Yahoo Finance Half of Aussies don't keep unwanted Christmas presents
We’ve all received Christmas presents we don’t like - maybe it’s another pair of socks or jewellery that just isn’t our style. And, according to new research, nearly half of us get rid of them.
So, what are Aussies doing with all these unwanted gifts? The survey by Compare the Market found more than one in five Aussies (21.7 per cent) regifted their unwanted presents to someone else - either immediately or after a bit of time had passed. Almost one in five of us (19.5 per cent) chose to donate them to charity.
But many Aussies just accept presents they don’t want. A third of the 1,002 people surveyed (33.7 per cent) said they didn’t mind getting gifts they didn’t like, while 15.1 per cent said they didn’t do anything with them. Unfortunately, a small percentage of Aussies (2.4 per cent) threw their unwanted gifts in the bin.
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“Many Australians feel obliged to buy gifts for their family, friends, workmates and acquaintances at Christmas, but our research shows that people could just be wasting their money,” Compare the Market’s Chris Ford said.
“In a time when we’re paying more for fuel, grocery prices are skyrocketing and energy is costing us more than ever, the last thing we want to see is people throwing their money away.”
How to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents
If you don’t love your Christmas presents, don’t just chuck them in a cupboard somewhere or throw them away.
Instead, you could consider donating them to charity. Check if your local op-shop is taking donations and what types of items they will accept. For instance, some won’t take electrical items for health and safety reasons.
“There are many charities who will accept donations in the lead-up to Christmas, but it’s best to check if there are any limitations on the types of items they’ll welcome,” Ford said.
You could also consider selling your unwanted gifts. Last year, eBay Australia found that more than 100 unwanted presents were listed every minute on Boxing Day. Women’s clothing topped the list of unwanted presents, with eight dresses and seven tops listed every minute.
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