Celebrate without buying gifts.
Why do you need to spend money to celebrate? Spend your time with people instead.
Personally I like giving other people gifts. It’s part of the fun. Last year I got my brother a drone and he got me a thrifted, pit-stained t-shirt for a band I don’t listen to that much. I don’t care, I just like to give other people cool gifts!
I know a guy who grew up occasionally homeless. He has ended up as a well paid tech manager and his approach is that his family can usually just afford the things they want, so instead of buying stress gifts the last month of each year, his family picks a charitable cause to donate time and money to instead.
They’ve bought goats for third world families; paid for education, transportation and home construction; fed hungry and clothed the naked.
He’s a cool guy.
I’m buying myself a new weighted blanket 🥳
give me your money instead
Make plans after Christmas day and buy presents on boxing day on discount is what I’d do tbh.
What the hell is boxing day??
the day after christmas. not entirely sure where the name comes from or what it means tbh
This is why e-giftcards exist
Count my money while browsing boxing day sales and chuckling because I don’t actually need anything.
I haven’t had money for holiday presents in over a decade, I don’t plan to waste money on it now. Majority of “presents” end up in the landfill or as returns, to be sent to the landfill anyway, so mindless consumerism wins again.
I let my wife handle all the gifts, but I put up the tree and make all the food.
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
No gifts, just a card. And that still caught her off-guard, because she knows I’m opposed to materialism (for the sake of materialism; I still buy nice things for the things I need).
