Whilst re-gifting might not be at the top of everyone’s to do list, when done tactfully and with a little thought the art of re-gifting not only helps to save money on gift purchases, but also keeps your home clutter free.
An obvious one to start off with, but an item should only ever be re-gifted if it is brand spanking new. If you have opened, played with or began using then forget trying to re-gift it, as this will cause the recipient to believe it is a second hand thoughtless gift, which defeats the object of successful re-gifting. You can of course still give used items away, but without framing them as a ‘gift’.
Re-gifting doesn’t just stop at family and friends, but can be extended to charities. Organizations such as the Salvation Army all accept new items. Or why not pop down to your local children’s hospital this Christmas and deliver some gifts, which can make a big difference to children and families spending time there.
Now, with re-gifting we never want to offend anyone, so it’s always wise when choosing to re-gift to make sure to pick the new receiver wisely. Apart from making it awkward, you could also hurt your friend’s feelings. So, have an think before choosing who to re-gift to.
The point of re-gifting is to give a gift to someone who will love, make use of or needs the item. If you simply re-gift just to get rid, then the process goes round in one big circle – which isn’t ideal. So before giving your item a new home, make sure it’s going to be one where it’s loved.
Re-gifting has it’s limits and this is ours. If you know that someone took extra time to locate or make a gift for you, it’s not nice to give it away. The same goes for meaningful gifts, you know when the giver has put extra thought into choosing the perfect gift or seems really excited to give you something – so acknowledge that effort and keep it, you never know – you may learn to love it!
Have fun re-gifting!