Teacherhacks’s Weblog

With only a few weeks left until Christmas break, I know teachers everywhere are looking forward to the many fine gifts their students will bring them.  And who couldn’t use a random assortment of coffee cups, apple paperweights, homemade cookie mixes, silly neckties and all the other great stuff students bring you with the hopes of getting their grades to “round up”?  Or maybe they really do like you? 

1. Regift – Wrap them back up and give them to your inlaws, your ex, your ex-inlaws, your neighbors.  Or save it for next year and send it to your own kids’ teachers.

Regift: (verb) To give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift. 

Get more info and share your regifting stories at regiftable.com

2. Return them to the store – If you can figure out where the gift came from return it to the store.  You may have to settle for store credit but it’s better than nothing. Walmart will take back almost anything.
3. Donate it – Donate it to charity Goodwill, The Salvation Army and many other charitable organizations will take the stuff and often give you a blank receipt to fill out.  Estimate the value (including the sentimental value because these came from your darling little students) and you’ve got an extra tax deduction just in time for the end of the year.
4. Trash it – Most of the stuff isn’t worth the trouble to return it and needy people probably don’t need it any more than you do.
5. Sell it – eBay is full of people eager to buy your stuff, right?  Or have a yard sale.