Over the holidays, you probably receive at least one gift from a relative or friend, ranging from food to house decorations. It is nice to receive gifts, but sometimes there is a present you receive that gets put in your closet, attic, garage, or elsewhere and remain unused because it doesn't match your taste, fashion, or lifestyle. You wouldn't dare throw it away, because you would soon feel the guilt creeping in.

You only will decide to discard all unopened and unused items after several months or years of collecting dust and occupying space. By that time, either the gift is unusable or out of style.

Of course you can't always suggest to those people what you want them to give you. There will always be people who don't know you well, or think they do and buy you something that you will not like.

Putting Unwanted Gifts to Good Use

You don't want these gifts to go to waste, right? This doesn't mean you force yourself to use them. If you do not like the item, surely someone out there will. You can't prevent those Kris Kringles at work or those random acquaintances from being nice and giving you gifts.

You've gone through several years of wasting those unwanted gifts, so now it is the time to put a stop to it. There are a lot of people who are willing to use them. The best part is, you will also benefit from it.

Before anything else, set a space aside where you will put the unwanted presents that you receive. When you have some spare time, carefully open up the package and take note of who gave those presents. Check for price tags or some signs where the item was bought. This will help you discard of these items, too.

Classify the gifts. If the item is perishable, like food, then put it on your priority list so that you can get rid of it right away. If the gifts are not perishable, then keep them clean and safe from damage.

Now that you have arranged and classified your unwanted gifts, here are some ways to get rid of those items in a way you will benefit.

* Re-Gift the Gift - If you love giving gifts, then why not give your unwanted ones to others? You can save a bundle of money on buying new gifts when you use your unwanted ones. Since you will be saving a lot of money in "recycling" your gifts, the least you can do is re-wrap the gift in new wrapping paper and make sure you don't give the gift to the same person that gave it to you. This is where your list comes in handy. It will not only be embarrassing but also disappointing if you accidentally re-gift a gift to the person that gave it to you.

* Make Money, Sell it - If you have tried to re-gift the items and there are still a lot left, or you feel too guilty to give them away as "recycled gifts," then selling them is not a bad idea. There are many ways to sell the gifts and you can earn a considerable amount of money, given the fact that you did not spend a single penny on any of them. As long as the items are still in good condition, you can sell them at a competitive price. You can hold a garage sale on a weekend or sell them online if you are too busy.

Putting them up for sale on the Internet is very convenient, since you reach out to a wider audience without spending much of your time and money. There are so many websites where you can put them up for sale. EBay is probably the most popular one. All you have to do is post your item with specific details. You will likely have more luck if you provide an actual picture of the item you are selling. You would not spend much money because the buyer usually shoulders the shipping rates. If things go well, you'll be earning money on items that usually would sit in your closet, collecting dust.

* Return or Exchange - If you know where the gift you have was bought, you can visit that store and return or exchange it for another item. Price tags, even when partially torn off, will give you an idea of where it was bought, so inspect your gifts.

This one will only work a few days after the gift was given, so inspect your gifts as soon as you get them. Items that cost more are ideal for this. If you try to return an item after the allowed time, you may not be able to exchange the item or get money back.

* Give it to Charity - If you have no other way of getting rid of your unwanted gifts, giving it to a charitable institution will be your best option. Charitable institutions accept a wide variety of items, so if you were given a pink bathrobe, a tacky tie, or any item that can be used by someone else, then give it away. You won't be getting money, but it will leave a warm, fuzzy feeling inside you, knowing that you will be helping out other people. Churches and NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) are just some of the institutions where you can donate the gifts you have.

Gifts are wonderful things to give and receive, but since it is impossible to always get what you really want or need, there will always be unwanted presents. With these tips, you hopefully can make those items more useful than just dust collectors and closet fillers.