It's the most wonderful time of the year, right? The Christmas trees are in bay windows throughout neighbourhoods. There is the twinkling of festive lights in town centres. People are wrapping up in warm coats, hat and scarves whilst shopping for gifts for their loved ones. The giving of presents is a lovely part of the festive season. Something a lot of people put time, effort and money into. However what do you do if you receive a gift from somebody that you simply don't like. Something that isn't you at all. A gift that is more like a curse? Let's have a look at what to do with unwanted Christmas presents this season.
Why Is It Unwanted?
Firstly, why is the gift unwanted? Think about the reasons that the person who has given you the present, has given you the present. There might be a deeper thought, feeling or emotion connected with it. Something that hasn't yet clicked with you because you can't see past the horrendous colour or odd product you have in your hands. The person may have heard you talking about something, but perhaps misheard you. Perhaps they simply saw it on the shelf of a shop and thought of you.
It might be unwanted to you right now, but it's so often not the gift that matters. It can be the thought that counts too. Maybe you don't really want it, but you might keep it for a while because you don't want to hurt the feelings of the gift giver. However, the last thing we want to do is clutter up our homes with stuff we don't use. In which case, let's look at answers to what to do with unwanted Christmas presents.
Can You Re-gift The Item?
One of the things you could think about is re-gifting the item. Obviously you need to make a note of who the gift was from, so you don't gift it back to them, or anyone they may know or pop round to the house of. You probably don't want to give it to someone who might have a birthday celebration that the original gift giver will attend. If you have different groups of friends or maybe a loved one in another country that you send gifts to, this is an opportunity to re-gift.
Make sure they aren't going to post an image online and tag you in, as the original gift give may see it. There are some great ways to re-gift items but as you can see it can be more hassle that it's worth to find someone to give it to. You might also consider, if you didn't want it in the first place, would someone you know actually want it? Or is it going to be one of those products that is gifted and re-gifted over and over again?
Give It To Charity
How about giving the present to a charity shop? This can be a great way to get rid of it whilst raising much needed funds for an important charity. Maybe you could choose the charity shop you give the product to based on who gave you the gift. Perhaps they lost their Mother to cancer so a Cancer Research shop would be the perfect fit, for example. Of course, you don't want your friend to walk into the shop you send the gift to and see it on the shelf.
If it's something fairly common, they might not realise it's what they gave you however for one of a kind or niche items, it could damage feelings and hurt friendships. In which case, travel to a different charity shop in another part of town or somewhere you're driving past when you are driving away from home. Maybe somewhere near your work office? Giving to charity can be a great answer to the question of what to do with unwanted Christmas presents.
How to find the Best Christmas Deals
Sell It & Make Some Money
Of course, when you are thinking about what to do with unwanted Christmas presents, selling it will come to mind. Should you sell a gift that you received? It's a question many people ask. If someone wanted you to have cash, they'd have given you cash. However, why should you miss out on maybe buying something you want because you've been given something you don't like? You could list it for free on Facebook Marketplace, however if the person who gave you it is on Facebook, they might see it.
Listing on eBay will cost you fees in the long run, but it can be a great way to sell to someone who really wants that item. You could also consider Gumtree, or perhaps somewhere like Music Magpie if it is something that they will buy. If it is of high value, an auctioneer might be an ideal solution. Whatever route you decide to go down, making some money is a good idea when you are considering what to do with unwanted Christmas presents.
What Will You Do?
There are a number of ideas and solutions about what to do with unwanted Christmas presents. Some ideas might work for you but others might not be the best possible solution to your situation. You might even consider giving it back to the person who gifted you it. Openness and honesty can be a fantastic way to maintain relationships. You don't want to spend a couple of weeks sorting this gift situation out, only to be hit with it again on your birthday and another time next Christmas. Maybe you can save yourself some cash on the Christmas gift list next year! Try and use that unwanted gift for good. Or at least make some money to get yourself something else you would actually like. That eye roll of getting a gift you didn't want can be turned around when you figure out what to do with unwanted Christmas presents.