Unwanted Christmas Gifts: Polite Exchanges, Re-Gifting and Other Options

Eventually, after enough gifts are received, all of us are going to have the occasion when we open a gift, and our first thought is either "What is it?" "This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen," or "What in the world would I use this for?"

The first thing you should do is plaster a smile on your face and very graciously thank the giver whether it be for thinking of you or if all else fails, just Thank You.

Next, what do you do with it. Well, of course with so many gifts to be bought and received, there is never only one good answer.

If it's the ugliest sweater you've ever seen, wait a day or two and call your giver. Explain that you love the sweater but it just doesn't fit and would they mind telling you where they purchased it so you could try to exchange it for one in your size. A gift giver would never deny such a polite request. Then exchange it for something you like. In the unlikely event that it ever comes up that they never see you wear it, well, they simply didn't have your size so you exchanged it for something else.

If it's a snow shovel and you live in Florida, or a leaf blower and you live in a fourth floor apartment, you have several options. You can again exchange it for something you need. Do a search on the web and see who sells that particular brand and item in your area and exchange it for something you need. Or you can "lend" it to your parents, in-laws, friends etc. who have a need for that item. This isn't really considered re-gifting, because you lent the item but with no expectation of it being returned.

If you can't return the item, and know of no one that you can "lend" it to, then think about donating it. There are so many options for donations. Schools and churches hold rummage sales where they request items to be donated, then sold at their rummage sale with the profits going to the organization. Organizations such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Disabled Veterans operate stores that are supplied fully by donated items. People with limited budgets shop these thrift stores for bargains and once again you are helping out a good cause. If anyone should ever ask about the gift, you can honestly say that Such and Such organization was requesting donations and that you felt that the particular gift in question would raise a good deal of money for them and so you parted with it because you knew it would help the greater good.

If you really are not concerned with having to account for the missing gift, then list it on Craigslist. You can sell it for a discount off the new price and take the proceeds to buy that one thing on your list that you didn't receive, or you can list it for free, just so you don't have to store it. Or, to reach a larger audience, sell it on eBay.

Lastly, re-gifting is becoming a little more acceptable. BUT, if you are planning to re-gift an item, store it with a note containing the information of when it was received and who gave it to you. You really don't want to re-gift it to the person who gave it to you and it's sometimes easy to forget.

One thing you should never do, is throw the gift away. There are too many ways to recycle the gift. There is someone out there who would love it, even if you don't. Please don't gift items to our landfills that can be used and appreciated by someone else.