How to turn your worst Christmas present into cash

While you’re supposed to be appreciative of gifts someone has spent the time and money to give you, there’s nothing fun about stacking up a closet full of bad Christmas presents you’ll never use.

The good news is that you don’t have to hang on to those items you don’t really want. There are a number of ways to ensure they fall into the right hands so your loved one’s kind gesture doesn’t go to waste.

1. Sell Unwanted Christmas Gifts Online

There are a number of avenues to consider if you want to unload some of your unwanted Christmas gifts. One of them is selling your items online.

Some people may question a person’s decision to sell an item that was given to them for free, but go ahead if you’re able to do it without feeling guilty. By taking a clear picture of the item you were gifted and posting a description of it on Craigslist, you could unload it within a day.

You can also consider signing up for an eBay account and, for a small fee, selling the item online. Of course, if you are selling to a person who lives out of town, you must be prepared to take the steps necessary to ship it.

2. Try Regifting to Friends and Family

If you’re not comfortable with selling an item someone gave you, you can consider regifting to friends, family members or even co-workers. It may be that you’ve received a great item that you just can’t use and you know someone who actually needs it (i.e. a wireless mouse though you don’t own a computer).

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that there is regifting etiquette you need to follow. Exercising tact when regifting will ensure the gift-giver doesn’t find out you gave away a gift they may have dedicated a lot of time and money into providing you.

3. Trade in Gift Cards

When thinking of Christmas presents to give to loved ones, many people choose gift cards because they allow the recipient to purchase whatever they want.

However, with dozens of gift cards available on the market, it’s easy to purchase one that the recipient isn’t excited about. For instance, if someone has given you a hardware store gift card and you’ve never picked up a tool in your life, you might want to make sure it lands in the hands of your fix-it friend.

There are a number of websites that allow people to sell gift cards, including Swapagift.com, which partners with cash advance and check cashing locations throughout the country to provide cash for unwanted gift cards.

Other popular sites to consider if you want to trade gift cards include Monstergiftcard.com and Cardhub.com.

4. Donate Unwanted Christmas Presents to Charity

Another great way to unload unwanted Christmas presents without feeling guilty is to donate to a charity. If you’ve wanted to help others this past holiday season without breaking the bank, this is a great way to still make an important contribution.

What’s great about this option is that there are a number of places looking for donated items, including local churches and charitable organizations, schools, hospitals and libraries and even a family that you personally know needs help.

Even better, you don’t have to stop at donating unwanted gifts. You could also gift your ornaments, clothes, toys and other items your family is no longer using.

Gift giving and receiving doesn’t have to be a disaster each holiday season. Even if you absolutely hate your Christmas presents, it’s good to know that there are great outlets available to ensure they land in the hands of someone who needs or wants them more.