White elephant is always a risk. It’s part of the fun of the game. You never know what you’re going to end up taking home. But it’s a good rule of thumb to keep your expectations low and not go over budget. I am also always a fan of a gag gift in these types of situations. You never know what someone might actually want, so it’s good practice to just try to make them laugh instead. Bonus points if it’s biodegradable and won’t create any waste or unnecessary junk for the gift recipient. The person in this story didn’t quite agree with me, though, and was upset when they opened their gift. 

When you’re getting together to exchange gifts with friends, you have to keep your expectations low. You can’t go into it thinking you’ll come out with the perfect gift, even if you think you provided the perfect gift. You have to let go of your estimation of yourself as a gift-giver and just give yourself over to chaos. But that’s not what happened in this story.