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| Gift wrapped present (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
According to a survey, nowadays, it is acceptable to re-gift a present that you have received which you do not want or have no use for it.
More than half the participants of a survey conducted by market research company, Harris Interactive admitted to or would consider re-gifting.
78% said that re-gifting was okay most of the time. The spokeswoman for Harris Interactive, Nancy Wong, told Reuters that she was surprised that such a high number of participants would admit to re-gifting.
What are the reasons people re-gift?
77% of those who took part in the survey said that the item was more suitable for the person who received it.
9% admitted to do it because they were lazy.
4% said they re-gifted because they did not like the person who was getting the gift! Wow! These group of people are very honest about re-gifting.
Well, if you are thinking of doing the deed, here are some often listed guide as to what you could or should not do.
Gift Card Don't
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| Assortment of gift cards (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Forgetting to remove the gift card that was hidden in the tissue of a gift box will rat on you to the receiver that the gift was a re-gift.
Unwrap the gift and check the inside for the tell tale card and start fresh.
Gift Wrappings Don't
If the gift has been sitting in your drawer for more than a year, the card board box or the old gift wrap will show signs of softness, creasing or odors from where ever it was stored.
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| A gift wrapped in yellow and green paper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Throw away all the old wrapping and boxes and replace with new ones. Do not use recycled gift bags, paper or tissue. Make it look fresh and attractive.
Don't spill the beans
When people receive gifts, they like to believe that it was chosen with thought and consideration.
If you tell someone you are giving them something that another person has given you, the message is that you are giving them something ugly, useless or worthless.
The only time you may want to let the person know that the item you are giving is not a gift but as a give away.
Used or Slightly Used Gift Don't
It is a big NO that you wrap a gift you have been using for a few months already.
A gift is something that is still new, never been used before while a 'hand me down' is an item you have used and is now offering it to someone else who may need it. There is a very significant difference.
Forgetting who gave you the gift Don't
You risk getting exposed if you re-gift to family or friends of the person who originally gave the gift to you.
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| Is regifting okay if you have no idea who gave the gift originally? (Photo credit: Chris Devers) |
To avoid any embarrassments, keep a list of re-gifts with the name of who gave you the gift.
Re-gifting nice things Do
It is important that when you choose an item to re-gift, consider whether you are giving it because it is undesirable such as a bird ornament or it is something that you already have and can be useful to the recipient such as a wonderful recipe book.
Re-gifting Heirlooms Do
I received 11 pieces of English dinnerware that my mom owned and had used for the past 40 years. Two years ago, she presented it to me when my father passed on as she has stopped cooking. In case you are wondering, the 12th piece met with an unfortunate accident.
It was a very lovely gesture as she had cooked many of my favorite food and without fail, used these dinner plates that was reserved only for special occasions such as Chinese New Year. And now, it is my honor to cook for her using the very same oval shaped dinner plates during family gatherings and festive seasons.
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| The plate on the left is smaller. Photo credit Philo Yan |
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| Top view of the medium sized plate Photo credit: Philo Yan |
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| Top view of the large plate Photo credit: Philo Yan |
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| Stew duck plated on my mom's heirloom Photo credit: Philo Yan |
Re-gifting such heirlooms makes sense and it maybe 'hand me downs' but nonetheless, tied to them are cherished memories and sentimental value.
The number one rule to re-gifting
Of course, re-gifting is also one way to save money.
However, if you practice much thought and tactfulness, the goal that you should try to achieve when you re-gift is that you want the receiver to have something they will use and enjoy.
Until my next topic, Have An AweSome Day!
Glad to hear your mom gave you a treasured heirloom. The other heirloom you need to get out of her is her fabulous and delectable cooking. I missed her cooking!!
ReplyDeleteOn rare occasions, I still get to eat her pickles and chicken curry when she cooks for her church members. My sister is getting cooking pointers from her so I guess she will receive that heirloom.
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