Dear Rachel,
It seems every other week someone in our office has a baby, a birthday or a going away party, and I'm asked to chip in money for a present or a cake. I understand the sentiment, but I don't even know half these people and I don't make a large salary to begin with. Is there a tactful way I can make it clear I will not be contributing any more money? --Sign me Broke

Dear Broke,
There are things to sweat over in life. Whether to give or not give at the office is not one of them.

You could go to whoever appears to be the unofficial gift arranger and make your case that you can’t afford to kick in for cakes and assorted presents.

I would not bother.

Why should you go through the humiliation of having to explain your tight finances to anyone, no less someone you may know casually from work or not at all?

Your personal finances are your business, and you should feel no obligation to explain them to anyone.

My advice is to go find the least-expensive cards you can—spend no more than you have to. When someone comes to you looking for a donation for a gift for someone you know and work with, reply that you’ll be sending a card instead. Then send a cheapo card.

If the person they want to buy a gift for is someone you do not know or know well, simply decline to make a donation.

You don’t have to be impolite, just direct. “Thanks, but no, I’ll pass.” Or, “I’m glad her baby is doing well but I won’t be contributing for a gift.”

Leave it at that. Do not explain. End the conversation.

Relationships at work are very important, but the way to forge strong relationships is by doing a good job, working well with others, and being a standup person who’s willing to step in in a crunch to get the job done.

If you do all that well but decline to join the gift circuit, you’ll do just fine in your professional life.

You’ll also get out of a lot of really mundane conversations about what the ideal gift is for this or that person. That’s a reward in itself.

So stick to your guns and keep your wallet closed.