Graceful Regifting

Gift Giving on a Budget

© Shelley Elmblad

Is regifting worth the savings for your budget? Only with the right intentions. Find out how to regift thoughtfully while sticking to your gift-giving budget.

Regifting is a term made popular in an episode of the TV show, Seinfeld, which is now in reruns. In one episode, Elaine, one of Jerry Seinfeld's closest friends, gives a gift to Tim who in turn gives the gift to Jerry. Elaine is insulted and calls Tim a "regifter", and this label sticks to the decades-old practice of regifting.

Why Do People Regift?

People regift for any number of or a combination of reasons, including:

Regifting Defined

Regifting is not the same thing as a white elephant exchange where participants know that the gifts they are receiving are gifts that are being passed on to them. As the Seinfeld episode illustrates, regifting starts with receiving a gift and then, when a gift-giving occasion arises, passing that gift on to another person. But, regifting takes some thought so that the practice goes beyond getting rid of something you cannot use.

7 Steps to Regifting with Class

Handled correctly, regifting is a perfectly acceptable way to lighten your gift-giving budget. Here is how to regift properly:

  1. The number one regifting rule: If you saw the gift item in a store, would you buy it for the person you want to give it to?
    • If a decorative item, does the gift fit in with the recipient's decorating and color scheme?
    • Is the gift age appropriate?
    • Is it the right size?
    If not, you are merely passing on an unwanted item, a practice that is outside of the spirit of gift giving.
  2. Only regift new items. If you have used something once, do not give it as a gift to someone else, instead donate it to charity.
  3. Does the recipient already have the gift, but in different colors or styles? If so, do not regift (one only needs so many coffee mugs).
  4. If the gift is a book or movie, is it a genre or does it cover a topic that the recipient enjoys? If so, regift.
  5. Is the gift a consumable item that you know the recipient enjoys such as chocolate, nuts, bath products or candles? If so, regift, but edible treats should have been properly stored in a cool place for no more than 6 months to ensure freshness.
  6. Avoid the temptation to regift because you have been too busy to get out to buy a gift. Instead, explain your circumstance with an apology to the would-be gift recipient, and then buy and give a gift within two days. You can always shop online for convenience.
  7. As the Seinfeld example illustrates, avoid offending the person who originally gave you the gift by not regifting to someone who knows them. You can pass a gift on from a coworker to Aunt Sue, but you cannot pass a gift from your brother to Aunt Sue.

How to Keep a Regift Looking New

Wrapping paper tends to show signs of wear at the corners or seams, and you certainly do not want to give a birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper, even if the paper is just solid red-colored. Worn or inappropriate wrapping paper is a dead give away of a regifting, and it can make the recipient feel like they were not worth the time it takes to wrap a gift once they are on to your regifting.

Store all items you expect to regift in a dark, dust-free environment to keep them looking new and to avoid fading colors. Add some shine or a finished look to the gift by giving it a quick polish with a dry or damp cloth before you wrap it.

Is Regifting Really Acceptable?

Regifting may seem like a dubious practice because of the care and forethought it requires. But doesn't choosing a gift in a store require the same care and forethought? When you regift with the recipient in mind and do not do so as a selfish convenience, the person receiving the gift will be delighted when they open the gift wrap.

Follow these tips and you will save money in your gift-giving budget while passing on an acceptable present to someone who will appreciate it. Always be a classy regifter.

What do you think about regifting? Do you have a funny or embarrassing regifting story, or advice for regifting with style? Please share it in our discussion forum!


The copyright of the article Graceful Regifting in Personal Budgeting/Finance is owned by Shelley Elmblad. Permission to republish Graceful Regifting must be granted by the author in writing.




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