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The Rules of Re-gifting
While you sit there and shake your head, thinking "how tacky" just remember that re-gifting is common, a lot more common than you think. And in its own way makes good economic sense.
There are two ways to re-gift - one with class and style and yes, the other is just plain tacky. I suggest that if you really want to re-gift well class and style is the method you choose.
As you start re-gifting, the most important rule of all is to always rewrap and make sure any gift tags have been removed, because forgetting to those two things is a lot more common than you think too!
Most of us have re-gifted at some stage in our lives. Who hasn't been given yet another glass plate, only to re-gift it as a wedding present for a co-worker or your third cousin twice removed. Done without thought and planning, re-gifting is a recipe for disaster that will come back to bite you. It may be in the form of public humiliation or a never-ending family feud, but it will bite you.
Re-gifting with style and class can turn what could be an otherwise very expensive holiday into one where you come in under gift budget, and give the perfect gift.
Rule No. 1 - Rewrap and remove any gift tags! Even if you think the gift wrapping is lovely, unwrap and check the contents. Then wrap in equally lovely new paper. If you really want to be a Cheapskate, carefully iron the original paper and use it to wrap other gifts. And think of the public humiliation I mentioned earlier when your Aunt Sue opens her gift and finds a tag that reads "To Dopey, Love Snoozy". Check for gift tags inside and outside the wrapping and get rid of them.
Rule No. 2 - Keep your mouth shut. You don't need to explain how you came by the wonderful gift you are giving Aunt Sue. She doesn't need to or want to know that you've re-gifted it because you think it's hideous or just another dust catcher or any other reason.
Rule No. 3 - Only re-gift new items. Don't re-gift used items you've been given. By all means hand them on, just not as gifts. And don't re-gift items that are so old the store or manufacturer has gone out of business because that makes warranty calls really hard. And it's really, really tacky.
Rule No. 4. - And this really should be Rule No. 2 - Keep a record of what you re-gift and who you re-gift too. You don't want to re-gift that hideous whatever back to the person who gave it to - it's not a cute Christmas card going back and forth between families as a joke - this is a gift, so always know who gave it to you originally and never, ever give it back to them.
Rule No. 5 - Sell your unwanted gifts. Why not? You can then use the proceeds to buy brand new, never given before gifts and save yourself a lot of re-gifting stress. I suggest eBay, mainly because it is relatively anonymous. Selling at a garage sale runs the risk of the giver turning up to check it out, and you don't want to go there, especially at this time of year.
So whether or not you choose to re-gift, or whether you have gifts sitting in the bottom of the linen cupboard and stuffed on the top shelf of the spare bedroom wardrobe, remember these rules and always, always re-gift with class and style.
There are two ways to re-gift - one with class and style and yes, the other is just plain tacky. I suggest that if you really want to re-gift well class and style is the method you choose.
As you start re-gifting, the most important rule of all is to always rewrap and make sure any gift tags have been removed, because forgetting to those two things is a lot more common than you think too!
Most of us have re-gifted at some stage in our lives. Who hasn't been given yet another glass plate, only to re-gift it as a wedding present for a co-worker or your third cousin twice removed. Done without thought and planning, re-gifting is a recipe for disaster that will come back to bite you. It may be in the form of public humiliation or a never-ending family feud, but it will bite you.
Re-gifting with style and class can turn what could be an otherwise very expensive holiday into one where you come in under gift budget, and give the perfect gift.
Rule No. 1 - Rewrap and remove any gift tags! Even if you think the gift wrapping is lovely, unwrap and check the contents. Then wrap in equally lovely new paper. If you really want to be a Cheapskate, carefully iron the original paper and use it to wrap other gifts. And think of the public humiliation I mentioned earlier when your Aunt Sue opens her gift and finds a tag that reads "To Dopey, Love Snoozy". Check for gift tags inside and outside the wrapping and get rid of them.
Rule No. 2 - Keep your mouth shut. You don't need to explain how you came by the wonderful gift you are giving Aunt Sue. She doesn't need to or want to know that you've re-gifted it because you think it's hideous or just another dust catcher or any other reason.
Rule No. 3 - Only re-gift new items. Don't re-gift used items you've been given. By all means hand them on, just not as gifts. And don't re-gift items that are so old the store or manufacturer has gone out of business because that makes warranty calls really hard. And it's really, really tacky.
Rule No. 4. - And this really should be Rule No. 2 - Keep a record of what you re-gift and who you re-gift too. You don't want to re-gift that hideous whatever back to the person who gave it to - it's not a cute Christmas card going back and forth between families as a joke - this is a gift, so always know who gave it to you originally and never, ever give it back to them.
Rule No. 5 - Sell your unwanted gifts. Why not? You can then use the proceeds to buy brand new, never given before gifts and save yourself a lot of re-gifting stress. I suggest eBay, mainly because it is relatively anonymous. Selling at a garage sale runs the risk of the giver turning up to check it out, and you don't want to go there, especially at this time of year.
So whether or not you choose to re-gift, or whether you have gifts sitting in the bottom of the linen cupboard and stuffed on the top shelf of the spare bedroom wardrobe, remember these rules and always, always re-gift with class and style.