End-of-year holidays are supposed to be about love and family (and more spiritual things!), but for many people, this time of year means stress…too much to do and too much to buy. Too ambitious. Too much money spent. January rolls around, the credit card bills come due, and OUCH. That hurts. And the onslaught of stuff is also hard on the environment — all that wasteful packaging, and cheap plastics that end up quickly in the landfill.
Is there another way? Are we obligated to participate in the annual year-end spending and stuff-acquiring orgy? The good news is NO, actually we are not. But how do we translate that NO into action — into a holiday season that brings us love, joy, and meaning without the debt and clutter aftertaste? Here are some tips:
Tip #1…Plan ahead. Don’t spring on your family in mid-December that you expect everyone to limit their gift budget to less than $50. When making a major change, it’s critical to give loved ones time to prepare, mentally and otherwise.
Tip #2…Engage your loved ones in the process. Have a brainstorming session to come up with ideas for a less spendy/stuff-filled holiday. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Recycle! Consider setting a rule that all gifts must be either be homemade or gently used. (Psssst…Clean North sells rain barrels, bat houses, tree seedlings, and worm composting kits! All great gifts for gardeners/nature lovers.)
- Do it yourself. Homemade gifts? Awesome. Even people who are pressed for time can do homemade. For example, you can make brownies from a box mix and spice them up with crushed peppermint candies and powdered sugar “snow” on top. Or frame a photo you took of a beautiful scene or loved one.
- Shop local. Locally produced gifts often have a smaller carbon/ecological footprint, and many useful/consumable items are available (handknitted mitts or local baked items, for example).
- Give the gift of time. Often at holiday time, we are so busy shopping that we spend less time than we would like with family. You can make your own gift certificates to take loved ones sledding or snowshoeing. If a loved one hates a certain task but you enjoy it, you could give a gift certificate for that! Or how about a gift certificate where you deliver a dozen fresh-baked muffins?
- Give consumables. Exotic coffee, tea, or chocolate or fancy hand lotion takes up not much space…and for not very long.
- Focus on experiences more than stuff. Your kids will not remember that your holiday décor was perfectly colour coordinated and arranged. What they will remember is stringing cranberries, making dough ornaments themselves, and singing holiday songs around the fire.
- Use recycled/reusable wrappings/package decorations. You can get cute cloth gift bags that will last many years.
Tip #3…Decide whether you want to downsize your holiday season gradually over time or all at once. Some families might find it difficult to completely overhaul their holiday habits, while others might need the radical approach or the change won’t stick.
Tip #4…Declutter so you have mental and physical space available for the holidays. Tackle one room at a time…junk drawers, closets, garage, toy boxes. Donate those gently used household items to thrift stores.
Tip #5…Minimize the food clutter as well. Many of us make too much food at holiday time. January rolls around, and we regret our overindulgence. Consider cutting back on the amount of rich food and consider donating the money you saved to a local food bank or environmental cause.
Tip #6…Figure out what’s driving the spending and clutter collecting. Spending too much money and collecting stuff both tend to fill a hole, an unmet need, and often we aren’t aware of what that is. Once we become aware of it, we can figure out ways to fill that need in a healthier (less expensive) way.
Still not sure your family should get off the stuff train? Check out The Story of Stuff (see below). This fast-paced 20-minute flick offers an eye-opening view of the down side of our stuff addiction.
If you’ve managed to downsize your holiday season, tell us about it!
