At one time or another we’ve all received holiday gifts given to us with good intentions yet didn’t really work for our taste. Unwanted gifts clutter up the house or office while we figure out what to do with the gift. Guilt and fear paralyze us into keeping gifts we don’t want or need.
Re-gifting is becoming a perfectly acceptable social practice. In a recent survey, when asked if it is okay to receive a re-gifted item, 83% of survey respondents said yes. In our professional organization business, we give our beloved clients permission to reconsider keeping brand new gifts they'll never use.
So if you're considering re-gifting this holiday season, use these 6 tips as guidelines when re-gifting:
- Gift packaging and contents must be in excellent condition;
- Remove old tape remnants and re-wrap the gift in new wrapping paper;
- Only give the gift to someone who will appreciate and use it;
- Make sure all the pieces (puzzles, toys) are intact and unbroken;
- Never re-gift unsold garage sale merchandise; fruit cakes, gift cards with partially used balances and nothing monogrammed;
- Keep track of who gave you the gift; don’t mistake giving it back to them!
Re-gifting is a great way to declutter your space and get organized, to be environmentally conscious by recycling and reusing and helps to keep your budget down. So go ahead and celebrate this season and re-gift, re-gift, re-gift! Santa approves.
Questions or Comments?
What are your thoughts about gift-giving this holiday season? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check John out on Instagram (@johntrosko).
This original piece was published on FitPerez, Perez Hilton's site featuring celebrity fitness and personal trainer expertise, diet, nutrition and advice from lifestyle experts including John and OrganizingLA. Click here to read our original piece on Perez Hilton's FitPerez.
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