Discussions

What do you do with gifts you receive, but are unable to use? For example, clothes that are incorrectly sized, decor items that are not your style, personal products such as lotions that you are allergic to, etc.  
 
I can think of several options... return to store if you have a gift receipt, donate somewhere, sell in classifieds, re-gift, keep forever in your house, throw out. You will run out of room if you keep everything. If you re-sell, you can buy something you will use with that money, but maybe offend the person if they are a classified user and see it. What do you think is the least offensive option to the gift giver, while still being practical?

Clothes...ask if the giver has a receipt so that you (or they) can possibly exchange for a proper size, or return for refund/exchange for another item.  
 
As for the other things, I would sell or donate. As far as I am concerned, re-gifting is acceptable. Do NOT keep it forever if it is useless to you. Throwing it out is never a good choice if someone else can make use of it.

Personally I have resold them, and re-gifted at times too. Especially if they live far away or I don’t feel comfortable asking for receipt. If local and is family, I usually get a receipt, but if not family I re-gift or sell. I have a lot of allergies, so any scented gift is usually taboo for me. Plus a lot of people buy me alcohol or liquor store gift cards, and even though I joke about “needing a drink”, I very rarely do drink. So that’s usually re-gifted. My house is way too small to keep stuff around. But I do appreciate the thought behind the gift. I would hope my giftee’s understand.

I appreciate the responses. I have received several things over the years that my family will never use. We absolutely appreciate the kindness of the giver, and I don't want to offend them in any way, so I have held on to things for years and years, but we're running out of room and I need to clean house!  
 
As a giver, I would never be offended if someone chose to sell, re-gift, give away, or exchange something I gave them - I would be happy that they are able to get something else that they will actually be able to put to use.  
 
I agree with the post that throwing out is never a good choice - in my opinion, there is never a need to throw something out that someone can use.  
 
However, just wanted other's thoughts to see if other "givers" felt the same way I do. Thank you!

We went back to basics this year. We told all adults that we are no longer exchanging gifts. My husband made furniture for his adult children and then we have a strict limit for our daughter. I gave my 2 nieces $20 each and bought books for other kids I usually buy for. Teacher gifts will be items my husband makes.

weekend123 said "We went back to basics this year. We told all adults that we are no longer exchanging gifts. My husband made furniture for his adult children and then we have a strict limit for our daughter. I gave my 2 nieces $20 each and bought books for other kids I usually buy for. Teacher gifts will be items my husband makes. "

Really wish more people would do that. I tell my family every single year that if I can't eat or drink it, don't give it to me. But I always seem to end up with at least one thing that although well-intentioned is absolutely useless to me.  
Maybe in the new year we should start a discussion on the most useless gift we received. Mine from last year would be the adult coloring books......  
I know one family who started a tradition of only giving gifts to the children. The adults all threw in $100 and voted on a charity to donate it to. Think that is a super idea!

My family decided to just put all names in a hat and draw ONE person to buy for. This is the second or third year we've done this. Each person also makes a list of several things they'd like, so the receiver always gets something they actually want, and it doesn't financially break the whole family trying to please everyone.  
 
Kids are outside the deal though. They get spoiled

I took a real hard look at the true meaning of Christmas. I am refusing to get sucked into the commercialism any longer. It’s about family and not racking up the credit cards for stuff nobody needs or wants. I am not doing christmas cards this year anymore either. I am taking the stress out of the season

I have resold or regifted many gifts. I’ve also kept useless gifts that take up space. What bothers me is when somebody tells me they are donating my gift. Not the theory of it - heck it’s a gift and I gave it to you, you can do whatever you want with it. But I gave two gifts recently to a friend and they point blank opened it and told me to my face that they were donating it. I took time and effort to find something I thought you needed and here you are telling me immediately you are going to donate? And the one gift was something they had mentioned in passing that they wanted!! So really I don’t care that it got donated, but flip, at least pretend that you took it home or at the very least say thank you!

I’m glad you are finally listening to my advice!! Lol I think you will find Christmas this year much more enjoyable without the stress and debt!  
 
OP, when I receive a gift that I won’t use/need/want, I just donate it, regift it or sell it. I don’t like clutter so I don’t usually keep things that I won’t use, unless it has a special memory attached to it

We live in a small house and do not keep gifts that are not useful. If able to return or exchange even without receipt (its work asking if they will return it if you know where it came from)after generously thanking the giver.  
 
If its kids items often donate to a Christmas charity (as my kids birthdays are right before Christmas) or will regift. If its womens items donate to the Women's shelter.  
 
We now receive $ from our parents, even the kids do so they can get what they like. I often buy gift cards for our parents for activities they enjoy. For friends etc we try to do edible/useable gifts that you do not have to store!!