Deck the halls with re-gifts

I have an brand new Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine sitting in the garage, a beautiful gift from a friend. But I already have a Keurig coffee maker, so I've decided to give the Dolce Gusto to my coffee-lovin' dad for Christmas.

Do I feel guilty about regifting? A little. But my dad won't care. And my friend probably won't either. It's going to a good home. And, I admit, I am relieved at having one less present to buy this holiday.

More Americans are doing the same thing, a new survey shows. About 36% of us plan to recycle a gift this year, up from 31% last year and 24% in 2007, according to Consumer Reports.

I suspect the percentage is higher than that, since some people probably won't admit to regifting.

So is it OK to regift? Under the right circumstances, why not? MSN's MP Dunleavy lists some smart rules for recycling gifts. Take the time to rewrap them, she writes, and don't spoil the occasion by admitting that they are recycled. Don't regift anything you've already used, and don't regift cheeseball things like fruitcake, pens or extinct bath products.

The Consumer Reports poll also found that a third of Americans plan to spend less this year than last year, while about half plan to spend the same amount, according to the Los Angeles Times.

And people are cutting back on overall holiday spending, including plane flights and decorations. About two-thirds of the people polled said they would spend less overall.

So I've come clean and disclosed my regifting plans. What about you guys? What are you thinking about recycling?