Whether it’s a Christmas-themed onesie, a singing tie or an egg whisk, every year sees us all feeling the dread and guilt that accompanies unwanted gifts. We all end up writing thank you letters for these gifts, even though we want nothing more than for them to disappear, because the giver didn’t really have to buy you anything. That being said, you can start thinking of ways to get rid of unwanted gifts almost immediately.
The family present cupboard
This cupboard will save you time, effort and money. If you don’t have a present cupboard, simply clear some room at the back of your wardrobe and make sure your kids can’t get to it. Not only is it a place to keep unwanted gifts, but it becomes a great resource for last minute presents.
If you’re going to re-gift your unwanted presents, however, you will have to be aware of the serious potential problem of giving someone the gift they gave you. You should also ensure that any gifts you pass on aren’t personalised in any way.
Sell your gifts on
Another option you have is to list your unwanted presents online, although sites such as eBay become full of listings of similar bad presents, so don’t expect to make too much money on them.
Donate your gifts
Donating your gifts to a community or school raffle, or donating them to a charity shop is a far more honourable way to get rid of unwanted gifts. You won’t make any money from it, but you’ll be helping a good cause and in the case of donating them to a charity shop, you can at least feel warm at the fact that the person who does buy your unwanted gifts will love and cherish them.
Take the gift back to the shop
If the gift-giver has included a gift receipt, you can always return the gift to the shop from where it was bought. If you have no such receipt, some stores will offer a credit note around this time of year. Unfortunately, you will most likely need a receipt to return it, and if you don’t have it you’d need to admit that you didn’t like the present.
Accept the gift
Of course, the last option is to quietly accept and use the gift you were given. Whilst you may hate the celebrity-endorsed, cheap perfume or ugly Christmas sweater, someone has thought enough of you to buy you something at this expensive time of year. Seeing them happy as you use or wear their gift will always more than make up for the fact that you have a slightly undersized Primark onesie you’ll never wear again.