Have you ever been unwrapping gifts on your birthday and you come across a gift that you remember giving somebody? Have you ever received a gift that has no use or meaning to you? Chances are, they were probably re-gifted to you. The question is, where do you draw the line at what should and shouldn’t be re-gifted?

Things that are regifted vary in meaning. Some items are very personal, such as any handmade item, while others, like a book or even clothes, are not. Splitting up re-gifted gifts into two categories, personal and impersonal, makes it easier to decide whether or not it’s okay to regift.

Personal items, like a handmade bracelet you give to your mom or a child’s art piece they gave to their grandma, are not okay to regift. The person who originally gave that gift would most likely be sad and offended if they found out that someone gave their gift that they put a lot of hard work into to somebody else which makes regifting personal items not okay.

On the contrary, regifting impersonal items is fine. If you got something as a gift that you know somebody else would like, then it makes the fact that you regifted better because you both saved money and gave a somewhat thoughtful gift. It’s still okay if the gift has no use to the person receiving it, however it makes it a bit more obvious that it was regifted.

What also matters when regifting gifts is who the original gift was from. Whether or not it’s from the person you’re gifting it to can determine if it’s okay to give that gift to somebody.

Never give someone back a gift that they gifted you; It comes off as rude and is one of the many moments when regifting isn’t okay. You also shouldn’t regift something if the person was there when you received the gift because even though the possibility of them remembering that you got that gift is low, they still could remember and it reflects badly on you.

When giving somebody a gift, the best choice is to go out and buy them a gift. If you go out and buy the gift specifically for them, it’s more thoughtful and shows you put effort into it. Regifting is a decent solution if you’re not able to buy a gift, however it should always be a last resort.