Regifting Pros And Cons For The Savvy Hostess

 

All of us have been there as you stared at a gift you do not want at all. Mentally you are calculating the regifting pros and cons for the gift, or at very least wondering what to do with it! You say thank you and perhaps try to convince the gift giver that you really love the gift. Meanwhile, you might be wondering “What did I ever do to you?” or” Do you know me at all?” We are all thankful for gifts, but sometimes the gift given may just not be… right for you.

Regifting Pros And Cons                                       

While social “rules” have changed a little, that does not mean that there are not still regifting pros and cons for those thoughtful but unwanted gifts. Wikipedia says that National Regifting Day in the US is December 18th, and in Canada there is a whole regifting week starting on Boxing Day from December 26th to December 30th.

Related: Cool Secret Santa Gift Ideas That Show You Put Some Thought Into It!

Pros to Regifting

  • Less Clutter: Maybe you already have the item, or maybe it is just not your style. Regifting means less clutter in your home.
  • Good For Your Wallet: Save yourself a little cash by regifting items that you really did not want or need. Everyone could use to stretch a buck a bit further.
  • Happiness: Regifting can feel good when you know the other person would enjoy the gift much more than you will. The feeling is almost freeing!

Related: Five Fantastic Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Cons To Regifting

  • The Gift Giver Has hurt Feelings: There can be hurt feelings if the gift giver finds out you regifted the gift. Ask my cousin about that angel ornament I bought her that she gifted back to me. Nope, I’m not still upset…. Maybe a little…
  • The Gift Receiver Has hurt Feelings: The person receiving the gift might feel you are trying to give them something ugly that you don’t want either.
  • Guilt: You might feel guilt regifting an item, even if the gift is better than you would have bought for the person you are gifting to. Regifting must be done with care to salvage relationships and feelings.

Unwritten Rules To Regifting Happiness

Regift New And Unopened Items: It gets weird if the item has been used, even a little. If you tried the item and did not like it, consider giving it to a friend instead of gifting it.

Avoid Regifting Within The Same Social Circles: Someone is bound to spot your regifting if they saw you receive the gift. That candle set from your mother in law? Skip giving it to your sister in law even if it is her taste, but consider passing it along to the neighbor you are close to.

Will The Person Like The Gift?: Regifting gets a bad rap when people give away items that are downright ugly. Don’t regift an item if it is truly terrible.

Rewrap: Check those gift bags carefully, it is easy to miss a tag. It is a dead giveaway if the tag reads “To Dad” and the gift is not for your dad.

Avoid Personal Gifts: If someone handmade you a gift, monogrammed the gift or is gifting a family heirloom skip regifting. Gifts like this are one of a kind, and the hurt feelings will run much deeper than regifting a candle.

What Items Are Regifted?

According to MSN.com here are the top items that are regifted. Do your presents make this list?

  • Pajamas
  • Books
  • Bath Soaps
  • Cookbooks
  • Wine
  • Fruitcake
  • Perfume
  • Gift Baskets
  • Picture Frames
  • Candles

Extra wine? Send it my way readers! Have you ever regifted an item? Have you ever had an embarrassing encounter when regifting? Are there any other regifting pros and cons I missed? Tell me in the comments!

Image Credit: Lynn D. Rosentrater

2 thoughts on “Regifting Pros And Cons For The Savvy Hostess”

  1. I gave an expensive item to a friend who regifted it to her son, and it upset me. Her excuse … her son already had the same cookware and she wanted to add to the set. I voiced my anger and told her that I could have given the crockpot to a friend. Was my reaction wrong? Needless to say, our friendship is no more. I’m not unhappy about voicing my displeasure and life goes on.

    1. I gifted a gift which was about $600 and my immature ‘friend’ gave it to someone in the same friend group the very next day, her excuse was
      “You should’ve known my taste. We’ve been friends for 1 year” (she was wrong with that we had been friends for not even half a year yet) and I responded “Get a brain I mean you could’ve told me you didn’t like it I could have given it back to the original shop and saved myself from wasting my money” we are not friends anymore not because of this incident but many more just like this one

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