Boxing Day: What to do with Unwanted Christmas Gifts

What to do with unwanted Christmas gifts?

This is always a recurrent question we have in mind a couple of hours after unboxing Santa’s presents. 

With the current high cost of living, Christmas has put a lot of financial stress on every one of us, and we have to think of various ways to utilize those unwanted gifts from your distant Aunties abroad, or those random Christmas mugs that your HR often distribute every Christmas parties. Duplicate Christmas presents happen many times and you just don’t want to keep all the snow globes that you got from your friends. 

After all, gifts are lovely gestures and thoughts always count.

For the sake of keeping sustainable living with the spirit of a fresh start this coming New Year, here are some of our tips on what to do with your unwanted Christmas gifts.

1. Keep all your unwanted gifts, including the cards. Store them all in a clean and clear storage box and label them so you won’t forget them in storage.

2. Regifting is always COOL. Just make sure that you won’t return it to the original sender.

3. You can also donate your unwanted gifts to the nearest charity organizations.

4. You can also start posting your unwanted gifts to online auction sites like Trade Me, or Gumtree.

5. Keep the gift and use it for the next Christmas season as part of your Christmas decorations. That way, you will save a lot of money and effort.

And as for you who want to be more thoughtful about the gifts, and are also concerned about the possibility of accidentally giving a duplicate present, here are some of the few tips we will share:

1. When buying gifts, always keep the receipt and possibly include it in the box with a note for the receiver. In this way, you are giving someone an option on what to do with your gift.

2. For someone who seems to have got everything (which makes it trickier to buy them gifts), giving them a gift card from their favorite shops is always a good idea. Make sure to put the gift card in a beautiful Christmas card. 

3. Or you can also opt for what many Asians do where we use the angpao method of gift-giving. Angpao or hongbao are special red envelopes that we use to put cash gifts that we give to our family and friends during Chinese New Year. It makes the gift more auspicious!

4. You can also opt to donate gifts to charities that your friend supports. It is always a lovely gesture.

5. For those who often don’t carry cash, electronic gift vouchers are always a cool gift. 

6. Concert tickets or museum tickets are also a lovely Christmas gift (even for any occasion!). 

7. Offer your time as a gift. Offering your neighbor help on mowing their lawn, or pruning their shrubs would be a truly lovely gesture. Or perhaps offering to babysit your friend's toddler so they can have a couple's date night. 

Whatever you decide, it is always important that we share the spirit of holidays with the people we love and appreciate. Always remember that thoughts always count the most, and gifts are just secondary. 

For more tips and ways to save money each holiday season, follow this blog!