Has Christmas left you with a stack of gifts you don’t love? It happens to all of us – the smellies that you just can’t get on with the smell of, the truly dreadful knitwear, and the oddball “surprise” gift that you’d rather not have been surprised by. Instead of letting these gifts gather dust or get shoved to the back of a cupboard, follow our tips to make sure your unwanted presents don’t go to waste:
Re-gift
Re-gifting can be a fantastic way to give someone a present they’ll love without having to spend on it. If someone has given something to you that isn’t quite your cup of tea, passing it on to a loving home is budget friendly for you. It also clears clutter, and the recipient gets a gift that they will enjoy. It doesn’t have to be immediately, or even next Christmas – many things come in season-neutral packaging so can be re-gifted as birthday or other presents.
Sell or swap presents on the internet
Have you ever sold or swapped anything on the internet? There are plenty of online marketplaces that allow you to buy, sell and swap items. Using a local online buying and selling group that your friends aren’t part of will also eliminate the risk of someone you know figuring out that you have given their gift away!
Gift swap with friends
We all have a friend who has polar opposite taste to us in likes and dislikes. Get together with friends in the New Year and hold a grand swap-a-thon with all your unwanted gifts. As long as you’re not trying to swap back all the things they bought for you (awkward…), then it could be a great way to get rid of your unwanted gifts and bag yourself some goodies at the same time!
Donate to charity
Pass on the generosity of the gift that has been given to you and donate your unwanted presents to a charity shop. If you can donate something unopened and pristine, the charity will be sure to sell it on for a good price to help those in need!
