What did you get for Christmas? Did you love it all? Did everything fit perfectly? Was the color totally you? Probably not. So what do you do? Be the bearer of sad news and break the gift giver’s heart? Never! There are ways to solve the misfit gift problem with no hurt feelings while ultimately trading something you’ll never use for a gift you’ll treasure. And isn’t that what the person that thought of you in the first place would truly want? Well, we are here to help you return, exchange, or creatively swap your less than desirable gifts for something you’ll love for years to come!

The Basic Return

Many stores will simply let you return an item. Without a receipt, you will most likely be issued a gift card. The unfortunate part is, if the item is on sale or on clearance, that is the price you’ll receive regardless of what was originally paid. If your gift-giver was thoughtful and aware enough to get a gift receipt, that’s all you need to make an even swap for cash. Don’t forget to ask for the same when you purchase gifts, making it easy should your recipient need a return. The price won’t be visible on a gift receipt, but it will get you every dollar due when it is scanned.

Sell Online

There are more and more options popping up that offer online selling. With guidelines in place to protect buyers and sellers, everyone can rest at ease knowing they are dealing with quality products. Poshmark and Mercari are great, newer options and there’s always the old standby of eBay. Opening an Etsy shop is easy and extremely low cost if you have several handmade or vintage gifts to part with. What is useless to you may be a treasure to someone else.

Sell Your Gift Cards

You may have received a ton of gift cards. It really is a great option when you want to give but have no idea what preferences are. The same risks can apply here as with a tangible gift is the card for a specific place the recipient will actually use? If it’s a restaurant, is there one close by and are there allergy restrictions to be concerned about? These days there are gift card exchanges that allow you to sell your cards online. Sellers can set their price and buyers can shop available cards and choose what they want. It’s a win-win!

Donate

Time is money and often it simply isn’t worth the effort to sell or return. What isn’t right for you may be an incredible blessing to someone else. That’s where a donation can serve many purposes. You have the joy of giving, the benefit of a tax deduction while meeting someone’s needs! We reap what we sow, so sow well! When you give both sides receive!

Re-gift

You won’t receive money but you’ll ultimately save it which is the same thing in the long run! Picture this, it suddenly dawns on you that it’s someone’s birthday and you don’t have a gift. There’s no time to shop and definitely no time to order. Then you remember your gold mine of gifts that are brand new, tags intact, and perfect for the celebrated friend or loved one. You’ll save time, gas, and money on searching and shopping not to mention the last-minute stress you’ll avoid!

Gift-giving can be a challenge for everyone. Both sides should remember that gifts are never one-size-fits-all. In other words, be open to returns, exchanges, or passing the joy to others. The other side of the coin is to keep in mind that someone cared enough to remember you. There are thought and efforts put into buying that gift meant especially for you. Things that may not be quite your style at the moment could turn into something you will cherish down the road, simply because that special person gave it to you. Some things at first glance may hold no value, but as the year’s pass, they become irreplaceable treasures flooding your heart and mind with memories of the special people in your life!

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