Regifting: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Regifting is a fairly recent term for something that has been going on for centuries. I can undoubtedly acknowledge the fact that Cleopatra probably gave gifts that Anthony had specially made for her, to her maids and maid servants. She was glad to give them and they were just as happy to get them!

So what's all the big fuss about here in the 21st century? We all lead busy lifestyles and if regifting can save the price of a gift and a trip out into the traffic, to the Mall - so be it. An unopened gift in the closet, leftover from another occasion, will certainly benefit some else rather than just leaving it unused. What is the harm in wrapping it up and giving that gift to someone who would enjoy it? Someone who would appreciate it. This is regifting at its finest. Regifting at its worse can be a horrible story though. If you choose to regift a present that someone has given to you in the past, there are risks involved. Some of these might be: you forget who gave you the present in the first place and you give it back to them unknowingly, or if you received a gift and there were a few people there that witnessed it, and then you turn around and regift it to one of those same people or someone that they associate with. Regifting can be really risky business because most importantly you don't want to hurt anyone's feeling in the exchange. It is a good idea to keep a list of gifts you receive and the name of the giver, and the date. Doing this will help reduce these kind of mistakes, and is definitely necessary if you are in the habit of getting gifts that you don't necessarily want, and don't return.

Wouldn't it be great if all stores had the return policy of Wal-Mart, which will take just about anything back - even if it's for store credit. But if you have chosen to regift another person for a different occasion, there are a few rules for you to know in order to be a successful regifter. A successful regifter is one who graciously receives a gift from a loved one, and then turns it around as a gift to another with no one getting hurt in the process.

Here are five:

1.Do not open or use the gift - it must be new.

2.Remember the original giver of the gift, so you don't give it to them by mistake.

3.Try not to regift in the same circles, just in case someone might know the original owner and the original exchange.

4.Don't regift items with high price tags - that is tacky and inconsiderate to the person who gave the gift.

5.Keep the cost of the regifting under $100. Higher cost gifts should be returned to the sender or the store where it was purchased.

These rules are fairly universally accepted in successful regifting. In these times of the shrinking budget, don't be surprised if this regifting happens more and more often. The important thing to remember behind any gift, whether it be a birthday, Christmas, or another occasion, is the attitude and way in which it was given. After you do that, only you can be the one to decide whether or not regifting is for you.