I know that I nattered at you before Christmas about not buying useless stuff for people who won’t remember what you gave them. Most of you probably did it anyway under pressure of self-imposed guilt.
While you may be heartily sick of hearing anything to do with presents, I offer another thought to help you deal with this expensive habit as the year unfolds.
We focus on the end of year holidays as the primary gift buying extravaganza, but when you examine the rest of the year what you buy for friends, family and colleagues likely far exceeds what you spend during the festive season. Think showers, weddings, Stag and Does, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, baptisms, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, retirements, promotions — oh my!
Here’s one way to prevent all these events from digging too deeply into your wallet. Tag and bag. Take all your unwanteds and unneededs from the holiday season and assemble a re-gift pile. Forget anything not properly packaged, stuff that looks like it came from the dollar store and handmade items – no matter how nice, passing them off as crafted by you is plain bad Karma.
Nix most edibles, with the exception of boxed items such as an artisan honey or jam set. Oh yes, and anything dated, like calendars, is history.
Now, take careful note of who gave the re-gift prospect to you. Missing this step can be fatal.
In my re-gift drawer this year is a mouse flashlight that will delight a nephew, and a pine candle that is too fragrant for my husband’s sensitive nose.
Follow this process through the year and you will always have on hand an inventory of items that cost you nothing but, hopefully, will be appreciated by a recipient.
– Alison Griffiths is a financial journalist, author and host of Maxed Out on the W Network. Write to her at alison@alisongriffiths.ca.
