Regifting Guidelines

Regifting Guidelines

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Regifting Guidelines

Normally, regifting is something of a shady business. It is considered tacky and rude to give away someone’s hard earned money and time.  However, keeping stuff in one’s house that is not needed or used is considered a burden to the recipient, especially with so many of us trying to cut down on “stuff”. I call it a shady business because you end up having to be a bit sneaky with when, how, and who to regift to. We have come up with some regifting guidelines to help aid in this process.

Regifting Guidelines

Regifting Definition:

To give a gift one has received to someone else.            -Merriam Webster-

Regifting Guidelines

1. Make sure you do not “regift” to the original gifter. Talk about rude, tacky, and now awkward!

2. When regifting an item ensure that it’s something the recipient would actually use.  Example: You would not want to regift a blinged up cell phone case to a business man (I am looking at you mom!).

3. Make sure the gift is not broken, used, or just plain worn out. This makes you look bad and uncaring. Example: Your nephew or niece wants a cell phone so you give them the one you dropped and shattered the screen.

4. Make sure the original gifter is not a frequent house guest! If so, you may want to have a gentle conversation about how you found someone who could use it more or even tell the truth. It may be considered rude or even mean, but you don’t want this haunting you or your friend forever.

5. Regift items in a different circle than the one it was received in.

6. Make sure the gift is re-wrapped!

Final Thoughts

Pouring over internet content, regarding opinions of regifting, there is no actual standard on whether or not regifting is something that is allowed.  Ultimately the choice is up you if it is something  you think is improper. There are some options on how regifting can take place.

If you received the item at a family Christmas why not use it for a “white elephant/tied and dyed/ dirty santa” party at the office or vice versa.

Regifting May Have Its Biggest Year Ever

Due to the pandemic and social distancing/self-quarantining regifting may have its biggest year ever.  Using the above guidelines hopefully we can all keep ourselves out of embarrassing situations that can come along with regifting.  Here’s hoping that your regifts become blessings to others instead of burdens!

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9 thoughts on “Regifting Guidelines”

  2. I think it is important to rewrap the gift—the box, the gift paper, the packaging. You don’t know what lurks deep inside that box. It could be a personal note to you or a second smaller gift you totally missed. Be thorough. At least by rewrapping, the gift feels fresh and offers your personal touch.

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  3. Hi
    These are useful rules. I have to say though that my wife’s family are veteran regifters. I can think of a number of items that have done the rounds between our various households and nobody seems to mind much. It is an accepted way of making space. Though not really regifting, I think the funniest used gift I received was when my younger sister gave me a birthday present for the first time of her own volition. I think she must have been about 5 years old. Anyway, she knew that I loved potato chips, so she wrapped in gift paper and gave me some potato chips. We didn’t have any small packets so she took what remained of a family sized pack. So I received a half-eaten family pack of potato chips wrapped in birthday paper. I would have been 10 years old at the time. I realized that it came from a good place so I graciously received. Memories.
    Best regards
    Andy

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    • You know I probably should have said “it used to be considered rude…..etc” I think you are right. If the family is cool with it then no big deal!
      That story is funny!

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  4. Re-gifting I have never thought of doing for the reasons you mention.

    Can’t imagine a family friend been re-gifted a top only for that person who gifted you the present in the first place to be in the same company.

    Thanks for sharing and just reinforces why we shouldn’t re-gift.

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  5. How embarrassing would that be to re gift something to the person you got it from in the first place. A friend of mine has 11 brothers and sisters. At Christmas time they get each other gifts. Imagine how many gifts you would receive that you wouldn’t care for. What a perfect opportunity for re-gifting. And she does it all the time.

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