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| Gifts (Photo credit: Guudmorning!) |
I am sure most of you have a box of presents, opened and unopened in your closet somewhere that you have never used because....
These are the following reasons you may give for keeping presents that you have received in the closet.
1. You don't see a purpose, example huge stockings to stuff things in.
2. You already own the stuff
3. You have one too many of it, example candles, keychains, socks, ties
If you don't do anything to reduce the clutter, you run the risk of a closet that is bursting at the seams and be accused of being a hoarder. So what do you do? Have you considered re-gifting those never been used gifts?
Re-gifting these days appears to be gaining popularity. It can serve two purposes.
- When you don't have the money to spare.
- You want to clear the clutter.
- You want to support the green movement
If the gift is something that you already have, there is no reason not to give it away. And throwing it into the bin...you have just unwittingly made yourself a contributor to the greenhouse effect.
Okay, now that you have decided to re-gift, here are some ground rules to consider so that
a. You do not make the blunder by presenting the gift to the original gift giver
b. You do not want to offend the new gift receiver.
c. You don't want to be caught with your pants down when the expiry date on the gift says "Used by December 1, 2000.
Here are seven more tips what you should and should not do when re-gifting
1. Don’t regift used items. If you like to shop in garage sales or second hand goods store, buy the items for your own use but don't buy it for the sole intention of giving it to someone as a gift. Most people do not like to have a used item. It is especially during the cold months where cold germs are common and people are generally turned off by the idea that they are being exposed to bacteria which may make them fall sick. And in certain countries, many can't afford to be sick.
Safety issues arises from re-gifting used toys, sports equipment and gifts with moving parts. Points to considers are:
- Is the item in safe, workable condition?
- Are any parts missing?
- Are there any hidden defects?
Re-gifting used items can sometimes be a double edged sword.
There is a possibility that the recipient will appreciate the item but then again, there is also a stronger chance that the used gift will place the recipient in an awkward position of having to pretend to like it and the moment that you leave, they will throw the item into the trash bag using only their thumb and index finger. Get the picture?
2. Check expiration dates before re-gifting. I know that some of your gift box probably contains some hand, feet or body lotions, scented soaps and the like. Perhaps even some preserved jams or fruit?
Often it’s entirely appropriate to re-gift these items provided they are unopened and still in their original packaging. But do check for any expiration dates. No one wants to give the gift of food poisoning. To say the least, that will really leave a 'bad taste' in their mouths.
3. Safety concern? Check the internet before re-gifting. If the re-gifts are kids' products such as toys and clothing, try to do a quick internet search. These are the links you can go to:
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s searchable recall and safety database
- Recalls.gov
- The Toy Association, also known as ToyInfo.org
- The toy manufacturer itself
Most toy manufactures have web sites. You can even contact major toy makers – like Toys R Us and Fischer-Price as they include their telephone hotlines in their web pages.
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| Magnetix toy with broken magnets from Rose Art Industries Inc., of Livingston, N.J. Image from U.S. Government Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice. URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06127.html (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
4. Don’t re-gift if you have forgotten who originally gave you the present. To avoid committing the biggest blunder, note down your collection of re-giftables details such as when you received the gift and from whom. You will never live down the embarrassment for many holiday seasons to come. So do take heed.
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| Is regifting okay if you have no idea who gave the gift originally? (Photo credit: Chris Devers) |
5. QC and Inspection This is another tip to avoid embarrassment. You should inspect that the parts of a gift is intact and functioning. Remove any cards or expired gift offers that the original recipient may have inserted into the gift parcel before wrapping it up.
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| English: Assortment of gift cards (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
6. Check the balance and expiration date on gift cards. Usually gift cards are valid for at least five years after the date of purchase.
The clause may stipulate that additionally fees or monthly fees would be charged if the gift card is not use by a certain date. And this can eat away at the balance.
Take the time to check a card’s balance before re-gifting it.
7. It is still the thought that counts. If you find that you are unable to find an appropriate gift that would be meaningful or of value to the recipient, sometimes the most meaningful intentions are those that won't cost you a single cent. If you can’t afford a gift for someone special in your life, these are the thoughtful gestures you can do:
- Write them a love letter to let them know how you feel about them.
- Spend time with the people you care about.
- Commit to do something uplifting to brighten up someone else's life.
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| Sun setting (Photo credit: e_monk) |
Gift items are just inanimate objects that can be given away, stored up, forgotten or discarded in a second but the truest meaning of gift giving comes from your heart.
And that, dear readers is as PRICELESS as a beautiful sunset.
Until my next post, Have An AweSome Day!
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I welcome your comments and ideas for awesome gifts that you have received or given.