What to do with your Christmas gifts?
December 29th 2006 17:31
Christmas has come and gone and the lucky few probably got what they wanted but if you are like me and most others you probably got some gifts that you are never ever going to use.
So what can you do with these unwanted gifts? If you live the frugal life and want to prevent extra clutter here are some strategies
Return:
With each passing year, most stores have made it harder and harder to return gifts. There are return deadlines to meet and long lines. According to the National Retail Federation, at least one in three people will be returning gifts this year. Most stores are also tracking of what and how many returns you are making and you may not be able to return everything. If you do want to return a gift make sure you don’t wait too long and have a gift reciept
Ebay:
Ebay is the world’s largest electronic trading ground where anyone can sell anything at a certain fee. Who knows – Your junk may be somebody else’s treasure and you can even make some money after the fees.
Regift:
What once used to be a guilty secret is slowly getting to be a socially acceptable phenomenon. Regifting according to the Wikipedia is the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else in the guise of a new gift. MSN has 12 Rules for those considering regifting
Gift cards:
Nowadays most people take the easy way out and purchase gift cards. Gift cards are also good for people you don’t know what to get. Gift cards have a lot of flexibility but what do you do if you get a gift card for a store you don’t visit?. Most stores don’t refund gift cards. Of course, you can regift them. But you can also exchange your card online at CardAvenue or PlasticJungle. Whatever you do, please do use your gift card. Every year, there are millions of dollars in gift cards that stay unused….a huge waste!
Charity:
You can also donate unused gifts to charity. You feel good for donating to a cause and you can get a tax break too !
What do YOU do your Christmas gifts? Hopefully, you get gifts that you love and treasure but if you do try any of these methods let me know what you prefer about that method…or if you have a different better way do let me know that also in the comments section
So what can you do with these unwanted gifts? If you live the frugal life and want to prevent extra clutter here are some strategies
Return:
With each passing year, most stores have made it harder and harder to return gifts. There are return deadlines to meet and long lines. According to the National Retail Federation, at least one in three people will be returning gifts this year. Most stores are also tracking of what and how many returns you are making and you may not be able to return everything. If you do want to return a gift make sure you don’t wait too long and have a gift reciept
Ebay:
Ebay is the world’s largest electronic trading ground where anyone can sell anything at a certain fee. Who knows – Your junk may be somebody else’s treasure and you can even make some money after the fees.
Regift:
What once used to be a guilty secret is slowly getting to be a socially acceptable phenomenon. Regifting according to the Wikipedia is the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else in the guise of a new gift. MSN has 12 Rules for those considering regifting
Gift cards:
Nowadays most people take the easy way out and purchase gift cards. Gift cards are also good for people you don’t know what to get. Gift cards have a lot of flexibility but what do you do if you get a gift card for a store you don’t visit?. Most stores don’t refund gift cards. Of course, you can regift them. But you can also exchange your card online at CardAvenue or PlasticJungle. Whatever you do, please do use your gift card. Every year, there are millions of dollars in gift cards that stay unused….a huge waste!
Charity:
You can also donate unused gifts to charity. You feel good for donating to a cause and you can get a tax break too !
What do YOU do your Christmas gifts? Hopefully, you get gifts that you love and treasure but if you do try any of these methods let me know what you prefer about that method…or if you have a different better way do let me know that also in the comments section
| 113 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Sisi
Comment by Manjula
Nice to see you hear....Giving them to your Mum is a new one for me - haven't done that yet
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
You must've read my mind because I was thinking yesterday that I have a few gifts that aren't really me. I think I'll donate them to charity, I tend to that every now and again. There's a couple that I'll re-gift, I always used to feel really guilty about that, but if the gift isn't my cup of tea and I'm sure someone else will like it, why not? I can't believe that people have gift cards and don't use them!! Madness!!
Byeee
Comment by Manjula
Thanks for stopping by....I used to feel very guilty about regifting - actually, I still do ! but I guess it is getting to be more and more socially acceptable nowadays