Dilemma about "recycling" gifts

Roz_V

I have a moral dilemma (maybe someone could flag this up to Martin to use in his weekly email :rotfl: )

I received some lovely gift sets and toiletries for Xmas, but I know it will take me absolutely ages to use them, if I ever do. And I know that there has been a lot of thought and effort put into the gifts, but I literally have piles of toiletries that I received as presents.

So, should I be moneysaving and recycle the presents to people throughout the year (with the possibility of the same thing happening with them if they receive 100s of smellies)

or do I keep them until I need them (could be 2012 the amount of stuff I have!!! so would be taking up valuable space until used as I only have a small flat...)

or should I split the sets up and take out the stuff I definitely won't use to "recycle" and keep the stuff that I might use in the next 10 years??

Any advice greatfully received...

Smickan

I never like recieving smellies, I know, I know - I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I'm not a 'smellies' type of person, I don't do the lotions and potions. They sit in cupboards until I find them during a cleaning blitz and get passed on to my mum - and what she does with them, god only knows.

I'd sort out what you really want and would use, and get rid of the others that you *definatley* won't, and maybe sell them on ebay or at a carboot? Or give them to someone/charity shop?

elona

Why not take out the things that you know that you will use and really appreciate and then you could make up "hampers" using some of the rest of it.
A manicure hamper with hand stuff, emery boards, nail varnish wrapped in cellophane.

A relaxation hamper with bath stuff, face pack, body lotion, freebie cd wrapped in cellophane.

Girls night in hamper with freebie dvd or cheap book, face pack, lotions etc.

Miss_Behaving

I have no problem 'recycling' gifts although do be careful of any dates - this year an elderly friend gave me a bottle of sparkling grape juice with a use by date of August 1995!!

If you don't want to give them as gifts couldn't you donate them to the local school for their fundraisers or perhaps a charity shop?

earthmother

I recycle, and I know I'd rather have a recipient of mine recycle an unsuitable gift than throw it away or leave it to rot.



It's usually smellies with me too - no-one in the house uses 'normal' toiletries because of various skin issues, so it's rare anything we're given, however nice, could be used anyway.

They either get regifted 'as is', split up for hampers, or sent to the charity shop or next school fete.

All I would say is that if you regift them 'as is', send them to the other side of the family - that way at least the person who sent them to you won't end up with them back themselves next christmas, lol

Lucie_2

I have no moral dilemma about this type of thing; there is no point keeping something you are not going to use. Is it clear where they are from? How about taking them back to exchange for something you really want? I'm planning to return a couple of toiletry sets to Boots that will never get used, as well as a couple of items to M&S and something to Debenhams. Am I ungrateful? Maybe, but I ask people not to spend their money on these things but they still do.

skylight

The problem you are going to have in keeping them to use them over the next 10 years, is that each year for the next 10 years you are going to get yet more smellies.

I agree with the re-pack and send them to the other side of the family, or friends, teachers small donations etc.

I hate smellies - I always get bath stuff and I never bath - always shower. After years of complaining I finally got through to people and only got one smellie!

HopeElizzy

I received a recycled gift - I'm not usually too bothered by this fact but this time I'm not so sure. They were smellies - the box was a bit worn and battered which was ok but I wasn't so sure when I opened it up and the bottles inside had their seals half removed - one bottle even looked like it had some missing!!:D If you're not going to use a gift recycle by all means but please don't use it first - you wouldn't open a bottle of wine have a glass then give it to someone as a prezzie would you? :rolleyes:

Spendless

I alkways get loads of smellies too:rolleyes: . Can't decide if I'm difficult to buy for, the relliws are rubbish at buying pressies or I smell :rotfl: . I do use the bubble bath, I prefer baths to showers and always have bubble bath in so that gets used up, even though it takes months. I use foot stuff too but never use body lotion or hand cream so that I take out and recycle, into hampers for friend who loves boy lotion, part of teachers pressie, to school or village fete, or car-boot.

Just need to work on those who give us chocolates which we should not eat but have no willpower to resist

jamtart6

Ebay them? get some money back for them and buy something you like.....or recycle them (in excellent condition!)

I happened to receive some recycled vouchers this year...no card from the shop and they were dated August 2006! (i only asked for them in 2nd week of december!!) i was ever so slightly miffed!

postingalwaysposting

elona wrote:

Why not take out the things that you know that you will use and really appreciate and then you could make up "hampers" using some of the rest of it.
A manicure hamper with hand stuff, emery boards, nail varnish wrapped in cellophane.

A relaxation hamper with bath stuff, face pack, body lotion, freebie cd wrapped in cellophane.

Girls night in hamper with freebie dvd or cheap book, face pack, lotions etc.

i agree with elona... go through the sets and take out the things you will use (ie soaps etc ~ whatever you like) all the others pop in a box (but label the box) and pop them in a cupboard... then on a birthday/next christmas you can produce hampers as gifts... they dont have to be pure smellies they can be a dvd night where you included some smeillies then a dvd and some chocs/biscuits it saves wasting them