Holidays are intended to be times of gratitude, giving and gathering with loved ones, not perpetuating the many ills associated with our consumer-oriented culture.
Glad tidings! It’s not necessary to join the shopocalypse this holiday season to make these wonderful memories. With a little creative thinking, we can save money, give loved ones meaningful gifts, and be nicer to the planet. Here are a few ideas:
Black Friday – Don’t Buy It!
Instead of battling crowds and traffic to spend money on things people may or may not need this Black Friday, choose one of these options instead:
- Buy-Nothing Day. Thirty years ago, this protest against consumerism started in Canada. Today, the idea is gaining momentum in North America, the United Kingdom, Scandanavia and elsewhere. Ignore consumer frenzy in favor of dozens of other activities. What to make it a more regular habit? Learn more about the Buy Nothing Project here.
- Opt Outside. One of the best ways to celebrate is with the beauty of nature. In 2015, REI Coop started closing their doors on Black Friday, gave their employees the day off, and encouraged everyone to have fun outdoors instead of shopping. The tradition has caught on, and many people spend that day creating healthy traditions of their own.
Small Business Saturday
Shopping at locally owned stores instead of big boxes has many benefits: your money goes to local families, where it improves the tax base, creates local jobs, and encourages local entrepreneurship. You benefit by finding unique, quality products, personalized service, community connections, lower emissions and less waste, because those items don’t have to be packaged and shipped from far away.
While you’re shopping locally, pay cash when you can. Digital payments are easy, but that convenience comes with a price. With every transaction, +/- 3.5% goes to big banks and their investors, leaving less to circulate in the community. After only 50 transactions, less than $20 remains of the original $100 transaction. The rest has gone to corporations and their investors. Local business must pay those fees themselves or pass them on to consumers. For this reason, some retailers offer cash discounts. Cash keeps wealth here in the community.
Donate Gifts that Matter
Instead of buying your loved ones those shirts, scarves, candles, and other doo-dads they may never use, and which will ultimately end up in a landfill somewhere, donate gifts in their honor to your favorite nonprofits. Or invite them to volunteer with you for a cause that matters. This list, curated by local experts, features local, hard-working nonprofits that need support year-round.
Your charitable holiday gift becomes an investment in our community, and it can start a conversation with your loved ones about issues that matter. Studies show conversations are the best ways to reduce bias and influence people’s thinking about important issues like climate change.
Make your Christmas a Thriftmas.
Thrifting is a sustainable way to shop for clothes, electronics, and household goods. It saves items from landfills, supports local businesses, and is often more affordable than buying new. What treasure might you find today? Browse these thrifty holiday ideas on Pinterist.
Give memories and experiences, not things.
In my family, we have too much stuff already, so we opt to give consumables like food or fun experiences like nights out, massages, manicures, pedicures, and weekends away. These are great ways to support local economies while providing memories everyone will cherish. Although we do have a soft spot for board games. Those shelves are getting fuller, but they make for fun family game nights.
Here are a few other ideas for sustainable holidays: