Wondering What To Do With Unwanted Gifts? 5 Great Tips! 

Have you ever gotten a gift that you really didn’t want? You know, that big elephant in the room what in the world is this and why would anyone ever give it to me, kind of gift? Or maybe you got a duplicate gift, a gift that you can see the purpose of but don’t think you will use, or a gift that is just too ugly for words. 

It can be a real challenge to know what to do with unwanted gifts and when you are living the minimalist lifestyle you may wonder how you can keep people from giving you gifts in the first place because you just don’t want more stuff. 

If any of that describes your current conundrum I know how you feel and you have come to the right place. We are going to talk about what to do with unwanted gifts, gift etiquette for the giver and the receiver, and how to stop feeling guilty about letting go of the unwanted gifts your family and friends give you out of love. 

What is Gift Etiquette? 

Gift etiquette is a phrase that comes to mind but what does that even mean? Well, gift etiquette is the same as any other etiquette. It’s good manners. It’s thinking about how your gift giving or receiving will affect the other person. 

You would never want to give a gift that tells the other person you think they are deficient in some way. If you are a mother-in-law you might not want to gift cleaning supplies, if you are a friend you might not want to gift deodorant. You get the idea. 

Just as importantly, when you receive a gift from someone else it is good gift etiquette to say something nice about the gift and thank the giver (no matter how you actually feel about the gift).

Should You Accept Unwanted Gifts? 

Now here’s the tricky part. If you are living the minimalist lifestyle you might wish you didn’t have to receive gifts at all. You might feel that you are carefully curating the stuff you own and you don’t want surprise items you might not be able to use or even like. 

So what should you do? Should you accept unwanted gifts? Should you tell your friends you don’t want gifts? 

Let me put your mind at ease. I have been a minimalist for quite a while now and I have always received gifts, even ones I didn’t want. I have never told my friends that they can’t give me gifts although they do know that I live in small spaces and like to keep things simple. 

Just accept the unwanted gifts for the part you want. Your friend thought of you. They care for you. They gave you something to make you happy. Keep the friend. Accept the gift. Feel the love. Be nice.

Why You Shouldn’t Feel Bad About Getting Rid of Unwanted Gifts

Over the years of receiving gifts, I have received some unwanted gifts. There were things that were not to my taste, too big and cumbersome in my home, or just too random to even understand what they were.

When I was a little girl someone told me that I couldn’t get rid of stuff that other people had given me and I took that very seriously until my room was overwhelmed with clutter. Then, I looked around my room and wondered how I could declutter if I wasn’t allowed to get rid of anything. After all, when you’re a kid everything you own is a gift. It seemed crazy that I was stuck, drowning in stuff, because other people loved me so much. 

That’s when I had to accept that getting rid of gifts was a necessary part of life. Some gifts you may love for a time and then no longer need. Other gifts you might not want at all. It’s okay to let go. 

As long as you accepted the love that was given with that gift and you showed appreciation for it there’s nothing wrong with letting go. You shouldn’t feel bad about it. That person GAVE you this item and now it’s YOURS to do with what you please. 

Are you worried they will ask about it later? Some people actually hide gifts and bring them out when that person comes to visit. If that’s your gig do it once and then let go of it. But really, if you don’t want something and you own it you can let it go. If someone stops being your friend over it maybe they aren’t a great friend after all. 

One thing I will say though, at least try to use the gift. I have received some gifts that I didn’t think I needed at first and when I gave them a try I found that they were actually useful. I ended up really liking some of my “unwanted gifts” after I tried them out.

What to Do With Unwanted Gifts 

Now that you have decided that you can get rid of unwanted gifts and you obviously want to get rid of unwanted gifts what do you do with them? Well, there are a few options depending on what the gift is and how it was given. 

If you got the gift with a receipt you can return it! That’s always cool because it gives you a chance to get something you actually want and need with that money, or just the money itself. 

Most gifts don’t come with receipts though. What do you then? Well, you could donate it to a thrift store, sell it on Facebook (though this might be tricky if you don’t want the gifter to know about it), or you can use another platform like Poshmark or eBay which may be less noticeable. 

What else can you do with an unwanted gift? I’m just gonna say it. You could re-gift it. I know that a lot of people act like re-gifting is tacky but I don’t think it is, if thoughtfully done. If you think someone you know would like the item or be able to use it and if that person is preferably not too close to the gifter what’s wrong with letting someone else use this item? Again I say, only do this if you think it’s genuinely something the person you’re regifting it to will want.

Last but not least you can always donate an unwanted gift to the thrift store. Maybe someone else will really love it! Spread the joy!

How to Get Better Gifts

Wouldn’t it be great if you never got any unwanted gifts? Do you want to get better gifts? It’s actually not as hard as you think to influence what others get you. How do you do that? 

Well, when you are talking to your friends and family you talk about the things you like and the things you enjoy doing. Naturally, you are going to mention it if you are trying to live the minimalist lifestyle or if you are trying to declutter your home, or if you live in a tiny apartment. Knowing that will influence their choices of gifts for you. 

Another sneaky way to get better minimalist gifts is to bring up yummy treats you like to eat, lotion you like to use, things you like to do for fun, and even other gifts you have gotten from friends that you really liked. Do this naturally, as it comes up in conversation. You aren’t begging for gifts. You are just letting your friends know what you like and we all do that all the time. 

How to Give Better Gifts

As much as none of don’t want to receive unwanted gifts none of us want to give them either. It is sad to think that when you give a gift you might miss the mark. It’s always a risk that you will give someone they don’t want or need. You might even give them something they already have. 

So how do give better gifts? How do you give clutter free gifts that are useful, beautiful and/or meaningful? 

You hang out with your friends and really listen. You ask them what their hobbies are. Maybe you even try to hang out with them while they enjoy those hobbies. Talk to them about what kinds of foods they like or if they enjoy reading, cooking or video games. 

When you listen to your friends you will pick up the same clues they can pick up from you and you’ll be able to find something that fits them perfectly! 

Now You Know What to Do With Unwanted Gifts 

There you have it! Now you don’t have to dread unwanted gifts just because you live the minimalist lifestyle or you don’t know what to do with them! You are a grown-up who knows that you get to decide what to do with YOUR stuff! 

I hope that this post helps you enjoy the act of giving gifts and the experience of receiving gifts again because a gift is given out of love and thoughtfulness and you should always be able to appreciate that. Focus on the love your friends are giving you and thank them heartily for everything they give you, whether you want it or not! 

If you would like to learn more about starting the minimalist lifestyle grab Doable Simplicity (minimalism for normal people) and start simplifying your life today!