...to regift something given to me by my brother to my dad?

[MackerelOfFact]

My brother gave me a £15 iTunes voucher for my birthday back in April. I truly appreciate the thought behind the gift, but I use Spotify for most of my music, and if I spent the voucher it would just be to use it up rather than to get something I actually had any need for. I feel like I would be wasting his £15 for the sake of it.

My dad's birthday is coming up and last year I got him a £25 iTunes voucher, and he spent days downloading old songs for his iPod and said how much he loved doing it. This year I have bought him a small gift but want something to supplement it. A £15 iTunes voucher would be ideal.

I'm worried though that if either of them found out they would both be really hurt. My dad is an absolute star and deserves more than a second-hand gift, and my brother has a heart of gold and I would hate for him to think his gift wasn't appreciated (which it was).

It seems mad to buy another voucher when I have a perfectly good one sitting unused at home. I'm just worried that if there's something wrong with it/it expires and my dad calls them up, it will be obvious that it was purchased in April. WWYD?

Can you not see when it expires? Give it to your dad and tell him when it expires... Doesn't matter when it was bought, you might have planned ahead and bought early! Your brother doesn't need to know it isn't a new one....

I hate it when people re gift things. It is such a cheap thing to do. It might not be what you wanted but it is what someone wanted you to have.

You're right. I'm massively overthinking this. They expire after 2 years of purchase or last use, so unless he doesn't touch it until April 2012 it'll be fine. And by then everyone will have forgotten who had given what to whom anyway.

Skyswept, but it's a voucher. I could spend it but I wouldn't listen to the MP3s. My dad would. My worry is that I feel like I'm cheating both my dad and my brother a little bit.

skyswept, what you're saying is reasonable and obviously its not nice to hurt feelings, but are you saying we have to keep rubbish gifts forever out of politeness? Money is tight. Without some imaginative ebaying and secret regifting, most of my loved ones would be empty handed this year.

My MIL wanted my DS to have a four foot crane that broke after three minutes. Do I really have to keep it just because she wanted him ot have it?

OP- YANBU, I don't beleive in waste, but if its a distinctive design that might be recognised, then just buy him another one and regift yours to someone not so close to home.

I think it's mad not to regift if you know someone would like something you don't want. Seems very odd not to do it, in my opinion.

Definitely regift it if you're not going to use it.

MackeralofFact - if there is any problem just say you must have got the one for his birthday mixed up with the one you got as a gift.

It makes sense, he'd be delighted with it, your brother has given you a gift of £15, which has benefited you (by not having to spend it now).

Give it to your Dad, he'll love it.

Seeing as one itunes voucher is pretty much the same as the next one, I doubt they will find out. If your Dad will like it he is likely to use it straight away.

Stop worrying and give it to your Dad.

JeezyPeeps, of course! Yes, that's a perfect explanation. I see it that way too - my brothers gift ended up being the £15 cash I didn't spend on my Dad's gift.

TBH I seriously doubt my brother actually remembers what he got me anyway. He is lovely but he is also a boy.

Much though it sounds like a good idea, I would probably hang onto the voucher to re-gift slightly farther away from home, and get something else for your dad.

Kind of reminds me of when I was younger and my mum (bless her heart) used to 'buy' our vouchers off us if we wanted a 'big' thing in one shop rather than lots of crap from several as she reckoned she'd buy stuff there anyway. If she ever remembered to use them the next time she shoppped in M&S/WHSmith/Boots/Argos etc I have no idea.

Just do it, you don't want it and he'll enjoy it. I'm all for re-gifting etc, I've done it a few times with gifts that my kids have already got or are too old for etc. Makes sense, why waste money?