Christmas is the season of giving. In some cases, that can include giving away. That’s because no matter how many gifts you receive, there may be a few items in your haul that you neither need nor want. But are there inoffensive ways to get rid of gifts you don’t want?
It may seem like a delicate place to be in: How do you deal with an unwanted present that was given to you with the best of intentions? Maybe you can do something with your gifts to make them useful and loved — by someone else.
Here are the best ways to get rid of the gifts that weren’t on your list this year.
Throw a Party
Sometimes, Christmas gifts include leftover food and gifted cookies. Rather than let all of that excess go to waste, you can throw a party and watch as your loved ones enjoy the feast. No one will know you’re just trying to clear out the fridge in time for the new year.
You can make the event even bigger by turning it into a potluck dinner, during which everyone brings their leftover Christmas fare. That way, everyone can get rid of the food and sweets they don’t want while enjoying each other’s company.
Sell Them
Without a gift receipt, you might not be able to exchange an imperfect gift for something you like better. So get your money back in a different way: by selling the gift to a new owner and using the cash to buy yourself something else.
Depending on your gift’s size and value, you can choose a handful of sites on which to re-sell your item. You can try Craigslist, eBay or clothing resale apps like Poshmark to give your item(s) a new home.
Re-Gift Them
Someone else in your life might find great joy in the item that has left you feeling kinda meh. There’s no harm in re-gifting an item. Especially when you know it’s going to someone who will love it and use it like you should have. This way, your presents won’t collect dust or go to waste when someone else would love and use them. You can make these gifts even eco-friendlier by wrapping them in recycled paper before handing them over to their new owner.
Send Them to a Secondhand Shop
If you aren’t going to use a gift, it’s possible that someone else will. Local thrift and charity shops will be glad to take donations of new items. They can then resell them at a bargain price. If you’re going down this route, you can use your trip as an excuse to clean out other gently used items from your closet and start the new year with a cleaner, more organized home.
Donate Them to Those in Need
Even if you can’t use this year’s gift haul, there are certainly others who can. Of course, we already mentioned bringing your unwanted goods to charities that will resell them, but they’re not the only options — there are plenty of organizations that will give your goods to someone else who can use them to make a better life for him or herself.
For example, a shelter for domestic abuse victims can pass on women’s clothes to keep their patrons comfily clothed. They can also hand down business casual gear, so lodgers have clothes to wear to interviews .
Senior centers can also use plenty of donated items. Those who live there don’t have jobs or income to buy much for themselves. A fresh batch of free gifts will make them feel great — and you’ll feel the same for helping them out.
Food banks and other shelters can use just about anything you have received that you don’t want. Think outside of the box beyond clothing items, too: hygiene products, housewares, toys and even unopened baking supplies that you didn’t use over the holiday season will go to good use when donated to a charity organization.
The Season of Giving Continues
Although some Christmas gifts you may receive won’t quite work for you, they’re sure to be perfect for someone else. So if you’re looking for ways to get rid of gifts you don’t want, let the giving continue! Why not get rid of the stuff you don’t want and make someone else’s life a bit easier and happier with a re-gifted gift?
Photo Credit: navets
The Dutch Reformed Church in our town has a food pantry. They are open during the week for drop offs in the basket in the lobby. They are pleased to get unwanted packaged food, also new unopened lotions, cosmetics, hair care, hand sanitizer. People who are hard up for groceries also need other things and they can pick them up at the food pantry. As a person who buys her Christmas candy the day after Christmas when it’s reduced to 40% of original cost, I know it tastes as good as buying it before Christmas at full price, so save your waistline and drop off unwanted wrapped goodies at the food pantry.
You can take the unwanted snacks, and baked goods to work. Leave them on the break room table. They’ll disappear. I did that every year I worked.
It helped keep my waist trim, and the others enjoyed pigging out.