I suppose you could call Tucker & I veterans. We have done quite a few years of the GE. We will offer our opinion on this topic, but keep in mind everyone views this differently. As far as price goes, most people expect more like $50 worth to be honest. This is what most spend, and then it usually goes up from there. With the price of yorkie items, $20 wouldn't amount to much, maybe three items. Even though the rules say no one expects more, I don't think this is true. I wouldn't feel good about spending only that amount knowing from experience that we are likely to get a package worth much more. Sometimes I think it would be a good idea to segment the exchange into different categories to make it more likely for buddies to get gifts closer to the ones they send out, but that's another topic.
If you are on a budget, the best strategy is to put more time into your package, like looking for items on sale/clearance, or using your own creativity to buy materials and then make things that would be more expensive if purchased at a retail store or online. You will see that a lot of the venders on yorkie talk have sales for the GE too. The trick is to give your buddy a package with a lot of value, but not spend as much money because you spent the time to either make the items or find them on sale. Let's say instead of buying a topknot bow for $2 or $3, you buy $1 worth of material and look online for guides on how to make bows and then do it yourself. You only spend $1, but give you buddy $3 worth of a gift. See? I usually spend about $50-$60, but the value of the package is closer to $100 or so if my buddy would just walk into a boutique and purchase the same items.
So in conclusion, if you use creativity, and do a bit of searching, you can give your buddy a great package on a budget. What really matters is that your
heart is in it. Tucker and I have never been disappointed, because we could tell from every gift we've ever received that a lot of effort and love was put into our gifts. I always set aside extra money in my "entertainment" budget for the exchange, cause it really is a lot of fun!!
Hope this helps!
