It’s this time of the year that ads, retail stores, and decorative street lights start to nudge you into thinking about Christmas. Some Christmas lovers have already planned their gifts and bought them in September. Others waited until Black Friday for a bargain. The rest will be frantically buying gifts just before Christmas Day to avoid the guilty feeling of coming empty-handed.
In light of the recent health emergency around the globe and unprecedented climate changes that have been perpetrated by our overconsumption, we should really ask ourselves whether our frenzy Christmas gifts buying is something that we and the planet can afford.
With the global inflation that has been affecting everyone’s pocket, some of us may not be even able to afford gifts. For some, the answer will be to either spend all the money without a care in the world. Some may turn to a debt trap by using very popular buy now, pay later apps like Klarna or Scala Pay. (Yaikes!)
Every year we try to remind ourselves that Christmas is not about spending money but it’s about spending time with the loved ones. In order to save you money and the time normally spend queuing in stores or browsing the web for the perfect present, I’ve created 5 gifts ideas for more sustainable Christmas.
Things that we leave behind
The most enjoyable exchange of gifts that I’ve taken part in over Christmas was when my friends and I decided to give each other only the things that we had recently found. I still remember my gifts. I received an iPhone cable found on the flight, a book in Chinese left on the train, and an Egyptian coin that my friend was given when paying for a kebab when coming back from a party. Thinking back to the evening, I realized how our Secret Santa became a storytelling evening. What made that evening so unforgettable was the fact that with unwrapping each (silly) present, you were told a story of how the item ended up in their hands. The stories ranged from super hilarious anecdotes, embarrassing encounters, to very personal disclosures.
Vouchers
Instead of buying an unwanted gift, you can always opt for vouchers or gift cards. Although it sounds like an effortless, easy way out, it saves you money and gives the other person more freedom to get what they want. Think of getting a voucher for an experience rather than an item. 
Depending on your budget, this can range from a city break, a night in a hotel, a massage, or a gift card to a favorite restaurant. For a sports buff, this could be a DAZN subscription or a voucher to the Google Play store that could be used on these desperate nights when they want to watch a movie not found on Netflix.
For the lower budget option, remember you are the best present! As Benjamin Franklin once said: Time is money, why don’t you create a voucher offering your time and specific skills to your friends and family?
Friends with kids will be more than happy if you offer an evening of free babysitting. Your niece may enjoy learning how to play the guitar. Your partner will be happy to have a voucher they can use whenever they don’t feel like cleaning. Maybe you have a friend who has always been asking you for help on a project but you never got around to it? This will be a great Christmas gift to show a lot of thoughtfulness and care for those around you.
Used Books
Everyone loves having a nice library at home. Some of us, however, end up with boxes of books in the attic whose sole purpose is dust collection. These books can be a fantastic gift idea! The selection of a title can be done with a thought, too. For a friend who is a book lover, select a book that had an impact on you or was important to you at some point in your life. This gift idea will be appreciated by a staunch environmentalist as well. Buying new books or e-readers is not great for the planet – as far only the used book swap has the smallest environmental impact.
Plants
If you are one of those people with green fingers, with very little money and some time on your hands, you can create a mini succulent garden or a terrarium in a jar. During recent lockdowns, forced to spend a lot of time in, we started to pay attention to our surroundings, wanting to create a welcoming and relaxing space in our homes.
Having plants at home has many benefits to our overall health. A study conducted by the Sydney University of Technology shows that having plants at home can reduce anxiety by 37%, depression by 58%, and anger by 44%. When grouping the plants in our home, our respiratory system can benefit from creating a micro-climate that will boost humidity. Moreover, plants are natural air-purifiers reducing the dust by 20% and clearing the air from toxins from man-made materials that are released into the air.
There are many plants and herbs to choose from. You do not have to go to the garden center either. With some planning, you can make a plant composition from the plants that you already have at home. For all the information about germinating time and replanting Youtube has a million videos on the topic. For at-home cooks, creating a herb garden will be much appreciated.
Savings account
Making a bank transfer to a savings account for your own kids, your nephews, or your nieces will probably be the best present you can make. In the US, children on average are given toys worth USD 6500. Apart from the clutter at home, the more toys children have, the less interested they become in them. A study in Ohio conducted on a group of toddlers proved that more toys do not equal more fun. When children in the study were left with only 4 toys in the room, they spend twice as much time playing with them as compared to the time spent in a room with 16 toys. Children with fewer toys become more creative and focused, which supports their cognitive development.
Talk to your family members with kids and present them with the idea of creating. saving account for them. It may mean less joy when unwrapping presents. In the long run, adding some money to their savings account may help them to pay for the school or will allow them to go on a character-building trip of a lifetime.
References:
Swnsdigital (2021). Average child gets $6,500 worth of toys in their lifetime. Retrieved from: https://swnsdigital.com/us/2016/11/average-child-gets-6500-worth-of-toys-in-their-lifetime/
