The Art of Regifting

Nowadays, broke no longer seems like a temporary condition, but a permanent description.  Despite our lack of finances, life keeps rolling on.  The invites to baby showers, weddings, graduations, birthday parties, housewarmings and holiday get-togethers arrive in a steady pace; our seemingly eternal broke-ness makes us dread these gatherings instead of celebrating them.  Parties mean gifts (and, in case you didn’t know, gifts = money).   But don’t fret yet; there is a way to attend any festivity AND bring the appropriate gift.  In the spirit of recycling and “going green”, what better way to save the environment (and your wallet) than to regift?

The re-gift is typically seen as taboo – albeit not quite as taboo as not giving anything.  I’m not talking about shining up a pair of old shoes and calling them new.  The true re-gift is an art form, carefully selected and reworked into a brand-new experience for the recipient.  A few rules do apply:

1.  NEVER re-gift an item to someone who originally bought it for you.
2. When in doubt, find something else to give.

Your home is a treasure-trove of regifting opportunities, you just have to learn the correct techniques to spruce it up and give it that like-new shine.

Regifting criteria:

• Find something as close to new as possible.  Items with tags on them (a new pair of earrings, an unworn kid’s outfit, a new book) are the easiest to pass along.  Remember to rip off the price tag that may belie how long the item has been in your home (a gift from a now defunct store is a sure giveaway).
• Remove any packaging that is ruined, stained, or otherwise broken.  New boxes are cheaply found at your local craft store.  Buying an inexpensive gift bag from a discount store is a great way around this problem , if no boxes suit your needs.
• Personalize the gift.  Picture frames are excellent items to reuse.  Inserting a picture of recipient, or a one-of-a-kind item that they would really appreciate.  Thinking of how to please a recent grad?  Consider framing their graduation announcement and their commencement program.
• Unused gift, gas, or prepaid cards are great to pass on as new.  If you decide to regift one of these items, make sure you call and verify the balance.

Follow these tips and you're guaranteed to bring joy without breaking the bank.