4 Things I Don’t Buy for the Holidays

(Last Updated On: )

Do you love the holidays, but not all the waste, overspending, and expectations for your home and family? Check out this list of 4 things I don’t buy for the holidays, to cut out the unnecessary just like I have!

I promise, you can thoroughly enjoy the holidays without overspending or creating excess clutter and waste. From making cookies, to cranking up your favorite Christmas hits, and even minimally decorating the house, the holidays can be enjoyed to the fullest within a budget with little waste and clutter.

Set an Intention

Over the holidays the top priority for you is probably time with family, good friends, and the feeling of peace, joy, and generosity. You can avoid buying nonessential items over the holidays so you can leave more space for peace, more time for joy, and more money to feel generous.

With that said, perhaps you might think differently about items you feel you “need” to buy over the holidays. You may realize that you don’t “need” them at all. Here’s my short list of items I don’t buy over the holidays to invite more peace, joy, and generosity into my life.

4 Items I Don’t Buy over the Holidays

1. Decorations

As advised by The Modern Minimalist and explained in this post on how to reduce holiday clutter, decorations can be completely cut. Instead you can decorate with seasonal no waste options like holly, pine boughs, or even just candles.

My favorite decorations are found in nature. Follow Literally Simple on Instagram to see some of the decor we create seasonally.

I also cherish items that have been given to our family, or passed down from generations. They are treasured because they represent a family tradition. A store showcasing a new color scheme this Christmas, doesn’t evoke the same type of nostalgia, and can be avoided.

2. Wrapping Paper

There are some neat and creative alternatives to wrapping presents. This is the first year that I am not buying wrapping paper. I will instead use paper bags, string, upcycled ribbon, and upcycled gift bags. Here are a few creative ways to wrap your gifts without buying wrapping paper. Follow Literally Simple on Instagram to see what type of creative ways we wrap presents this year!

3. Holiday Figurines

The real holiday figurines that my kids like are not the ones found in stores. They are the train set at Nana’s house, or the twinkle of ice candles on a snowy walk, and even the singing Santa sitting on top of Grandpa’s piano. We enjoy these when we visit, and will continue to, so there is no need to buy more each year.

4. Gift Sets

Stores put together gift sets for the last minute shopper who has no idea what to buy. My brothers and I were notorious for buying these growing up, often shopping extremely last minute on Christmas eve. I mean, nothing says “I love you Mom” like a meat and cheese gift set this December… Sorry Mom!

Grocery stores and departments stores are famous for the nuts gift set, popcorn gift set, spa gift set, chocolate gift set… To make our gifts even worse most have plastic wrap covering the entire package, and toxic chemicals listed in the ingredients! I’m not sure we want to be giving chemicals in a “spa gift set.” It kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?

Instead, you could create your own chemical free and ecofriendly “gift set,” by combining consumables, and experiences together in one gift. Ultimately creating less waste, and a much more thoughtful gift. Some examples of this might be movie tickets with chocolates from a local bakery , or high quality soaps and a facial from a favorite local spa.

You could also just buy a higher quality gift or consumable and avoid the gift set idea all together. Here are some clutter free gift ideas for women, and clutter free gift ideas for the outdoorsman or woman, and how to simplify gift giving for children to help you out!

Final Thoughts

When you have a vision for the holiday you want to enjoy, these things won’t make the list. Peace and joy are not included in the meat and cheese gift set you bought last minute. Neither is it found in the 4 large storage bins filled with holiday decorations you’ve accumulated throughout the years.

By all means, decorate with your family! Try to use what you have, swap or borrow from family or friends, and even get creative with seasonal décor this year. You’ll find the act of decorating with family is probably the most important, not trudging to the store for another Santa figurine.

Wishing you peace, joy and the feeling of generosity this holiday to you and your family!

Join the Discussion

What holiday item from this list can you avoid buying this year?

P.S. We always ask readers to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. We consciously try to document our everyday simple lives with wellness, financial literacy, and minimalism tips. If you’re trying to cut out social media, you’ll need to subscribe directly to this blog. We welcome you to join us!

Author

Maria Halcumb is a teacher, reading specialist, and mother. You can find her reading books, being in nature, minimizing her life, and spending time with family and friends in the great PNW. If you want to learn more about Maria, check out the About page.