the perfect gift. You can even link to a Pinterest page, your social media accounts and Amazon and Etsy wish-lists you have made. You can choose whether to match with someone in your country or you can choose international, which makes for an interesting match in "The Snack" exchange and "Hometown" exchange.
On matching day, you will receive your "giftee." This will be a different person than the "Santa" who is giving you your gift. The recommended/minimum amount to spend on your "giftee" is $20, but many people often spend more. Even Bill Gates enjoys to participate in the December Secret Santa, and get a lucky person a gift of their dreams as well as donating to a charity.
Also, $20 is very doable for college students, so it is an easy way to participate in a fun adventure! And finding the best gift tailored for your "giftee" is quite a feat. Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, local artists, handmade and RedBubble are some of the most used resources for giving gifts that match online interests. You can send it directly to your giftee, citing tracking numbers on the website to ensure that you did indeed send them a gift. Or if you buy something online, you can send it to yourself and make a sweet wrapping paper covered box with a card announcing you are their secret santa. Alas, if your Santa drops the ball and does not send you anything, you can be rematched and some nice person will send you a gift out of the niceness of their heart and wallet.
During the month of December, they have the traditional "Everything Goes" Secret Santa exchange, and in October, they have the "Trick or Treat" exchange. In June they are famous for their "Arbitrary Day" exchange, which they brand as their summer Secret Santa. In the other months, there are usually several exchanges going on from you to choose from. Themes range from books, "Game of Thrones," snacks, hometown, jewelry, T-shirts, Hockey, presents for jets and many more. Best of all, the themes are chosen by the Redditors themselves, so you could have a hand in which exchanges are chosen next year.
So if you are craving some surprise gifts year round, want to buy someone a gift to make them feel good or simply just want to see the treats send 'round the world, then try redditgifts.com. I have gotten gifts more tailored to me from strangers that I consider some of the best presents, than from friends who have known me for years. That is my testimony to this wonderful exchange between internet strangers, that is completely safe and completely fun-filled. Try it out next month and see what you will give and recieve!
