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Sound Off: Think Before You Buy

by Carol Liang - Western Canada High School, Calgary AB Dec 2, 2010

The other day, I was searching around my washroom for something when I found an unused Christmas gift I had received. It was one of those relaxation gift baskets filled with a variety of items that I, personally, would never use. So I proceeded to take it, wrap it back up and carry it into the basement where all my other useless gifts are, waiting to be re-gifted.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but seriously, what is with people and the pointless gifts they buy? Oh, how nice, 15 jars of candles I’ll never light. Thanks for the soap! I totally asked Santa for this exact bar! To tell you the truth, the basket wasn’t filled with anything that would make me relax. In fact, candles only increase my level of stress due to the possibility of my house burning down.

I’m not saying that no one would want a relaxation basket, but the point is, this holiday season, before you buy a gift ask yourself, “Will the gift receiver really like this or is it just me who thinks that this is a great gift?” If there’s any hesitation, don’t buy it! If you do, chances are that gift will just be rewrapped and re-gifted, given away or thrown out.

The worst part is that when you spend hours shopping to find the perfect gift for that friend or family member and take the time to think about what they really would want, they return the favour with something that you would never use or hinted that you ever wanted. Then, you have to fake enthusiasm and seem all happy as if soap or a candle was totally what you wanted for Christmas.

So, this Christmas, let’s just all take a moment before we snatch that $4.99 green tea bliss candle off the shelf. Count to 10, put the candle back and spend a couple of minutes thinking up a proper gift for that friend or family member. Trust me, they will appreciate it and it will mean your gift won’t end up in the re-gift pile for next Christmas!

Comments (5)
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Not A Big Deal

Submitted by kimchi on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 12:06.

In our life, there's always going to be the good and the bad. In this case, there are good and bad gifts. If you get a bad one, just re-gift it or ask a family member or a friend if they'd like it. Not a big deal, right? :)

Not A Big Deal

Submitted by kimchi on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 12:05.

In our life, there's always going to be the good and the bad. In this case, there are good and bad gifts. If you get a bad one, just re-gift it or ask a family member or a friend if they'd like it. Not a big deal, right? :)

Yes to Regifting

Submitted by Char13 on Mon, 02/04/2013 - 13:47.

I think Christmas is about giving to people who are less fortunate. Giving can be little simple gifts or acts of kindness. It's all about the nice gestures right? Giving comes from the heart, so if you really don't want to give or think it's wasteful and meaningless, then don't give. Any gift can be good. It's not about the actual object, but the thought.

X-mas waste

Submitted by rosealake on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 09:49.

Too many people give out random zero-effort gifts that not only are useless and end up being re-gifted (possibly more than once), but they use more resources and put more in landfills. Give something awesome, or nothing at all.

Dilemma

Submitted by justin0022 on Mon, 03/21/2011 - 09:49.

To give or not to give; that is the question. Picking gifts, especially for people where the giving is more of a formality than anything else, is often arbitrary and superficial. Although I am not much of a candle fan myself, I must admit that I would prefer candles to no candles (perhaps because I am not paranoid about my house burning down). Any regardless, they do come in handy when the lights go out...

Yes, some Christmas gifts just suck. That is the nature of life.

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