What to Do With Gifts That You Can’t Use or Do Not Want
The end of the year is the time for relaxing and spending time with loved ones during the holiday season. It’s also the time to give and receive gifts! While it’s certainly the thought that counts, there’s always a chance you’ll be a little disappointed in a gift you’ve gotten. If you recently received some gifts you’re not sure about–or worse, that you’re entirely sure aren’t going to work–you have a few options in front of you.
Talk About It With the Gift-Giver
They say honesty is the best policy, right? Depending on your relationship with the person who gave the gift, you could always try being honest. If the gift is something you truly don’t want, talk with the gift-giver about why you don’t want the present. Keep in mind, however, that you should do so in a way that’s respectful of the other person’s feelings. Emphasize how much you appreciate their thought and willingness to get you a gift, but gently explain how it isn’t appropriate for you. While this of course won’t work for everyone, you might be surprised how many will appreciate a little pleasant honesty.
Get Your Money’s Worth
Perhaps it’s too late to try and talk with the person who gave you your gift, or maybe it’s a little too awkward to ask that they take it back. That’s understandable. Now, what do you do when you have something that you have no use for? One of the easiest (and most morally dubious) things to do is try and sell it for some cash. You could try listing the item online or even asking around with your friends and family to see if anyone’s interested. Just have an excuse ready for when the gift-giver asks how you’re enjoying your present!
Donate the Gift
Whether you can’t find an interested buyer or you feel a little guilty about selling your gift, you could try the next best thing: giving it to someone in need. There are a few ways you could go about doing this. You could donate the item to a local shelter or thrift store. There might even be specific organizations set up to accept exactly the item you have, though they may not be local. Or, if you know someone in particular who could really make use of the item, you could give it to them, perhaps even anonymously so as to avoid any awkwardness.
Find Some Use for It Anyway
Here’s one option that you might not have thought of. You could trying being a little more open-minded about your gift, grin and bear it, and do your best to incorporate it into your life. You could find that, after some time, the gift has actually grown on you! In the case that you’re have a particular bit of trouble figuring out how to make use of the gift, ask the person who gave it for some help. If the gift is something that they’re interested in, they’ll surely want to give you their insight on it.