I would be a hypocrite if I said I had never carried out the act of “regifting”. I think most people have done it at least once in their lifetime, even if they won’t admit to it. There is a time and a place for it, but you need to be mindful that you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Some people are really open about the fact that they “regift”. I’ve had people wrap up a novel and give it to me as a gift after they had read it. It didn’t really bother me. I just found it amusing that they actually told me about it. If they hadn’t, I would have never known.
Let’s face it. Sometimes we do receive gifts that we know we will never use. Rather than have them sit in the closet to collect dust, it only makes sense to give them away to someone who will make good use of them. That being said, I don’t recommend “regifting” anything of sentimental value. Even if you won’t use it, it’s better to hang onto it rather than risk the chance of hurting someone you love.
There are some definite advantages to “regifting”. For one, you decrease the amount of clutter in your home. Secondly, you aren’t wasting good gifts. Just because you will never use it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. Thirdly, you will save both money and time by “regifting”.
The most important thing to take note of is who gave you the gift. You don’t want to end up giving it away a few years down the road to the same person who gave it to you! If you do plan to “regift”, it’s better to do it right away so you won’t run the risk of making that mistake.
“Regifting” certainly isn’t for everyone. For those who are uncomfortable with the concept, an alternative is to give away the items without wrapping them and making them seem like a gift. It all boils down to your comfort level. With the exception of pack rats, I would imagine that most people would be at least somewhat comfortable in “regifting” at least once in their life.
Here’s a thought – rather than giving your loved-ones yet another gizmo or gadget that they neither want nor need, why not consider supporting a charity in their name? Let them know how special they are to you by helping someone else out and providing them with a gift card.
It’s a lot of fun preparing for the Christmas season. There’s always so much to do. Parties to attend, gifts to buy, and more. I want to share some of my favorite Christmas recipes with you. They are fairly easy to make and they don’t cost a lot of money. They are great for serving at parties and if you package up a variety of your baking, they make great gifts as well. Invite a friend over to bake with and it will make your time even more enjoyable. Sometimes it’s also fun to do a “bake swap”. Each person involved bakes something different and then you arrange a meeting and exchange your baking. That way you end up with a wide variety of goodies without making each kind yourself. Happy baking!
A great way to save money on your Christmas tree this year is to buy a nice artificial tree that you can use for more than just one season. Although a good quality artificial tree may be more expensive than purchasing a real tree, if you use it for ten or more years, you will save a lot of money in the long run. You will also eliminate the hassle and mess of a real tree, and you will be able to pack it away in a box to use next year. Don’t buy a really cheap tree because it will likely end up being poor in quality and then you won’t be able to use it for as many years. It’s better to pay a bit more now and then have it last you for a long time.
If you and your family enjoy the tradition of giving each other a stuffed stocking on Christmas Day, here are some neat and affordable stocking stuffer ideas that will satisfy everyone and won’t break your holiday budget: