So Christmas weekend came and went, and I can only hope you received all the gifts you wanted. Presents are great if you: (1) Know what you’re getting, (2) Don’t care what they give you, or (3) Are just happy to get something. While gifts are generally positive, they do come with their negatives. The problem is, someone is giving you something and you don’t necessarily have a say over what it is. This means if you don’t like it, there’s not much you can do…at the time. However, now that Christmas is over, you can get rid of those unwanted items once and for all. Here are a few tips and reasons for getting rid of them.
What If… You Don’t Like The Present.
So your mom decided that this turtleneck would be absolutely precious on you when in reality, it is the most hideous piece of clothing you’ve ever seen. Since you don’t want to be an butt and tell her you are repulsed by said turtleneck, here is your main option: ask for the receipt back, and if she asks why, tell her it doesn’t fit. Then, when you go and return that sucker, if she asks why you didn’t get a different size, you can tell her it was such a cute shirt that they didn’t have any more. She’s convinced and now you have a new club shirt that no mom would ever buy for their daughter, it’s win-win.
What If… The Present Doesn’t Work
So you got a new iPod player, which would be cool, except whoever bought it didn’t attempt to make sure your iPod would be compatible. Instead of bitching and whining, you can do something about it. Have the rents do some snooping to find out where your cheap uncle bought it and go from there. If you can get a receipt from your uncle, you’re golden. But if not, you can still bring it back and tell them you need to exchange for something compatible. Store people tend to be over the holidays by now, so they won’t care if you don’t have a gift receipt.
What If…The Present Doesn’t Fit
So your Grandmother still thinks you’re 15 and are the exact same size you were at that age. That usually would be a compliment, but unfortunately, you just don’t fit into that extra small polo. Since it’s not the 90’s anymore and showing your midriff is unacceptable, you need to fix this. Go to the store where she bought it and either exchange it for a larger size, exchange it to get something cuter, or return it to get some beer money. Either way you’re happy and if your grandmother asks why you aren’t wearing it the next time she sees you, tell her it’s in the wash.
What If…You Got A Gift Card To Somewhere You Never Shop.
So you’re a Dunkin Donuts person but you received a Starbucks gift card. You obviously aren’t going to use it, thus making the gift a waste of money. Or so you thought. Turns out, one of your Starbucks-loving friends got a Dunkin gift card. Switch your cards and problem solved! If you can’t find someone to switch with, save the card. I know that sounds weird, but stay with me for a minute. It turns out your cousin’s birthday is the week after Christmas and you have to get him/her something…which is where your gift card comes in. Recycle the gift card so you don’t have to pay any money on the birthday gift. I would call that a success.
As you can see Campus Socialites, there are many ways to get around those unused/hideous/unworkable presents; you just gotta use your brain. Side note: if you’re going to return or exchange anything, give it a week because I’m guessing stores are going to be ridiculously packed and waiting in line for two hours probably isn’t worth getting rid of that ugly scarf.
