7 Things to Do with Unwanted Birthday Gifts

We have all received a gift we did not like or want at some point. After you have smiled and said thank you, you probably put the gift down, knowing you will never use it. However, instead of allowing it to gather dust in a drawer, you could make some money from that unwanted gift, and here is how.

Sell the Gift on Auction Websites

The obvious way to make money from your gift is to resell it. Auction websites such as eBay have also made it easy to sell your unwanted gift to another person. So, don’t hoard all those unwanted presents and make some hard cash that you can use to buy yourself a present you will enjoy.

Re-gift

You have probably heard the saying “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”, so you could always re-gift the item to someone who will appreciate it. That way you can ensure the present goes to a loving home, rather than going to waste in a cupboard or sold to a stranger. However, don’t make the rookie mistake of re-gifting the item to the person who bought you it in the first place, or who is friends with the original buyer!

Return the Item

If you know where the item was bought, you could always return it to the store in its original packaging. If a loved one didn’t provide you with a gift receipt, you could go to the store and ask for an exchange, if they are not willing to give you a refund for the present. However, many retailers might be open to providing a refund, as they may understand good return policies can encourage future customer loyalty.

Sell Your Gift Cards

A family member or friend may have had the best intentions when buying you a gift card, but they may have picked the wrong store to suit your tastes and needs. If this is the case, don’t allow the monetary voucher to go to waste in a drawer and, instead, visit ejgiftcards.com to receive a cash amount for your voucher code. It takes just a few minutes to receive a quote, and the money could soon be waiting for you in your PayPal account.

Upcycle the Present

If possible, you could always transform the present into something you would love. For example, you could add some colour to a plain dress you’re less than impressed with or you could melt down that horrible-coloured candle and add a new dye to give it a bit of life.

Swap the Gift with a Friend

If you have received a bad gift for Christmas, you could always get together with your friends to swap each other’s bad gifts – because they probably have at least one, too! That way, no-one will need to experience a poor present!

Give the Gift to Charity

While you might not make any money from giving the item to charity, you cannot put a price on bringing joy to another person’s life. If you don’t have a place for the gift within your home, why not donate the item to a charity shop, where they can sell it to contribute to their chosen charity.