Gifting can be humbling. However deeply you know someone, that feeling when your thoughtfully researched present doesn’t land smarts like a snowball to the face. The risks are real. According to one survey, roughly 30% of people take back their holiday gifts.
Those returns—worth $148 billion according to the National Retail Federation—deal a blow to more than just your ego. The steady stream of unwanted purchases amounts to 5.8 billion pounds of landfill fodder every year. This happens for a multitude of reasons, from panic purchases to simple overbuying. Still, most adults already have a lot of stuff, and a great way to avoid the “gee thanks, it’s great” is to give the gift of extended life to something they already own and love. Replacing a dodgy iPhone battery, sharpening a well-used kitchen knife, or mending a beloved jacket can show your appreciation without piling on junk. Here’s how to think through some potential repairs—and how to find the right pro to get the job done.
But first, a tip: Dropping a well-intended surprise on someone can be fun, but the logistics of arranging most of these fixes in secret will be too difficult to pull off. A simple fix: Opt for a prepaid cash card or a gift certificate, or bring the person in on your plans and make a date out of it.
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