Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
Interesting

A Minimalist Holiday Season: How To Simplify Gift-Giving Without Being A Scrooge

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Dec, 2016 01:16 PM
    TORONTO — Rachel Jonat and her husband didn't purchase any Christmas gifts for their three sons when they were too young to understand the tradition.
     
    Now, she asks extended family to ease up on presents and plans to shift to a no-gift policy once Santa is out of the picture.
     
    "I think deciding early on to ... not give them the moon at Christmas will make it a lot easier to manage bigger requests," says the Vancouverite and author of "Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life."
     
    While asking friends and family for a scaled-back holiday can be tricky and require laying some careful groundwork, the news may come as a relief to loved ones during what can be a stressful season.
     
    This year, Canadians plan to spend an average of $884 on holiday gifts, up from $766 in 2015, according to a survey by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.
     
     
    And that figure jumps when factoring in other seasonal costs. Last year, Canadians planned to spend an average of $1,551 on presents, travel, entertaining and other items, like decorations, during the holidays, a BMO survey found.
     
    In an effort to prevent some of that potential December budget overload, some people limit their gift-giving through "Secret Santa" exchanges in which members of a family are randomly assigned a person to whom they give a gift.
     
    For Rebecca Saha, who blogs about minimalism for the Green Moms Collective, Secret Santa exchanges with her husband and their three kids involves each person receiving four gifts: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.
     
    Saha, who co-owns resale shop iSpy Clothing in Etobicoke, Ont., often looks to secondhand goods first for these gifts. She suggests bundling used items in a theme, like a book about trains with conductor overalls, for a special touch.
     
     
    But if you're attempting to negotiate a leaner Christmas with extended family expect "a tricky conversation," say Jonat. It helps to drop hints early, she says, like talking about a preference for fewer toys in the home or for experience-based gifts that don't take up space.
     
    Sometimes that's enough to influence how others give. But when the Jonats receive superfluous gifts, they're returned, like she did with about half of her boys' loot last year.
     
    "(We) used the store credit when we needed it to pay for a new car seat," she says.
     
    It's also okay to opt out of gift exchanges with friends, acquaintances and colleagues, Jonat and Saha say.
     
    One year, when Saha became overwhelmed with her list of people to shop for, the family decided to sponsor a child through charity on behalf of all those they wanted to stop exchanging presents with.
     
    They shared the information in their holiday cards.
     
     
    "It soft-peddled the news," Saha says, adding people reacted positively and she found it less awkward than stopping cold turkey.
     
    While adults may be relieved by a leaner Christmas, Jonat says to be prepared for some disappointed kids the first time a family decides to try it out.
     
    Still, she adds, "we're in changing times now and the kind of excessiveness that, you know, may have been en vogue and popular is definitely waning."
     
    Fewer presents instead gives families more money and time to spend together, having fun or helping their community, she says.
     
    Saha sees things the same way.
     
    "We are big believers that traditions and experiences are more valuable — even to kids — than objects," she says.

    MORE Interesting ARTICLES

    This Post-Graduate Student Became Gujarat’s First Female Chauffeur

    This Post-Graduate Student Became Gujarat’s First Female Chauffeur
    Monika Yadav Shared Her Story On Facebook And Netizens Have Been Lauding Her  

    This Post-Graduate Student Became Gujarat’s First Female Chauffeur

    The Science Of Why You Might Want To Kick Your Diet Soda Habit

    The Science Of Why You Might Want To Kick Your Diet Soda Habit
    Most diet soda drinks contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener

    The Science Of Why You Might Want To Kick Your Diet Soda Habit

    Italian Doctor Creates Ice-Cream That Improves Sporting Performance

    Italian Doctor Creates Ice-Cream That Improves Sporting Performance
    "Who says that health foods have to taste bad?" That's the question that inspired Italian cardiologist Dr. Valerio Sanguigni to create a tasty ice-cream with proven health benefits, including improved sport performance in youth.

    Italian Doctor Creates Ice-Cream That Improves Sporting Performance

    Japanese Skating Rink Freezes 5,000 Marine Creatures in Ice as Promotional Gimmick

    Japanese Skating Rink Freezes 5,000 Marine Creatures in Ice as Promotional Gimmick
    Japan's Space World theme park sparked worldwide controversy after it froze 5,000 fish, crabs and other shellfish in the ice of its newest skating rink, aptly-named 'Freezing Port-Ice Museum'.

    Japanese Skating Rink Freezes 5,000 Marine Creatures in Ice as Promotional Gimmick

    Australian Judge Denies Hearing Woman's Evidence Until She Takes Off Veil

    Australian Judge Denies Hearing Woman's Evidence Until She Takes Off Veil
    A judge in Australia has denied to hear evidence from the wife of an Islamic extremist after she refused to remove the veil of her burqa despite being offered alternative options.

    Australian Judge Denies Hearing Woman's Evidence Until She Takes Off Veil

    22-Year-Old Claims He Has Hacked Into PM Modi's App, Flagged Security Flaws

    22-Year-Old Claims He Has Hacked Into PM Modi's App, Flagged Security Flaws
    Javed Khatri says his intention was not to cause trouble but to flag a potentially enormous security loophole.

    22-Year-Old Claims He Has Hacked Into PM Modi's App, Flagged Security Flaws