What to do with unwanted Christmas gifts?

It’s January, and Christmas is well and truly over. We have discarded our tree, packed away the decorations for another year, and eaten the last of our seasonal chocolates.

But what about the gifts? That ugly floral blouse mum bought me, the bottle of gin from Aunty Melanie. Does she not know I gave up booze ten years ago? Not to speak of that teapot from the in-laws!

We all know the presents I am talking about. But what do we do with unwanted Christmas gifts? Keep and let them clutter up your house? Not an option for a minimalist like me. Get rid and risk offending the person who gave it to us. Sell? Donate? Recycle? Regift?

Let’s go through all the options and talk about the pros and cons of each. The below suggestions, of course, work equally well for Birthday presents, Mother’s Day presents or presents for any other occasion.

Most of us have qualms about parting with presents, even those we genuinely don’t like. We feel guilty because someone took the time and effort to buy it for us, wrap and send it. I still hold on to a birthday gift I got for my 30th that, so wasn’t me. In the beginning, I kept the item because the friend who gave it to me didn’t have much money, and I knew she had saved up for it. Now I keep it as an example of why it is so difficult to part with presents.

But think about it. It’s not the gift that’s important, but the thought that counts. Rachel Hoffman, the author of Unf*ck Your Habitat, says that the real value is the giving and receiving rather than the present itself:

‘The real value of a gift is in the giving and receiving of it. The actual item itself is far less important.’

So yes, it is perfectly fine to get rid of presents. Don’t hold on to stuff and let it become clutter. On the website, Unwanted gifts clearly state in big, bold letters:

‘UNWANTED GIFTS ARE CLUTTER

…

Nobody needs more clutter in their lives.’

There are several options for how to part with unwanted gifts. If you feel you can do so, politely decline a gift upon receiving it. This will work well with close people, such as your mum or best friend. Find ways of saying that you appreciate the thought of the item but that the jumper is not the right colour for you. Many of your nearest and dearest will understand this. They will return the item to exchange it for something you may need or value more.

Including the receipt with your gift is something that many people do. This way presents can be returned to the shop and exchanged for something else. Of course, you might argue that including the receipt allows you to find out how much someone paid for your present, but in the age of Google, we can find this out quickly, receipt or no receipt.

Alternatively, you could donate unwanted items to charity shops. Charity shops all over the high streets support a wide range of causes. Oxfam, Red Cross, and Mind, to name but a few. Most of these shops are always on the lookout for good quality items. They have excellent recycling facilities, so if you donate something they can’t use, you can rest assured that it won’t end up in a landfill. There are several things, such as electrical equipment, bicycles, weapons or prescription glasses, that charity shops in the UK won’t take. You can always ring up the store before going there to donate to see whether they will take what you have on offer.

Of course, you can also donate clothing, art material, food and more to homeless shelters, refugee hostels, community centres or food banks. Most of these places are always on the lookout for donations. I am sure someone will be glad to take that unloved Christmas present of you.

Advertising in local Facebook groups, listing on Freecycle or your local Buy Nothing association is a further option for parting with unwanted gifts and giving them a new lease of life.

A third option is re-gifting. Maybe that pair of shoes that you found too feminine or the wine glasses that you wouldn’t use as a whiskey connoisseur might be just the thing for aunty Nelly. However, beware of a few pitfalls. First, ensure you are regifting your item to someone not associated with the original gift bearer. Don’t give that pair of shoes from your mother to your aunty, for example. Additionally, it is worth ensuring that the gift is in its original packing and that the recipient doesn’t know it’s a regift. You don’t want to appear to be a cheapskate.

A further way to regift, according to This Simple Balance website, is to regift less formally:

‘Re-gifting doesn’t need to look like wrapping the present and giving it for a birthday or Christmas present, although you certainly can do that if you’re comfortable doing so. Re-gifting can look like giving it directly to a friend who you know will use and love it.’

January is often a bit dreary. We are all skint, and it is cold. So why not brighten it up by organising a swap party? Make some food, ask friends to bring a bottle and an unwanted Christmas present or two and swap with each other. Your friend’s worst nightmare might be just the thing for you.

Don’t want to pass on the gift for free; you could try selling it. Places such as eBay, Gumtree or Facebook marketplace are good options. Be aware, however, that unless you are selling something rare or valuable, you will probably not get rich from it. So is the £5 profit worth the hassle of uploading an image, writing some text and taking the parcel to the post office?

You can’t sell, regift or donate the item; as a last resort, consider recycling, at least the bits that can.

Now there may be situations where it would just be plain rude to get rid of an item as it would impact your relationship with the gift bearer. So perhaps keep the thing for a year or two to show your appreciation and put it on the to donate pile at your next clear-out or spring clean.

I have also worn or used specific presents for a bit to avoid offending an elderly relative before parting with them.

Of course, what we should be doing is avoiding unwanted gifts coming to your house in the first place, but I think that is a discussion for a future blog post.

To get further ideas on how to get organised and more productive, check out my other posts here.

Need help with getting organised, contact me here, and I’d be delighted to work with you.

trabantbettina

Bettina Anna Trabant, Founder of Life Organised, your professional organising and decluttering service in East London. Eco-conscious minimalist and avid tea drinker,