FORECAST retail spending this Christmas across
Australia is expected to be over $54.3B, an increase of 2.8
percent from the $52.9B of retail expenditure during the
2019 Christmas trading period.
What is of concern is the amount of that which will be
spent on unwanted presents, the floral shirt from Grandma
that went out of fashion twenty years ago and it would
be the last thing you would think of wearing outside the
house (trust me, I have been there).
Here, we are some simple things you can do with your
unwanted presents to ensure that they fulfil their purpose
and don’t go to waste.
Return or exchange it. If Grandma sees your sad face
and distain, she might offer to let you return it. All you’ll
need is proof of purchase to be able to take it back to the
store. Then again, she might just get grumpy and never
talk to you again.
Sell it. Selling your unwanted Christmas present could
be an option, especially if you want to avoid having an
awkward conversation with the gift-buyer about returning
it. Gumtree or Facebook groups are possible options. Just
make sure grannie is not in any of the group’s first.
Unlock its potential. If you’ve got a gift card for a
retailer you know you won’t use, maybe you are a girl who
prefers perfumes and makeup over a hardware voucher,
you might be able to sell it to someone who can make
better use of it. Check with friends or colleagues who
might benefit from it and be willing to help you out by
buying it from you.
Rent it out. Renting out your Christmas gift, allows
you to make money from something that might otherwise
just be sitting around gathering dust. If there is a Facebook
group for that sort of thing, you can try to rent it out there.
If not, you can spend your holidays setting up a renting
group of like-minded people in the same predicament.
Regift it. Regifting is a great way of passing on your
present to someone it might be more suited too. You might
give that ugly shirt to your brother-in-law you don’t like
for his birthday for instance. It will also save you money
on buying something for him and you will get pleasure out
of watching his face when he opens it. Be sure to have a
watertight excuse ready if he ends up asking you for a gift
receipt to exchange it.
Swap it. Back to Facebook. You’re unlikely to be the
only person with a gift that isn’t suited to them. Keep an
eye out for strained smiles around the Christmas tree as
you might be able to swap gifts with someone else, so you
both end up happy.
Donate it. Last resort, you can donate your unwanted
Christmas gifts to charity but just do it sensibly. This time
of year will see them being inundated because people have
not tried options 1 to 6. Also, make sure Grannie doesn’t
do your Christmas shopping there, you might get it back
again next year.
