The Top 5 Regifting No-No's

It's the day after Christmas. Aside from feeling fat and hungover, you're probably wondering how you'll get rid of all the terrible gifts you've collected--the gizmo you'll never use, the book you'll never read, the sweater you wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Rather than toss that hideous scarf or Ricky Martin album in the trash, take a moment to think . . .there's got to be someone with an upcoming birthday and terrible taste.

Yes, I'm talking about regifting, the act of taking a gift you received, but don't want and giving it to someone else. Although the practice pre-dates the green trend, regifting is one of the most environmentally responsible things you can do over the holidays.

By regifting you'll eliminate the need for new gifts, whose production requires the unnecessary dissipation of energy and extraction of natural resources. Regifting will also prevent items from ending up in the landfill or incinerator. According to the EPA, each American throws away an average of four pounds a day. That's a total of 210 million tons a year. Garbage cans everywhere should now read, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle . . . Regift!"

Even Emily Post--Madame Manners herself--was a regifter. According to Post, good etiquette doesn't require you to keep anything. Good etiquette simply requires you pretend you like the gift upon reception.

So there you have it! Regifting is neither tacky, nor cheap. Best of all, it's good for the environment. But first, a few cardinal rules to keep in mind. Follow these tips and you'll be sure to regift with finesse and tact.

1. Avoid perishables.
Next Christmas, that food basket will be a collection of moldy crackers, rancid cheese, and outdated muffin-mix. Unless you're going to claim it's vinegar, best to avoid beverages with a funny smell and inch of sediment on their bottle's bottom.

2. Avoid out-of-date/extinct products.
Unless your giftee is an avid collector, avoid articles of clothing, music and electronic gear of decades past. Chances are your recipient will know you originally received that home BETA video recorder in 1988.

3. Avoid dead giveaways.
Certain regifts are a plain and clear message that a) you're regifting and b) you're an idiot. For example, never regift monogrammed items . . . unless you have a plan to explain why your initials should be emblazoned on their bathrobe. Promotional items from your company's "fun day" are also poor choices.

4. When you regift make sure you rewrap. (with recycled or "green" wrapping paper, of course).
The gift should be in its original condition (i.e. unused and in original box). Then make sure it is covered in non-tattered or faded paper. Nothing says this has been sitting in the bottom of my closet like disheveled wrapping paper.

5. If you are going to regift, be sure you know who gave you what. Keep track in a notebook or computer file. Yes, it's nerdy, but you'll be happy you did. Nothing is quite as awkward as regifting to the person who gave you the gift in the first place, especially if that original giver is a grim-faced and resentful relative. You know, the one with a sense of humor akin to a dead fish?

Check back for more tips on living the green life from Olivia Zaleski every Wednesday.

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Comments

[angelwax]

Also, regifting a case of beer with no beer in the bottles is tacky.

[ChiGuy]

#5 is the most important one.

I always place a post-it with the year and the giver's name with anything I plan to re-gift so that I don't give it back to the giver, or anyone else that might recognize it.

[Maxbyte]

I cannot recall regifting from one year to the next. On a couple of occasions I have given a gift I cannot use (usually food of some sort) to a friend... but I have always told the individual that it was a gift to me and I don't want to have to toss it.

There's a certain cheddar-jalapeño cheeseball that has been making the rounds in our family for years. Cheese is supposed to get better as it gets older... but perhaps not in this instance. It's beginning to smell like Limburger.

Excellent post.

[GayGrandpa]

Oh girlfriend I think you missed the point. First of all the fruit basket cheese whatever should go to the homeless! Why not emphasize a different type of giving to friends and family? This holiday should be an opportunity to either help the needy or to make it a save day, a save day for retirement! My daughter is thirty and as it turned out she was pretty broke this Christmas. I emphasized no gifts. I suggested let’s take food to the homeless. It would be a great example to my grandson.

This month as every month I give a portion of my income to a needy family abroad. This month I gave over 50% of my income. I support a large family on an artist's income...a struggling artist at that. Two of their kids are in college; I pay medical bills, and send funds to repair the house and teeth, and money for food. Often this takes my food budget down to $1-3 per day but that is OK. You cannot starve in the Bay Area and I way too many friends who feed me!

My point is why are you not saying to your readers DON’T GO NUTS? People rush to stores at 4 and 6 a.m. to save money, but what have they saved? Certainly not their sanity nor their money or their souls, credit cards are being maxed out, people are being stressed out, and now they have crap they neither need nor want...don't you think that perhaps we all have missed the point?

Next year keep keep or put the money in a savings account and give gifts that are hand made and are made with love. If people cannot create then they should give the gift of time. Most people want our time more than anything else.

Let's start putting love and sanity (back) into Christmas and money (back) into the bank.

[lingram]

I am a huge fan of regifting and subscribe to many of the ideas that you've written about here. However, you've left one thing out--and it's sort of related to regifting but not always. You can always donate unwanted gifts to a good cause.

For example, that sweater that doesn't fit and didn't come with a gift receipt? Bring it to a thrift shp that supports a charity. What about the food basket of stuff you'll never eat? If there is anything non-perishable in it, donate it to a local food pantry.

I, too, am interested in green topics and write about them here: http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com

Thanks.

Leah

[Gussmith]

I'm glad old Jude doesn't accept Christmas gifts. What a grinch.

[hootie1fan]

My (childless) sister-in-law is the cheapest gift giver in the world. He husband is more thoughtful but he rarely does the shopping. It makes matters worse that if she doesn't get more gifts than anyone else she will go into fits. Add to that her lists which are always expensive.

I've finally had it and decided that her gift for next year for both her and her husband will be the "gift" she they gave me.

[Jude2004]

I don't accept any gifts from anyone (except my mother, who doesn't get the message). Therefore, I have nothing to "regift." It's a good policy, I think.

[RickO]

There are also many charities that will take those items and "re-gift" them to someone who may see a tacky sweater as a warm sweater.

[robiform]

LOL--but very practical advice, too. I've "regifted" occasionally, and that last piece of advice about keeping track of who gets what is very important! Otherwise, embarassing situations are likely to occur :-)!