The Delicate Art of Re-Gifting

Source: Alamy
To donate, or re-gift? It’s a question we often ask ourselves when we open a present and know in an instant we will never use it. But what if that cat collector mug from Great Aunt Irene would be a perfect present for your animal shelter volunteer friend, or the 2017 Star Trek calendar you received as a Secret Santa gift would be well received by your co-worker Alan in the tech department? Source: Google
With the busy – and expensive – holiday season upon us, re-gifting those unwanted presents is possible, as long as you follow these tips:
Don’t Re-gift Among Close Friends: Avoid re-gifting within a close knit circle. It’s perfectly fine to re-gift something a close friend gave to you among relatives, or co-workers – but avoid passing that unwanted gift on to another close friend. If she steps out wearing the scarf you re-gifted from your shared pal, things could get embarrassing.
Take Off The Gift Tags: You would be surprised how many people re-gift and forget to remove the gift tag. Avoid the potential humiliation and make sure all identifying evidence of the previous gift giver has been removed.
Don’t Re-gift Sentimental Items: If someone has gifted you with something of great sentimental value, you really have to keep it – even though you hate it. If that family heirloom just isn’t your cup of tea, tuck it away in a closet and retrieve it whenever the gift giver comes to visit.
Re-Gift Thoughtfully: Don’t re-gift just for the sake of re-gifting, or purging those unwanted items. The re-gift has to make sense and you need to think about the likes and dislikes of the person you are re-gifting to. Re-gifting a fattening tin of cookies to a friend you know is on a diet is a big no no.
Know Who Gave You The Gift: Avoid any awkward situations by keeping track of who gave you the unwanted gift. You don’t want to re-gift the item back to the original gift giver.
Be Honest: If you get caught out during your re-gift giving, just be honest. It’s better to fess up than try and come up with some elaborate lie. Just come clean with the reason you re-gifted and suck up the jokes that are bound to be made at your expense.