Save Big on Your Christmas Presents by Re-Gifting

Once considered slightly on the fence as far as gifting etiquette and only sometimes socially acceptable (and then perhaps only among close family), re-gifting has become completely accepted and now even encouraged. Perhaps because of the rise of the reduce, reuse, and recycle way of thinking and perhaps simply because people are tired of having to cram unwanted gifts into the backs of their closets everywhere, re-gifting is just now the done thing. 

With the phenomenon of re-gifting, rather than unwanted gifts being a touchy subject that is banished into the depths of drawers everywhere, every present is able to go to someone who is genuinely excited about it and able to use and enjoy it. If you practice re-gifting among your friend circles and, as a result, end up purchasing fewer Christmas presents and giving away the ones that you can't use or don't want, you will likely end up spending far less money on your holiday shopping and saving a bundle. A payday loan could also help with your holiday spending as they could provide additional funds which allow you to spend on others without eating into your monthly bills budget.

Preventative Gifting: Trimming Down Your Wish List

One way to cut down on unwanted gifts even before you get to the re-gifting stage is to get down the bare bones of the honest truth with those who you know you'll be exchanging presents with. If there are only a few things that you have your heart set on getting this Christmas, then let your close relatives know so that there is no need to receive a jumble of scarves, socks, and chocolate gift baskets that you have no use for. Have a conversation with your close friends and family well before the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, and trade wish lists with them so that nobody will be disappointed by their gift (or lack of). 

Try setting up a price limit for presents that you trade with close family, or if you are needing to be extra frugal, simply set up an agreement with friends that you will not exchange gifts this year. A Secret Santa game is a fun and savvy way to save money while not having a Scrooge attitude about the whole gift giving exchange. Simply have everyone involved in the pool write their names on a slip of paper, and ask everyone to draw the name of another person. Then, you are only responsible for purchasing a gift (usually within a certain monetary limit) for one person, instead of a dozen. You will be able to get something nice without going above and beyond your budget, as shopping for one is infinitely simpler than shopping for everyone on the list. 

How to Re-Gift in Style

There are a few rules of etiquette in the land of re-gifting to keep it simple, classy and enjoyable. First of all, though this might go without saying, be sure never to give a gift back to the person that gave it to you, or someone related to them or in their social circle. This is never acceptable. Therefore, make sure that whoever you are re-gifting an item to will have no contact with the person who gave it to you in the first place. This precaution will spare you from any awkward moments with your friends and family in which someone else is seen wearing the scarf that they gave you, and is met with ultimate confusion, embarrassment and upset. 

Secondly, you will also want to make sure you remove any distinguishing wrapping, gift tags, cards, or identifying factors on the present before you turn it around and give it to someone else who will likely enjoy it more. This means getting rid of inscriptions in books, taking off the to and from gift tags on wrapping, and generally taking care to make the gift new again before passing it on.