What to do with Unwanted Christmas Gifts in 2023

Introduction

It’s January, and Christmas is well and truly over. We have discarded our tree, packed away the decoration 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 in 2023? Read on to find out.

The Nature of Christmas presents

Christmas gifts or gifts of any nature can simultaneously be a blessing and a curse. We value the fact that someone we care about thought of us and bought something with their hard-earned cash. But we also curse the fact that we can be left with unwanted clutter and items that are just not us.

Most of us have qualms about parting with presents, even those we 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 it 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 is not the actual gift that’s important, but the thought that went into giving something that counts. Parting with presents does not diminish the nature of the relationship with the person you received it from, as my colleague Juliet Landau-Pope says in a Newsweek article.

In my eyes, if you’re giving away an object, you’re not letting go of a relationship. You can continue to cherish the relationship, treasure the memories you have and appreciate the generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness someone put into choosing something for you.

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, it clearly states in big, bold letters:

‘UNWANTED GIFTS ARE CLUTTER

…

Nobody needs more clutter in their lives.’

What to do with unwanted gifts

There are several options for how to part with unwanted 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? Re-gift?

Let me walk you through several 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.

Decline

If you feel you can, politely decline a gift upon receiving it. This will work well with people you are close to, 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 or that you already have a coffee grinder and no space for a second. Many of your nearest and dearest will understand and 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 and that you could also do when gifting to others. This way presents can be taken back 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.

Donate

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. My colleague Juliet says the same in her article ‘I’m a Shopping Expert, This Is How To Handle Unwanted Holiday Gifts’:

Right now, a lot of food banks are taking non-food products. Many programs very much need children’s toys, clothes, or household items. They often appreciate toiletries, so those gift-wrapped boxes of shower gels, bath salts, and shampoos, which we often receive in excess at Christmas, could be a great donation.

Give Away Online

If you don’t want to donate to an official organisation, advertising in local Facebook groups, listing on Freecycle or your local Buy Nothing association is a further option for parting with unwanted gifts.

Regifting

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, make sure you are re-gifting 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 person receiving it doesn’t know it’s a re-gift. You don’t want to appear to be a cheapskate.

A further way to re-gift, according to This Simple Balance website, is to re-gift less formally:

‘Regifting 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. Regifting can look like giving it directly to a friend who you know will use and love it.’

Swap Party

People sometimes exchange unwanted gifts as a variation of the secret Santa tradition instead of buying new ones. Why not do a present exchange in January when it’s often a bit dreary?

We are all skint, and it is cold, so brighten up your January 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.

Selling

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. However, be aware that unless you sell something rare or valuable, you will 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?

Recycling

Can’t sell, re-gift or donate the item, as a last resort, consider recycling, at least the bits that can.

What to do if you can’t get rid of the items?

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

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

Conclusion

I hope the above has given you some idea of what to do with unwanted gifts. Need further assistance, give me a call.

What to do with Unwanted Christmas Gifts in 2023