No need to buy new gifts; Re-gift!

It is almost black Friday and there are going to be many people out shopping. It will be a mad shopping frenzy! Do you want to rack up credit card debt? Do you want to stress out about giving gifts? Do you really want to make a negative impact on the environment? This is the beginning of the worst season for consumerism!

Many people have things lying around the house that they don’t use. Why buy new gifts for the holiday season when you can simply re-gift things around the house?

Re-gift: To give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.

Tips when re-gifting:

1.       The gift should not look as though it has been used.

2.       DO NOT give the gift back to the original giver.

3.       Never re-gift handmade items.

4.       Don’t re-gift signed books or monogrammed items.

5.       Be sure that the recipient will appreciate the item.

6.       Don’t reuse gift wrap.

7.       Don’t mention to the recipient that the gift is a re-gift.

Gifts that are good for re-gifting:

1.       Unopened bottles of wine

2.       Jewelry

3.       New household items

4.       Candles

5.       Bath sets

6.       Vases

7.       Books

8.       Exercise equipment

9.       Workshop tools

Pros of re-gifting:

1.       It’s cheaper in difficult economic times

2.       It’s a way to get around annoyingly high expectations about gift-giving.

3.       You don’t feel guilty about stuff going into the landfill.

4.       It reduces the amount of stuff you have.

5.       You don’t have to spend time shopping.