I regift. And, I’m not ashamed to say so.

I admit that when I receive gifts for my children or myself that are too small, too big, out of season, inappropriate, duplicates or not quite right, I often rewrap them and give them away to others.

Say what you want, but you won’t guilt-trip me into thinking that regifting is a cheap, tacky thing to do.

For example, my 4-year-old son received a large truck for his last birthday. The problem is he doesn’t play with trucks. I didn’t want to offend the gift-giver by asking for a receipt to return the truck, so I decided to put it in my regifting closet.

When my 7-year-old daughter was invited to attend a birthday party, I found out the birthday boy loved trucks. We gave him the unopened truck my son had received.

A recent holiday spending survey conducted by Money Management International, a consumer credit counseling agency, found that 36 percent of respondents earning $100,000 to $150,000 had regifted to cut holiday costs. In fact, the higher the income bracket, the more the likelihood of regifting, according to the survey.

I’ve heard people say that they wouldn’t want a gift that has been recycled. Why?

If the gift is something you might need or want, why should someone have to purchase it if they already have the item in their possession?

I’ll tell you why. Because we really don’t believe that it’s the thought that counts. Too many people believe the purchasing of material goods is evidence of love or appreciation. Therefore, the more you spend, the greater your love.

If this weren’t true, then why would you care whether a gift was inexpensive, free to the giver, or recycled? Isn’t it good enough that they even thought to give you something in the first place?

In truth, we all miss the gift-giving mark sometimes. So why not turn those mistakes into presents for others?

To that end, here are a few of my own regifting rules:

• Don’t tell. Don’t lie if asked but don’t volunteer out of some misplaced guilt. If you are giving what you feel is an appropriate gift, you don’t need to reveal its origin.
• When you receive something you don’t want and suspect you’ll recycle, label it with the name of the giver. You don’t want to give back a present to the person who gave it to you.
• Rewrap any gift you’re regifting. Be sure to remove any evidence of a previous giver (especially those little gift cards on gift bags).
• The gift should be in good shape. Regifting doesn’t mean getting rid of junk to clear closet space.
• Don’t try to pretend your gift was expensive by purposely putting it in a box or bag from a pricey store. I think that is being deceptive and could prove embarrassing to the receiver should they try to return the item to the store.

Now let me be clear: I do not advocate passing along some hideous item even your dog wouldn’t want to chew on. Personally, I think the only criteria for a gift is that you think the person will appreciate it.