Comments on: You Tell Me: Is Re-Gifting Right or Wrong?

By: Elodie

Elodie — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:10:26 +0000

The re-gifter has no such concerns in mind. They don’t care about finding a suitable gift, all they want is to flog something they don’t want while making themselves look generous. It’s rude and tacky.
If I’m given something I don’t like, I accept it with gratitude and give it to someone who I know will appreciate it, stressing that this was a gift I was given. Very different.

I would feel awful being thanked profusely by someone, while I know I’m recycling some unwanted gift. An utterly hypocritical gesture.

By: Lynnae

Lynnae — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:56:41 +0000

@Kathy – I honestly don’t have a problem with kindly asking family members for receipts. My mother-in-law just includes receipts with her gifts.

I think I’m more apt to regift things received as wedding presents or baby shower gifts…events where I maybe don’t have a really close relationship with the person giving the gift. In that situation, I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for a receipt.

By: kathy

kathy — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:20:59 +0000

I don’t feel re-gifting is right for anything other than food or drink, i.e. a bottle of liquor or wine. If you’re dieting or are diabetic or have some other food “disability”, then re-gift the food or drink before the expiration date.

What’s wrong with being honest with a family member or friend saying you’d like to exchange it? Remember someone spent hard-earned money on a gift and if it’s not to your taste, let them know in a kind way and exchange or return it.

By: The Roundup - Sea of Boxes Edition : A Penny Closer

The Roundup - Sea of Boxes Edition : A Penny Closer — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:01:18 +0000

[...] @ BeingFrugal writes about her opinions on re-gifting. I have to say that I’m 100% with her on this one. I think re-gifting is fine, but you [...]

By: Carrie

Carrie — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:38:12 +0000

Personally, I would rather just ask for the receipt to exchange it…if it’s a situation where the gifter would feel badly that he/she didn’t get something I “liked” then I’d re-gift…or just let it sit for a couple years and donate it eventually…LOL!!!

By: Fabs

Fabs — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:21:53 +0000

I think regifting is fine if you truly believe the person you are giving the gift to will like it. I don’t think you should give someone a gift that you don’t like if you know they won’t like it either. If my aunt asked me if I wore the sweater she gave me, I would lie if I knew the truth would hurt her feelings.

By: Marcia Stehouwer

Marcia Stehouwer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:46:26 +0000

I often regift – mostly in gift exchanges. We do very little gift giving in our family. I do have a lot of gift exchanges I’m involved in. Sometimes I will use something for a year (Like a Christmas ornament or decoration) and pass it on the next year for someone else’s pleasure. I let people know that it is just fine to regift if it’s something they don’t need. I like things to visit, not move in! I do try to give gifts that can be fed to people instead of taking up space!

By: Stuff Worth Reading, Because It’s the Most Lie-Filled Time of the Year | Punny Money

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:27:32 +0000

[...] is Being Frugal who debates both sides of regifting, or as I like to call it, giving the gift of [...]

By: plonkee

plonkee — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:13:26 +0000

To be honest I feel a bit uncomfortable about re-gifting. I do give away gifts I get that I don’t like, but it’s much more like a bonus non-festive thing. Someone gave me a handbag which would be perfect but is in the wrong colour so I’ll never use it. I wouldn’t give it to someone else as a present, but I’ll probably give it to a friend and tell them it’s history.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:05:52 +0000

We regifted a lot of our wedding presents. We got so many duplicates, and were in a different state than many gifts were purchased. Maybe we didn’t need 3 crock pots, but when one of our friends got married, they might need one.

Housewares are one thing, but more personal gifts are harder to regift, when a person has put a lot of time or thought into a gift, it could be hurtful to learn the sweater that was knitted for you was regifted, etc.