With the violent frenzy of after-Christmas sales soon upon us, this may be a good time to talk about the horrifying reality of re-gifting.
Re-gifting is giving someone else a gift that was given to you. The bottom line with this one: do not under any circumstances attempt it—ever. At best, it is one of the absolute rudest things you can do. And it's bad luck.
Let's take a moment to think about it, shall we? If you like someone enough to warrant gifting, that gift should come from your heart, not the birthday presents reject pile. Selecting a special something is meaningful—even if the gift selected is all-wrong.
And then there's the terrible thought of being caught. Can you imagine a worse fate than a friend or relative who finds out you gave the gift they intended for you to one of your friends? The apologies would be endless. No matter how clever you think you are, you will get caught one day. Re-gifting does not pay.
What's that? You say you save money by re-gifting? Go directly to jail; do not pass "Go"; do not collect $200. If you like someone enough to give them a gift but don't want to fork over the cash for it, get crafty. Make them something special.
Yes, there are many occasions when someone gives you something you don't want or need, or already have. When this happens, either gracefully accept the gift or politely ask where they bought it because it is a duplicate of something you already own. Most people want the receiver to be happy with their gift, even if that means taking it back to the store to exchange it for something more desirable.
If you cannot return or exchange an unwanted gift, charity is a healthy alternative and a tax write-off. But don't give it to another person—it's bad luck to give away a gift.
To avoid all this nonsense, buy people what they want. And that's not necessarily what you think they want. This is why bridal registries should be followed to a T. Newlyweds are infamous for their shameless re-gifting.
Remember, gift certificates can be clever if you know someone will use them, but part of the reason so many stores push them is because there are people who lose them or won't use them at all. It's a slam-dunk profit: They already have the money and they get to keep the merchandise.
Shop on.
Anne Kellogg is a native Las Vegan with a thing for purchasing stuff. E-mail her at
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