When I was in my early 20s, I received a gift of a hot water bottle heating thingy from an older relative. I had no actual ailments that required me to have a heating pad of any sorts. It was a cute and thoughtful gift but at the time I had no need for it. I decided to re-gift this to another relative in an entire different family tree and it was a gift they loved and actually used! This is when I realized the power of regifting when done properly.
With Christmas coming up, you may plan to do a little regifting. Whether your reason is because of budgetary constraints or simply because you have a number of gifts that were not useful to you when you received them and you want to pass them along to someone else, there is a certain etiquette required to regift. Check out these tips to help you keep it simple and classy.
Don’t Regift In the Same Circle
If you received a gift at your work party and want to regift it, don’t do it at this year’s work party. If you’re going to regift something be sure to give it to someone outside of the group you received it in. Don’t take that gift back to Granny’s Christmas get-together if that’s where you got it.
Feelings are likely to be hurt if the person who gave the gift to you finds out you regifted. So to avoid the chance of that happening, make sure you regift in a different group of friends, family, or acquaintances.
If In Doubt, Don’t
If you are not exactly sure who gave you a gift, you are better off not regifting to avoid any hurt feelings. If you received the item as a gift last Christmas or before, you may have left the gift tag on it, which would be helpful. If you didn’t, though, you will need to try to remember where the gift came from. If you’re not sure, then skip the regifting and just donate it to a thrift store and find another gift to give.
Use New Gift Wrap and Bows
Some people may think regifting is tacky while others think it is a part of being frugal. Either way, regifting a gift in its original gift wrap really is a little tacky. Don’t do it. Use new gift wrapping for the gift. You will be saving money by regifting, but gift wrapping really isn’t very expensive and you’re just better off using all new wrapping.
Try to Match Up Useful Gifts With Recipients
Don’t just throw a regifted item at someone because you want to get rid of the gift. Try to match up an item with someone who could really use and appreciate it. Just because the gift doesn’t quite work as something you want to keep for yourself doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it.
Understand when others regift
When it comes to regifting, be sure to keep the right attitude. In short, don’t view regifting as something that only cheapskates do. Look at it as though you were a short-term caretaker for a useful item and are simply passing along that item to the person who is really the rightful owner. Regifting makes use of something you don’t need and gives it to someone who will think it’s great.
Do you have any additional rules of regifting you would like to share?
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