I’ve spent the better part of the year purging my house of unnecessary clutter. As I reorganize rooms I am constantly coming across gifts from past Christmases. So many knickknacks and trinkets from relatives that fill the corners of our home. Although I’ve managed to donate most of our unwanted items I feel especially guilty whenever I try to rid our house of one of these gifts. I know that generous relatives had the greatest of intentions when they purchased the items for us and I don’t have the heart to give many of these items away. After all, isn’t it polite to display these items whenever a relative visits?
So now as I am nearing the end of my Christmas shopping I realize that I too need to be mindful of the gifts I give. I don’t want to add to the clutter of my family and friend’s homes. Of course I think long and hard about the items I purchase for others, but let’s face it you can never really know whether or not the recipient will love the gift you gave them. In a year or two they may decide they simply don’t need that trinket, gadget, or gizmo, and I don’t want anyone to feel guilty for getting rid of an item they no longer love.
Last Christmas I asked for gift certificates to restaurants, hockey tickets and cooking lessons in order to spend more time with family and friends. This year I realized that last year’s list not only allows us to spend more time together it also ensures a clutter free home.
that’s a really good point to consider when buying gifts..good post š
For Christmas my house is decorated with a few snowmen decorations that I collected. Now my Mil insists on buying tons of stuff with snowmen on them every year for Christmas, no matter how many times I have said not too. I no longer feel guilty when I purge this stuff. I do however feel guilty when I pass this stuff on to someone else because I wonder if I am now cluttering their home and if they have to pass the stuff on to someone else. How many homes has my Mil gifts cluttered??
Good advice for picking gifts for others. I wish my family was okay with giving gift certificates!! It’s on my wish list every year — it’s often the ONLY thing on the list — and yet I still always end up getting, well, more clutter.
If I have to give a material gift, I try to give something consumable, for just this reason.
but more and more i switch to making contributions in people’s honor. If they don’t like it, because they want something material, too bad. They don’t have to give us presents!
BTW, never give kids gift certificates. Their parents get stuck taking them to the store and that is really stressful for the parents…. And what the kid picks usually doesn’t match the gift amoount.
I <3 your blog! I was looking for some tips to go with the ones i already thought of on frugal book buying for my readign group is how i arrived at your site. Anyway, I love gift cetificates too and usually never get them despite my requests. And in an attempt to be more frugal in my own gift giving this year, I'm doing food gifts. I plan to bake little yummies. I think it's easy on the wallet b/c I can buy the materials in bulk and it will probably be more memorable b/c...well, i can cook. š
I’m a big fan of expeience gifts myself, I don’t need any more clutter than I already have!