The Rules of Re-Gifting

It's no secret that sometimes you receive a gift that you can't use, you don't want, or is simply not your taste...

It's also no secret that if you choose to pass along that gift to someone else, there are certain rules you should abide by.

Whether it's for Christmas, a birthday, anniversary, or anything else, there are definitely rules of regifting.

1. Don't try to pass off something used as new.

A co-worker of mine was given a designer handbag...a fabulous gift! Except it had no tag on it, the hardware was all scratched, and it was visibly dirty both inside and out...it went from being an insanely nice gift to kind of gross VERY fast. Giving gifts can be expensive, so if you can't afford to buy something new, set price limits...or get creative!

A nice gift doesn't have to be pricey, but it also shouldn't make the receiver feel like they just went dumpster diving. And if you DO want to give someone something used, you really should say something like, 'I don't wear/use this anymore, but I thought you might get some use out of it/like to have it.'

2. Don't use the same wrapping.

Listen, if you're gonna pass along a gift to someone else, the least you can do is put new wrapping on it. This serves two purposes: removes evidence of re-gifting, and actually forces you to contribute to the gift. There's nothing worse than receiving a gift from your friend Trish only to open the tag and have it say, 'To Trish, Love, Aunt Sally!' (The same goes for reusing gift bags! Check the tags, people!!)

3. Don't force the piece of junk you don't want onto someone else.

So you got an EggGenie from your infomercial-obsessed Great Aunt, but you only do take-out and you're allergic to eggs...womp womp. That's okay, your cousin Jill has a birthday coming up...you'll just give it to her! No!!

Do you really think your cousin Jill wants an EggGenie? Doubtful. If you feel bad throwing it out, donate it to a local charity group or soup kitchen. Just make sure they want it first.

4. Don't re-gift to the original gifter.

Come on now! If you can't remember who gave it to you, you're stuck with it. If someone gives you an ugly gravy boat, you can't re-gift said ugly gravy boat back to them. They will be a combination of offended, hurt, and annoyed. Not only did you not like their original gift, you didn't even remember they gave it to you, and you went 'shopping' in your own house to give THEM a gift. It's all bad. Just don't do it.
When it comes to re-gifting, proceed with caution. Unused gift cards or bottles of wine can totally be given to someone else...the old sweater you dug out of your closet? Not so much.