Get Ultimate Bang for Gift’s Buck
Published 1-17-2008
Post-Christmas offers several opportunities for thrifty shoppers. However, there are several different after-Christmas “dilemmas” people must deal with in such a way that helps get the most out of gifts. These so-called problems may include getting an item of clothing you don’t like, receiving multiple quantities of something you do like, receiving an upgraded version of something you already have or just having entirely too much money on your hands!
To some, of course, these may not be problems. The ever-handy gift receipt can easily save the day when it comes to unwanted gifts. Unfortunately, I haven’t received a whole lot of those in my time. If this conundrum has happened to you this Christmas, here are a few suggestions for craftily getting exactly what you want and possibly more.
Now, let’s imagine you’ve just received a beautiful Patagonia half-zip pullover. It looks exquisite, it’s a nice color and the fit is okay. You smile and thank the ecstatic giver because you are much too sensitive to tell them you prefer Nordstrom’s to Patagonia. Of course you know the jacket couldn’t have been cheap because it is a Patagonia jacket.
Thus your regret and dissatisfaction with the gift begin to deepen.
So how can this mild crisis be averted? Option A says you wear the jacket three times a year and believe you are doing the courteous thing for the giver. Option B states you try and sell the item through consignment or on Ebay, at a reduced price of course. Option C says you thank the giver, go home and look up the item’s actual cost and the various stores that sell it.
The answer in this case is most definitely C. Many companies and stores will gladly take back a product they sell even if it wasn’t the exact store in which it was originally purchased. Even stores based on the Internet would be interested in giving you store credit for something entirely different. So do your homework and get a jacket you really do like or perhaps something entirely different while still preserving the monetary value of the gift! Luckily, once you have store credit you can easily save your purchase for another season’s clothing, like possibly a new Patagonia swimsuit.
Now let’s consider another scenario of gift-giving gone bad. Suppose three months ago you bought a decent jacket on a student’s budget. You know the kind: functional but not necessarily your favorite. So Christmas rolls around, and sure enough your parents buy “your favorite” on their budget. You really can’t give up your new gem of a jacket, and you can’t exactly take back the jacket you previously purchased. In this case, I would highly encourage you choose option B – sell your jacket through consignment or services like Ebay.
Through these methods you can recoup some, if not all, of your cost and allow someone else the chance to wear a jacket you seldom would. There is a great consignment store in Laramie called Jean’s Closet that takes lightly worn clothing for every season. That would be a great place to start with some of your newly rejected clothing.
The final Christmas “dilemma” to be addressed may seem altogether silly. However, the excess of funds and gift cards during the holiday season may cause us to be a bit foolish. There are a few things that can really help money go further and buy more satisfying items.
First of all, the money and gift cards don’t need to be spent immediately! Oftentimes, we feel there is a fast-approaching expiration date, but this just isn’t the case. Most gift cards have at least a year before they expire, and you should use that to your full advantage. Instead of buying a sweater or two you don’t need, wait a few months and buy some cool new summer clothes with the same Christmas gift!
Another option is to save your money until the item or items are on sale. This allows your cash to go much further. I recently maximized a $15 gift card by waiting until the item I wanted was 40 percent off. This works great with store credit as well. You can really dictate how much bang you’re going to get for your (or should I say grandma’s or dad’s) buck!
I hope these tips give you ideas of how to do what gift givers truly want you to do: enjoy your gifts! Sometimes a little creativity and work will help you get much more for your money, and who doesn’t want that?
Happy bargain hunting, and as always, please feel free to send any questions or comments to .
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