You Can Save Money by Creating a Gift Registry for Literally Any Occasion.
When you search for “gift registry” all results assume that you are getting married or having a baby. However, a recent tweet went viral as it pointed out that there are many reasons worth registering gifts that have nothing to do with weddings or children. (By the way , here’s the registry that inspired the tweet). Knowing that gift registries provide significant savings, what’s stopping you from creating one for any occasion you want to celebrate? What’s stopping you from creating one for no reason other than to make great deals?
There is no law against creating a gift registry for yourself. Gift registration sites like Zola won’t force you to send proof that you’re actually planning a wedding or expecting a baby. The only thing stopping you from creating a gift registry is the social taboo against asking for gifts for non-traditional occasions. I’m not saying that you should expect everyone in your life to shell out money for every little thing, but there are plenty of occasions that deserve just as much, if not more, celebration and financial support as weddings. Graduate, open a new business, welcome someone home, survive an operation, find a long-lost twin sister… the list goes on.
Here’s what you need to know about how gift registries work and, more importantly, how to make them work for you.
How gift registries work
If you’ve never used the gift registry as a giver or recipient before, they’re pretty straightforward. A gift registry is similar to a basic wish list. It is a one-stop shop that allows all your friends and family to easily view and purchase specific items from a specified wish list. When you use a service like Zola , or subscribe directly from retailers like Crate and Barrel , all your guests will be able to see how much each item costs, where it can be purchased, and what items have already been purchased (so you won’t get ten toasters).
Gift registries come with big discounts
This is where a life hack comes in handy: if there are unsold items left on your roster after your event, some stores will let you redeem them at a “registry completion discount”. Rules vary by merchant, but you can usually save 15% on the registry within 90 days of the event (or without if you’re running a gift scam). (Though it’s not actually a scam.)
Know the terms of the discount for passing the register
Each retailer places some sort of limit on what can be reduced through the gift registry. The 15% discount coupon for registration , for example, does not apply to alcohol, Apple products and Elf on the Shelf.
When you set up your registry, you will likely be asked to set a deadline. For example, Amazon and Kohl’s give you 90 days after your event to get your registration discount, while Target gives you six months.
Each site will have some fine print to consider. Target requires your roster to be active for a minimum of 14 days before you receive a roster completion discount, Kohl’s requires you to have at least one item purchased from your roster in order to receive a discount, and so on. Read the terms of your registry when registering so you don’t miss out on potential offers.
Make the Gift Registry Work for You
Even if you don’t feel comfortable asking friends and family publicly to buy items from your roster, you could theoretically use it as a tool to get a 15% discount off your main wishlist on items you were going to buy for yourself anyway.
However, I encourage you to consider non-traditional occasions for celebration and gift giving in your life. If one of my friends got a PhD after six years of hard work and student loans, I’d be happy to chip in for a new backpack, an Airbnb gift card, or, if I’m really feeling generous, some air. fryer. Think about what your loved ones could reasonably buy for you, and resist what society dictates as certain gift moments.
So go ahead, make yourself a gift registry. Be prepared for some confusion from others, but as long as you’re reasonable, what’s the worst that can happen? Either you will get a nice discount on something you were already going to buy yourself, or your friends and family may surprise you with their generosity.