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Every year around this time, we battle for a parking spot at our local stores and wait for the overflowing delivery trucks to deliver whatever we desire. Though it may be fun to ponder what you want this year and what you want to give others in return, what if we instead considered what we wanted to do?
The average family owns 300,000 items, ranging from paper clips to ironing boards; therefore, I’ve come up with some alternative gift ideas and the reasons why I want to urge everyone to go beyond the box and offer the gift of experiences:
The Next Best Thing Trap
We’ve been trained as consumers to always be on the lookout for the next best thing, and businesses make sure we see it when it’s available. Commercials, print ads, and now even social media are used to accomplish this.
So, how can we know how long it will be before we move on to the next thing when we’re out shopping for the latest and best this Christmas season? If we keep jumping on the next-best thing bandwagon, we’ll never be satisfied with what we have and will always be yearning for more.
The More Stuff You Have…
The more you have, the more you have to manage, as I’ve always said. After the holidays, there always seems to be too much to deal with, so those unopened gifts are put into a closet and forgotten about until you take the time to clean them out.
You will be one step ahead if you are properly prepared for the holidays and purge items ahead of time to make room for new gifts, and I certainly encourage you to do so (with my help if you like). But do you, on the other hand, believe that the people you’ll be buying gifts for did the same? It’s likely that your loved ones are already overburdened stuff and by the events of their lives. Do you really want to add to all that?
Give the Gift of Family Time
Getting together with family around the holidays is one of the best parts of the season, but due to hectic schedules and distance, spending more time with your family during the rest of the year isn’t always possible.
Buying an experience gift gives you still more reason to get everyone together at a later date. Even if you can’t get everyone together, an experience gift for a special couple or family encourages them to spend time together, even if it’s only to go out to dinner.
Stop Excessive Consumption
Every year, Americans spend $2.2 trillion on non-essential goods, or things they don’t need. So, what happens to all of these things? Every day, each American produces 4.3 pounds of waste, or 1,679 pounds per year. Along with the growing amount of trash, the number of products donated or available for resale through consignment stores and mobile applications has increased, to the point where finding someone to buy the items you’re reselling is becoming increasingly difficult due to a flooded market. This means that these products will almost certainly end up in the trash.
Stop Giving People What They Don’t Want
It’s difficult to choose the right gift unless you’re lucky enough to receive a thorough list of exactly what your loved ones have been wanting all year. Some people are easier to buy for than others, but just because someone enjoys wine does not imply they need every charming and quirky wine accessory available. It’s like getting your father a tie for Father’s Day. Is he really in need of or interested in another tie? Almost certainly not!
Consider the Real Repercussions
When you give someone a gift, it is theoretically theirs to do with as they like, yet gifts are one of the most difficult items for people to get rid of. When I deal with clients and discover something they don’t enjoy, utilize, or desire, I frequently discover that they are keeping it because it was given to them by someone. Do you want to burden them with the guilt of keeping something they don’t want or need simply because you gave it to them?
I’m not suggesting that you never buy a present for anyone again; rather, I’m suggesting that it’s time to look beyond the (gift) box. Consider the person or group of people you’re buying for and what they like to do or what they’ve always wanted to do.
It’s great to be a tourist in your own city, so look for new things to do that you haven’t done before. This is also an excellent method to combine gifts for a number of people on your list. Remember that if you give someone a gift card to their favorite business, they will be enticed to buy more too, so you’ll be helping local businesses twice.
Here are some terrific gift ideas for adventures this holiday season:
- Gift certificate for a restaurant
- Tickets for the event (sports, theater or concert)
- Tickets to a local museum or attraction
- Tickets to a theme park or a water park
- Staycation supplies
- Hike/picnic supplies
- Tour of a winery or brewery
- Classes for something (yoga, cookery, sports)
Remember that decluttering before the holidays I mentioned? It really will help. Book an appointment here and Just Organized by Taya will help ensure that the gifts you do receive will be easy to find a home for while also helping you let go of all that stuff at the back of the closet that you don’t need, that you never needed, but you held onto anyway because it was a gift.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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