The Etiquette Guide To Re-Gifting The Crap You Never Wanted In The First Place

Post holidays, especially at the start of a new year, is the perfect time to clear your life of clutter, namely the pile of junk you received at the end of the month, also known as “thoughtful holiday gifts.” Even with thousands of helpful gift guides, dropped hints, and direct web links with explicit directions on color and sizing, your friends and family have once again managed to completely disappoint you. But how could you expect anything else? Seasons greetings? More like seasons repeatings, as in let’s find someone else to burden with this life-sized ceramic cat playing with a ball of yarn.

According to the most well-respected gift giving experts, you should never feel guilty about re-gifting. It’s better to give than to receive, right? And when you opened Aunt Flora’s gift of a copy of Finding A Mate Before You Become An Old Maid, that adage never rang truer.

Clothing items are some of the most popular gifts to get rid of as soon as possible, but take the time to break in the garment for the new recipient. That way you can give him or her a heads up about how to best enjoy the present. Shoes that pinch in a certain area, a coat that takes on a funny smell whenever it gets wet, underwear that won’t respond to bleach no matter how many capfuls you put in. Your review provides an additional level of information that the gift recipient wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. It’s like those infomercials where you’re already getting something so super amazing … but wait, that’s not all!

If the item is monogrammed, even better. The receiver will never be able to forget who gave them this timeless treasure. It’s like a cheery Christmas card you can never remove. Who gave you these decorative bath towels? Oh, that’s right. I DID.

Don’t overlook used or depleted gift cards if you find yourself in a pinch for a present at any time this year. There will always be an internet scam you can blame for the missing balance.

You might be facing down a mound of homemade cookies and other treats that the giver had fun making, but then couldn’t wait to get rid of … er, gift to you on a flimsy paper plate wrapped in greasy cellophane topped with a crumpled bow. Throw all those discards into a plastic bag and freeze them to give out next year. Holiday cookies always look and taste so haphazard, no one will ever know if they’re from the weekend, or three years ago.

If someone is a particularly bad gift giver, save yourself the trouble and leave the gift in the original wrapping. If there’s a card, simply cross out the original message and write your own. Tropical deforestation is the second biggest contributor to climate change, so not wasting the paper just makes sense.

And keep this one in mind for next year to avoid any re-gifting hassle. Some people might try to tell you to avoid re-gifting within your social circle or family, but if you are opening gifts with your loved ones, re-gift immediately to avoid hassle. In fact, turn the event into one of those white elephant exchanges where everyone keeps stealing gifts until they finally have what they actually wanted. Take a look around – Thinking you could get a whole lot more use out of mom’s iPhone 8 than her? Or maybe little brother’s check to help him start paying off student loans? Don’t hesitate! It’s all up for grabs.

Finally, always remember who originally gave you the gift so you can give it back to her. If she thought it was so great, she can have it.