According to Emily Post, re-gifting is a big no-no., but I consider myself a proud member of the Real Housewife Of Coupon County, not Beverly Hills.
I re-gift! Obviously, if not done properly, re-gifting can come across as thoughtless and trite. Perhaps that’s why Emily Post and friends are against it.
OK, Mrs. Fancy Pants isn’t 100% against it, but I wouldn’t call her a fan either.
Emily Post’s Rules on re-gifting:
- You’re certain that the gift is something the recipient would really like to receive.
- The gift is brand new (no cast-offs allowed) and comes with its original box and instructions.
- The gift isn’t one that the original giver took great care to select or make.
So if you’re thinking about re-gifting, don’t worry. The Queen of “Making A Dollar Out of Fifteen Cents” has your back.
With Ms. Post’s tried and true rules in mind, here are six additional rules for re-gifting.
Rules for Re-gifting:
- Do: Put a sticky note with the name of the person who gave you the original gift on the item you’ll be re-gifting. You don’t want to re-gift the original gift giver or re-gift someone in the same social circle. They’ll find out.
Don’t: Keep the gift in the original gift bag. It’s lazy. When I re-gift, I put effort into the presentation; call it my way of making up for a re-gifted gift. Wrinkled tired tissue paper is a DEAD GIVEAWAY of a re-gifted item! - Don’t: Re-gift company swag… unless you work somewhere really cool.
Do: Donate it to Goodwill! (Who wants a Insurance 2014 Agent Calendar with matching coffee mug for Christmas? That’s right – no one.) - Do: Re-gift something that is new.
Don’t: Re-gift something that isn’t in perfect condition. I’ve had to turn down putting some really great gifts on my re-gifting shelf because it wasn’t in the original packaging. - Do: Re-gift gift cards if you know they shop at that store.
Don’t: Re-gift a gift card that’s in the amount of $43.22. We all know it’s been re-gifted! Just go to the store and buy a new gift card for $40.00 with your gift card. - Don’t: Give hand-me-downs
Do: Sell your old stuff on Ebay to buy new gifts. I LOVE selling my old stuff on Ebay. I recently sold two ugly Christmas sweaters for $40.00 on ebay and then used that money to buy a Christmas gift for someone special. - Do: Re-gift gift baskets…
Don’t: ...Unless there’s food involved. Why tease someone with a gift basket filled with food that they’re excited to eat, only to find out that it expired two years ago. You have to check the expiration date.
You have a tip on saving money, let Brittany Begley know!