You can always specify "no gifts, please," but like I said before, that won't stop the gifts from coming in, so to be sure you don't get a lot of what you don't want, you really should register for something.

But if you can't think of anything you need, think of others in need. Many charities offer giving registries, or you can simply ask that in lieu of gifts, your guests make a donation in your honor to the charity of your choice.

My favorite charity, Heifer International, is one such charity offering a registry, but you can find plenty of others with a simple web search. JustGive.org allows you to register for over 1 million charities online.