Alternative Gifts for Christmas

We need a lot less of some things and more of others. Read on for your best alternative gift-giving suggestions for Christmas.

I’m going to mention Christmas, even while you cringe. The frenzy of shopping? The crazy deranged season when we buy all sorts of gifts that are often not needed or wanted but given anyway? Many alternative gift-giving ideas will be better received and won’t cost the earth. So let’s get our brains in gear and prepare our shopping list for the best Christmas gift alternatives for this year.

We live in a society that has enough. We are a society that demonstrably has far too much. So, is it time to call time on Christmas and all that shopping? It's an expensive time anyway. We gather and entertain, so we have more food than usual in the house, more alcohol, and more tasty treats. I'm not tackling those topics today (I HEARD that sigh!), but the gifts! It is also vacation time if you have been clever enough to book weeks or months in advance. So save the dough.

I’m not a total Scrooge. I love Christmas, but it has become all bent out of shape with the marketing. So I have some ideas on how we can improve on Christmas this year and not get financially bent out of shape ourselves.

1) I think the grown-ups have to agree to minimise giving gifts to other adults. That means either setting a price limit, like $20 or setting a goal like it's got to make the receiver laugh out loud, or it's got to be handmade. Secret Santa is also a fun way to minimise gift buying for the whole family. Alternatively, you could all agree to bring your booze to the party and forget the gift-giving altogether.

2) I think the kids should get presents, but only the parents can purchase something over a $50 limit. Everyone else buys games, balls, or art supplies you use with the child on the day. This at least begins to lower the expectations that seem to increase yearly. If you can't think of anything you want to do with them on the day, make them a special treat or promise a trip to the movies, mini golf or a trampoline in the future. Use your imagination. Experience-based gifts are all the rage. Explore the options. They'll love it.

Experience-based gifts are all the rage. Explore the options. They'll love it.

3) Friends and neighbours - You want to exchange something, but should it be a bought gift? Try this. Purchase local services on their behalf. Everyone is time-poor. Even retirees say they don't know where they found the time to work. So, purchase a massage, a beauty treatment, a dog wash session, a gardener, a housecleaner for a couple of hours, a babysitter, whatever. Everyone needs a hand to make things just a little easier. Or do those things yourself for them. Make them sit down while you offer to do their nails. Why not? It's novel, it's needed, and it will be hugely appreciated. And it will support your local businesses who, let's face it, have had a shocking time the past couple of years.

I know you don’t want to be the odd man out, so flag to your family and friends what your plan is for their gifts, so you aren’t left giving them homemade soap when they have bought you a bottle of Cristal Champagne. (Send them round to my place if you like…) Give them plenty of notice of what you are planning without giving away the surprise. I think most people will get on board with your idea and reciprocate. Then next year, it will ripple out to their friends and family and so on.

The factories in China are cranking up to feed our ridiculous shopping addiction for the coming season. Could you do what you can to deny them? That means, too, finding toys for kids that are not plastic. Local markets often have wooden toys and puzzles from the local Men’s Shed. These are usually really charming items for young children. No sharp bits, no plastic to break off, no swallow risks. They also often make other simple wooden items like wine racks, IPAD holders, etc. If we can support our local artisans and services and buy less plastic and electronics, our environment will thank us, and we will revisit what simple pleasures are possible with a bit of thought.

I have a couple of great websites to point you to (aside from the great one you're on):

Zero Waste Warrior on The Buy Nothing Christmas

50 DIY handmade gifts to make

Also, one final thought. Inflation broke free of its cage this year. What was driving it? Our purchasing. We were busy spending our savings after the pent-up demand coming out of COVID. Spend less; inflation will settle. Yes, prices went up for various reasons, but our purchasing kept prices rising. Supply and demand, folks, but that’s a conversation for another day.