Re-gfit potential??

Well…the holidays are over and maybe you’re stuck with some duplicate gifts or ones that just missed the mark.  What to do with them?  Re-gift if you can!  Tacky you say?  Baloney! Re-gifting, if done right, is a great way to save money.  And – it’s eco-friendly – reduce your stuff, recycle it and let someone else reuse it!  Here’s how to do it:

Re-Gifting Strategy

• First commandment of re-gifting – keep track of who gave you the gift in the first place – so you don’t end up giving it back to them!
• Scour the package and the item for gift cards, dated return receipts or tags that could give it away – including tags from now defunct stores.
• Save ALL original packing.  If you use something a few times and decide it’s not for you, you can repackage it.  Just make sure the item is SPOTLESS before you re-package it to give away.
• Warning on hand-made items!  Earmark those for out of towners as the locals may know – or be – the maker (yes…it happens…)
• Consider the recipient’s taste.  When looking at your “excess gift supply”, don’t just grab the first thing.  Think about whether the person you’re giving it to would actually like it.  Re-gifting is only tacky when you don’t put any thought into it.

Don’t Re-gift  These

• Partially used gift cards.
• Formerly trendy (Chia pets!), expired items (fruitcakes don’t last forever…), dated electronics (cassette recorders, Windows Vista…?) unless you know the recipient still loves/wants it – or it’s given as a gag gift (along with something else, natch…).

And one final thing to remember.  Ebay is your friend… not just for selling “excess supply” but as a source you can claim.  That sweater you wore once and didn’t like?  “I saw it on eBay and thought of you!”

Photo by Scolirk