With the holidays just passed, you or your family members may have ended up with some unwanted gifts you don’t know what to do with. Another sweater from the well-meaning grandparent that is not your style or size, book you have already read, or knick-knack you don’t have room for? Gifts from family and friends can be particularly difficult for some people to let go of even if they are unneeded or unwanted, because of the sentiment associated with the gift giver. Some people feel guilty letting go of things given by loved ones even if they know they will never use them. But when you consider the burden of being weighed down by unwanted stuff, it is worthwhile to develop a strategy for dealing with unwanted gifts to keep clutter under control. That strategy should include letting go of guilt!

Donate
There are countless charitable organizations that would be happy to receive your unneeded gifts of clothing, shoes, blankets, toiletries and other items. Most will gladly accept both new and used items. Keep a donate box near at hand, and do not hesitate to add unwanted holiday gifts to your donate bin. You will enjoy knowing that someone is making use of things you donated, especially if you select an organization whose mission you feel strongly about.

I also keep separate donate bins just for books – one for adult books and one for children’s books. When either box gets full, I take the books to my neighborhood independent bookstore to trade in for credit, or I donate them to my local library or school. The Little Free Libraries that have been popping up throughout neighborhoods all over are another handy way to pass on unwanted books you were given or have finished reading.

If you have things you would like to donate that are not needed by one of your preferred charitable organizations, you can donate them to your local thrift shop. And don’t forget, you can include the value of donated items in your itemized deductions at tax time.

Re-gift
Just as with your donate bin, it is also helpful to keep a re-gifting bin for items you don’t want that are suitable for giving again. The next time you need to give a gift, before buying something new, check your re-gifting bin to see if you have something that would work for the occasion. (Some of these items might also be just the right thing for the next white elephant gift party you attend.) Just make sure you keep a note of who gave you the items you save for regifting so you don’t accidentally re-gift something to the person who gave it to you. (You could tape a note to each item, or keep an index card in the bin with a list of the items and who gave them to you.)

Consign or sell
If you have items of significant value that you don’t need or want, such as high quality clothing or home furnishings in new or good used condition, you can take them to your local consignment shop for resale. Typically you will receive 50% of the selling price or store credit. Whether passing on gifted clothing or items from your closet that no longer suit your taste or lifestyle, consigning is a great way to give clothing a longer life and stretch your clothing budget farther. You can also sell unwanted items on Craig’s List or eBay.

Prevent gift clutter
As you are de-cluttering from the holiday season and letting go of unwanted gifts you received, this is also a great time to think about things you can do to avoid contributing to other peoples’ gift clutter next holiday season and throughout the year. Whether you are giving gifts for the holidays, a birthday, graduation, marriage or other occasion, gifts of experiences and consumable items will be enjoyed and remembered, without creating clutter. Our post on gifts that won’t cause clutter provides several ideas for gifts you can give with the satisfaction of knowing they will be used and appreciated, and won’t end up in your recipient’s donate or re-gifting bin.

One aspect of staying organized is keeping clutter under control by only keeping things that are useful. Letting go (without guilt!) of gifts you don’t like or won’t use is a valuable gift you can give yourself. And some of the best gifts you can give others are those that don’t contribute to their clutter.

If you or someone you know would benefit from assistance with post-holiday de-cluttering or other organizing projects, contact us to learn more about how we can help.