The holidays can be one of the happiest times of the year as we enjoy the company of our family and friends. It is also one of the most clutter-generating times of the year. We give and receive hostess gifts, teacher gifts and Christmas or Hanukkah gifts, and if your family is like mine, even birthday gifts. Having such an extensive gift exchange not only fills your life with clutter but also empties your wallet!

Take a look at the following gift ideas to reduce clutter and save you time and money.

Buy Nothing Christmas

Buy Nothing Christmas was started by Canadian Mennonites but is open to anyone with a desire to change the way we think about gift giving. This website has lots of great information and ideas about making your own gifts as well as other resources.
I have made coupons in the past, where I offer my time for things like baby-sitting services, car washing, lawn mowing and house cleaning. Children can easily make these coupons as gifts and offer them to friends and family.

Donate to Charities

Did you know that Revenue Canada lists all registered charities in Canada? Why not donate to a local charity in someone’s name instead of buying yet another bottle of wine for the hostess of the holiday party?

Each year, our family “buys” items from the World Vision Catalogue. For the teachers at the children’s school, we’ve purchased supplies for a classroom in a developing country because teachers do NOT need more coffee mugs! For those relatives that have everything we’ve purchased rabbits, piglets and chickens in their names. These animals support families in developing countries. Instead of the typical office “Secret Santa” have everyone pitch in cash and buy an alpaca from World Vision. Make it fun — your alpaca could be your office mascot!

Family Heirlooms

Family heirlooms like dishes and jewelry are meant to be used and enjoyed. If you’re not using them, give them to another family member who will enjoy them. Include some stories about the gift that underline its significance in the family. For example, my Great-Grandmother bought her set of dishes one at a time with money she earned by selling the cream she skimmed off the milk produced on her farm. This is a gift I have really treasured over the years and I so appreciate knowing the story behind it, otherwise it would just be another set of dishes cluttering my cupboards.

Gift Cards

For those of you that feel you must buy a gift, I suggest gift cards. Here is a list of my favourite ones:

• Gift certificates for any store in the shopping mall
• Gift certificates for music to download or a bookstore
• Gift certificates for the supermarket are perfect for those on a tight budget.
• Offer to pay for a child’s piano or swimming lessons.
• Bus passes or gift certificates for a taxi company are perfect for those who rely on public transit.

Here are some holiday shopping tips for those of you who do shop for gifts:

• Organize your purse before you go shopping. Eliminate any unnecessary receipts, paperwork or other items. Ensure you have all your coupons and gift cards before you go shopping.
• Make a list of gifts to buy and for whom you are buying. If you don’t know what to buy for someone, write an amount that you wish to spend, that way you won’t spend too much.
• If you’re looking to buy a particular item, watch the advertisements for a sale and make a note of when the sale ends.
• If you plan to do your shopping on a particular day, make a plan. Go to stores in order so you’re not wasting time in traffic. If you can, plan to go to shopping during off-peak hours such as Tuesday morning.
• Make sure you are well-rested before you go shopping. Wear comfortable clothing and take a snack.
• Lock your purchases in the trunk of your car. Take a blanket with you to throw over purchases you place in the back seat.
• If you’re shopping with a friend, exchange cell phone numbers in case you get separated in the mall. (My husband and I shop with walkie-talkies!)
• Take advantage of the holiday sales to purchase birthday presents for family members too.

Remember the most important gift you can give is your TIME.  Spend time with those your care about over the holidays; they will remember that more than any material item you can give them.  Fill someone’s heart with good memories NOT their home with stuff.

Reducing clutter in our lives may also mean reducing the amount of stuff we own. Considering today’s economy and the limited space we have in our homes and offices, I’m presenting some alternatives to purchasing and owning “stuff”.

Enjoying the Library

Borrow

Save the space on your book shelves for those books you love and refer to often – borrow from the library. If you love a book you’ve borrowed or if you think that you will refer back to it often (at least weekly) then it is probably worth purchasing. If you don’t think you’ll refer to it that often, you can always borrow it from the library again. The library also loans magazines and newspapers. Reduce the number of subscriptions you have and read them at the library instead.

While I don’t advocate borrowing from friends and family, if you do happen to do so, make sure you return the items in excellent condition. Compensating your friends with a bottle of wine or plate of cookies is a nice gesture too.

Rent

If you only do a building project once or twice per year, consider renting the specialized, expensive equipment. Rental equipment is usually the latest model and is always in good working condition. Another advantage of renting is that you can use the exact piece of equipment that you need instead of trying to make do with what you already own.

Renting camping equipment, boats and bicycles allows you to try out several different models or designs. This will permit you to make an informed decision should you decide that the particular activity is something you wish to pursue.

Share

Consider sharing equipment with family/friends that live close to you. For example, you might want to go in halves on a snowblower with a neighbour or halves on audio/visual equipment with a business colleague. Draw up a contract that you are both comfortable with detailing the use, storage and maintenance of the equipment. Make sure you come to an equitable agreement about what happens when one of you wants to stop sharing.