The shopping frenzy that ensues around the holiday season gets a lot of publicity for all the money that is wasted on gifts that the recipients don't always need or want. Sometimes when the recipient of a gift utters the phrase "Oh, you shouldn't have!" they really mean it. Then there is all the money that gets spent on wrapping materials that get tossed into the trash faster than expired eggnog. This holiday season you can cut down on wasteful spending and waste in general by cutting down on gift related costs like shipping and packaging materials.
For the tuned in tech savvy people on your gift list an iTunes gift certificate is the perfect way to buy them a gift that provides them with more hours of entertainment than any music CD or movie would. With an iTunes gift certificate they can download lots music or their choice of other media to a compatible device such as an iPod. This is extremely eco friendly because digital downloads don't require the use of materials and resources that a CD, DVD or other type of gift would. Amazon.com also has gift cards that can be applied to their book, TV series and other digital downloads.
For a more low tech gift, try something handmade. Instead of throwing out perfectly good peanut butter jars when they are empty, use them as containers for gifts. Hold a hair dryer about 6 inches from the jar to remove the paper label and then clean it out with soapy water. If you are the crafty type you can decorate the lid of the jar. When the lid for the jar is dry you can take a piece of fabric and glue it to the top part of the lid only. Let about an inch of fabric drape over the sides of the jar and tie that with fabric. Fill the jar with hand dipped pretzels or some other tempting goody. Now wrap up your handiwork in a cloth napkin. Set the filled jar in the middle of the napkin and pull the corners of the napkin up at the sides. Cinch the ends of the napkins together right about the jar with a stretchy bracelet, or fabric ribbon. Every part of this gift is reusable or consumable in some way, so aside from ruining the recipients diet, it's a gift you can feel good about giving.
Whenever possible try to make the packaging for the gift an essential part of the gift. A cute pajama outfit tucked inside a pillowcase made out of organic fabric and tied at the opening with a hair scrunchie is a cute and practical gift. Decorative boxes, such as cookie tins and the kind of hat boxes you find at Hobby Lobby, don't require any additional wrapping and are more likely to end up being used for storage purposes than ending up in the trash. Craft and hobby stores frequently run coupons in the paper, so keep your eyes open for sales as well as coupons. If you are a fan of eBay you can find tons of hat boxes, cookie tins, etc, in mint condition for cheap prices.
Some people on your shopping list don't need new stuff to add to the pile of stuff they already have and don't know what to do with. Why not give the people you enjoy spending time with a shared experience instead? Around the holidays there are usually plenty of affordable holiday themed decorated home tours and other entertaining events for shoppers on a Scrooge like budget. If you normally spent about $20.00 on a certain group of style savvy people for example, you could buy tickets to a decorated homes tour that costs $20.00 or less per ticket and give them to your friends. Give the tickets to your stylish pals along with an invitation. Invite them to get together to enjoy the homes tour at a time that is most convenient for everyone. Arrange for everyone to meet at your home so you can carpool to the homes tour. If you are feeling generous you can provide cocoa and other hot beverages and snacks at your home after everyone has enjoyed the tour. If you are feeling a little more Scrooge than Santa Clause after all of your holiday spending, you can suggest that everyone meet at a coffee shop after the tour. By buying the tickets in bulk you may be entitled to special discounts. If the tickets are going for a charitable event you might also be able to get a tax break out of it. For anyone who is not able to join you at the appointed time, they still have their tickets to enjoy themselves whenever they want.
The holiday season can sometimes be more stressful than joyous. Why not skip the whole business of buying and exchanging new gifts during the busy holiday season? Give your friends and family a break and host a white elephant gift exchange after the holidays. Each guest brings a wrapped/concealed gift that they received that they don't want that is within a certain low price range, say under $20.00, to give away. Have guests draw numbers to see who gets to choose first, with number one going first and so on. If someone gets stuck with a gift they don't want they can leave it in a large basket or some other designated spot and you can donate these unwanted items to a thrift store at your convenience. Just for fun guest can exchange holiday horror stories of the worst gifts they have ever received or cherished holiday memories if you are more in a sentimental mood. I know that nothing boosts my holiday spirits more than discovering eco friendly ways to save cash. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "think green".
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