Christmas has always been my favorite holiday because of various activities, such as spending time with family and friends, attending holiday concerts/festivals, eating food, and of course, giving and receiving presents. However, over the course of this past year, my focus has shifted. This change has allowed me to dive deeper into discovering what truly makes me happy. I have developed the desire to obtain a more minimalistic and financially stable lifestyle filled with experiences.

In virtue of my refined mindset and new goals, I began reflecting on my past habits and influences. I can recall spending between $250-400 (as a college student) to purchase gifts for family and friends. Additionally, I thought about my own family’s emotionally driven spending habits, which are no different than a majority of Americans when it comes to purchasing gifts during the winter holiday. These reflections led to the following question, “Would Christmas still be Christmas without gifts?” I decided to answer the preceding question by applying this idea to this upcoming winter holiday.

Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la… and now I’m broke.

Why a Gift-Less Christmas?

It is time to re-evaluate the reason for the season, as well as what we are teaching the rising generation. Whether your reason for celebrating Christmas be religious or traditional, do you believe it would be the same without engaging in gift exchanges? After a bit of research and reflection, I summarized my reasoning for wanting to implement such a controversial practice.

Objections and Objective

Making this decision was simple, however sharing it with others may not be. Will people think I am no longer interested in giving? Will my new viewpoint be credited towards moving away from home? Rather than repeating the same conversation, I decided to write this post to serve as a notice to affected parties. As for my unrelated or yet to be friended readers, I hope to open your mind to the possibilities of a gift-less Christmas!

Issues with Purchasing Gifts

Guilty Obligations

In my opinion, people should give when it is a choice, not an obligation. I enjoy buying presents when I am inspired by an inner desire, not an endless cycle of holiday shopping deals or because “it is what I am supposed to do.” What if you do not have a sufficient amount of funds or you are more interested in spending time, not money, with loved ones? The inability to purchase a gift for someone in return should not induce guilt-ridden feelings or be a requirement for hanging out with family and friends. Guilty obligations lead to irresponsible spending, which brings about the next issue with purchasing Christmas gifts—spending money you do not have.

Increases Debt

In the past, I had convinced myself to purchase gifts for people in hopes of replenishing my bank account after receiving monetary presents, in return. This way of thinking is not frugal or responsible. In fact, consumers have a history of racking up debt during the holidays. Experts even estimate a significant increase in consumer spending during this holiday season. Unfortunately, growing more in debt has become an impulsive activity associated with the act of buying Christmas presents. Arguably, such a result is not worth the cost of a decreased net worth or struggle to make ends meet, during the months that follow.

Negative Impact on the Environment

There is a significant increase in the amount of waste accumulated during the winter holiday. Although it is festive to present carefully wrapped/bagged gifts, the amount of supplies that is wasted to do so negatively impacts the environment. Think about it—not only do we purchase materials to wrap presents but we also use shopping bags to carry purchased items out of stores. Additionally, toymakers secure many toys with twist ties and tons of plastic. Although gift wrapping has contributed to the gift-giving, reportedly since 2nd century B.C., the world has learned a lot since the Chinese’ development of paper. We are now capable of making better decisions about how to properly dispose of materials, as well as reduce and reuse them. The big question is, “Will we utilize our improved knowledge utilized during Christmas?”

Perks of Not Buying Christmas Gifts:

Reduce holiday spending
Use the money saved to put towards taking a family vacation or reducing your debt
Create new traditions with a community and/or religious centered focus
Avoid the risk of buying the wrong or unused Christmas present

My Plan

I am adopting a community-oriented focus for Christmas. Rather than buying presents for family and friends, I am opting to send hand-written letters. Funerals reveal that time waits for no one, so it is important to express love to those closest to your heart, before it is too late. Secondly, I am aiming to volunteer and support my community by donating time, unused/essential items, and money. This holiday, along with my beloved, I am hosting a “FEED Supper” Luncheon. If you are interested in learning more or helping us reach our team goal, click here to make a donation. *Be sure to credit the donation to our team, #EatToServe.

How Can YoU Get Started?

1. Define what Christmas means to you.

2. What traditions will you continue and/or create?

3. How will you begin?

Gift-Less Activities

Offer to complete household chores for an elderly family member
Plan a trip or outing with family and friends
Volunteer to serve a meal to people suffering from homelessness
Donate unused or unwanted clothes, toys, and/or household essentials
Make note of a friend/acquaintance’s need and gift them, later

Not quite ready to give up presents?

I understand the importance of gift-giving, however, is it always necessary to make purchases to express your love and gratitude? If you are adamant about giving presents but are determined to save money, consider giving home-made gifts or engaging in a Secret Santa activity. Pinterest has a ton of suggestions for either idea!

Takeaways

I am mostly looking forward to spending less money on purchasing gifts and spending more time creating experiences. Additionally, I am challenging myself to express gratitude and accept gratitude in non-materialistic ways. I understand that everyone may not be ready or willing to embrace my new way of thinking. Should that be the case, I will gladly accept presents as long as they bring the value of some sort. If not, I will most likely find the item a better home. (One (wo)man’s trash, is another (wo)man’s treasure. — English Proverb)

*If you must present me with a gift, I ask that we first, come to a better understanding of why. I would be just as excited to receive a gift on my birthday or if it helped me reach a financial goal or supported a favorite charity.

Let’s continue the conversation, below. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for more thought-provoking content!

A Gift-less Christmas