5 Tips for a Responsible Christmas
I know it's only October, and I'm sure that like me, you're rolling your eyes at the store shelves festooned with holly, lights, and garland.
Though I think it's way too early to be buying Christmas decorations, I don't think it's too early to be thinking about Christmas, especially if you want to celebrate it responsibly.
Responsibly? Yup. I think you can have a delightful Christmas while still being environmentally responsible, fiscally responsible, and socially responsible.
1. Save up some money.
January is the best time to start this, but hey, October is better than never. Can you eat from your pantry and save some of your grocery money? Make a pizza instead of ordering one? Borrow a movie from the library instead of visiting the movie theater? (you won't even be tempted to sneak candy in if you watch at home!) Sell some clutter? Pick up a small bit of side work? Sign up for Swagbucks and earn some Amazon moola?
Start up an ING savings account earmarked for Christmas saving, and sock the money away there. It'll be available when you need it, but just inaccessible enough to make it easy to leave it alone. And after this Christmas passes, set up a automated contribution to that account every month (even $20/month will give you $240 after a year).
2. Talk to your extended family about paring down.
In an economy like this, your extended family might actually be relieved to cut back. Consider doing a name-drawing exchange, where all the adults draw a name and give a gift only to that person. Or suggest doing kids-only gift exchanges.
The fewer people you have to buy for, the more thought and effort you can put into the gifts you buy, and I think that makes things way more fun!
3. Buy from businesses that you can feel comfortable supporting.
You probably don't feel great buying nothing but cheaply made products imported from China, and cheaply made products from China aren't ultimately going to bless your recipients all that much (they'll likely wear out and break in short order.)
Responsibly made products do usually cost more, but if you've pared down your gift list some, you might be able to spend a bit more on each present.
Remember Novica, the company that partners with artisans around the world? I think they're a great place to shop for gifts, and I just noticed that until midnight PDT today, they're offering free shipping on almost all of their jewelry (note to self: hurry and order earrings for Lisey!). In addition, you can use the coupon code NOVICAEX3 to save $10/$40 purchase. 
Or consider buying a shirt for someone from Dandelion Dreams, and help support the adoption of a little girl from the Congo.
Give someone responsibly-produced coffee. Check out what Ten Thousand Villages has to offer. Buy environmentally responsible, organic gifts. Even if you can't shop at these types of places for all your gifts, buy one or two responsibly-produced gifts. Something is better than nothing!
Oh, and I can't finish #3 up without mentioning that thrift stores are socially, evironmentally, AND fiscally responsible places to shop. So, don't rule them out. 🙂
(Zoe, for one, doesn't mind getting second-hand gifts! And neither does Sonia.)
4. Make some gifts.
You don't have to make fancy, time-consuming gifts for everyone on your lists, but maybe you can make some simple gifts for at least a few people. Homemade gifts are usually frugal and environmentally responsible, so if you can find the time, they're a win-win!
Need some inspiration? Check out my 5 homemade gift ideas. I've made some fun scrapbooks as gifts before too. And here are some of our homemade/thrifted gifts from last Christmas.
Also, my ebook, Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose has a number of ideas in it that can be used as Christmas gifts.
It's only $3.99, so even if you only use one idea for Christmas, it'll pay for itself! And all the ideas in my book reuse or repurpose old clothes, so they're fiscally and environmentally responsible. Plus, this book will help you to responsibly use your old clothes throughout the year, not just at Christmas.
5. Spend less and give more.
The Advent Conspiracy covers this idea really well, so go check them out!
If you're feeling the urge to have a less consumery, less selfish Christmas, pare down your gift list, cut back your Christmas budget, and use the saved money to bless someone who doesn't have clean water or food to eat. Living Water is a favorite charity of mine, and Heifer is pretty awesome too.
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What would you add to the list? How do you celebrate responsibly?
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Today's 365 post: At dinner last night, we were talking about the 80s.
Joshua's 365 post: Music
I love this post! Thanks so much for sharing! I did a similar post a couple days ago:
http://purposelyfrugal.com/2011/10/04/its-beginining-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/
I think Christmas can be so much more enjoyable if we really put some thought and effort into it, rather than just going out and grabbing whatever is on the shelves for the people on our lists.
Thanks so much for this great post! I will definitely be using some of these ideas. I thought I'd share a little poem that we use for gift-giving in our family. "Something to wear, something you need, something to play with, something to read." We try to follow it every year to keep costs and over gifting down.
I love this little poem! I've never heard it before, but will have to apply it to our own shopping.
We seem to have managed to "cancel Christmas" with my husband's family, in terms of a gift exchange, and with my siblings (but not my parents yet). Hopefully, next year there will be a third generation that they can start focusing their attention on. 🙂
Any tips about what to do for white elephant exchanges such as at work?
I love that quote, I heard a very similar one that went like this, "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read." I wish I had heard it when my kids were young, because it would have been a great tradition to follow. Although my kids are adults now I'm going to give it a try with them and then when grandkids come along do it with them!!
very timely post for me, i am starting to put my christmas prep/budget lists together! i start stocking up on baking supplies when i see them on sale (butter freezes well and is so expensive normally) and think of present ideas. i mainly only exchange with close family and like to give a charitable gift to each in addition - Heifer has been my go-to charity because people seem to get a kick out of thinking that i gave a water-buffalo, goat, or chickens in their honor. Thanks for telling us about Novica before, I think i am going to give a set of pillow covers this Christmas!
Yay, I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking about Christmas!
Thankfully in our family people are very receptive to handmade gifts (my sister-in-law actually gave me a handmade gift that someone at her work made and she bought it. I was so touched because it meant a lot that she knew I'd appreciate that!)
We also have limits ($25) on our family name swap, which helps. I started buying gifts early this summer (I don't save, just buy along the way) and I'm so happy to be able to enjoy the Christmas season, not feel rushed that I don't have all my gifts bought.
Use the method that children surprisingly agree with, because it's fair: the baby Jesus only got three presents (gold, frankincense and myrrh), so we only get three presents!
Keeps the family mindful of the reason for the season, too.
Another great idea!!
Love your suggestions. Each year I just want to focus on the meaning and the comradery of the season and struggle to not come across as a scrooge for not going nuts with spending.
We don't need anymore stuff.
I think this year I really want to do this idea:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxVnL24eANo/TOKsrHT_zhI/AAAAAAAABUg/L0Eff-B2ik4/s1600/advent.pickles.jpg
and inside have: cuddles, read a special book, phone Nannan...in them. My little one is only 20 months but if we don't start now with keeping the spirit of the season then it'll never happen.
Give an experience instead of a gift. Lunch out, a day doing whatever, a camping trip, horse ride, hike, lessons, cookies once a month, movie.........
This is a great post, Kristen. Very nicely done. Too often the mad rush around Christmas turns this very special holiday into a nightmare, for me at least. Its good to think and plan ahead to avoid some of that.
My idea for my children this Christmas is to open bank accounts for them and put some cash in them. We've been talking to them that every time they receive money, they should sest some aside for the tithe, save a good chunk, and put a small amount in a "spend" category. So, if we do the bank account thing this year, they will be able to spend a little bit and get something fun, while also gaining some hands on experience in saving and tithing.
You forgot to mention the famous gift bags that you make! Very responsible, because they are reusable, and of course they are beautiful too! I've been making a few through this year, and I'm looking forward to filling them with treasures!
Great post!
After I raved about Kristin's gift bags last year, one of my friends who is handy with a sewing machine made me a bunch as my Christmas gift. I've been using them all year for birthdays so now our circle of friends and family has a rotating supply of them. The maker wasn't quite as frugal as Kristin since she bought new material for them. But she bought Halloween material on 75% off clearance, so it was about $10 for all the material. And some of it is wild--dragon scales, blue velvet with glitter, etc. I thought it was a great gift!
Q&A for your readers... I'm looking for dishcloths that DRY dishes. I'm tired of ones that feel soft and don't dry, or work for 2 months and then shred. I've heard that some cloth diapers do well, but we don't have children, so I would like specifics on that. And other ideas? Please? I have dishrags down (knit those), but not drying ones. Tshirts, socks, fail - good as rags, not good at drying. Thoughts?
I use terrycloth kitchen towels when I have to dry dishes. Which is as little as I can manage ... I lazily prefer to let the air do that for me.
I love to quote my aunt on this subject: "I let God dry them for me in the cupboard!"
My mother always says that if you want towels that actually dry, don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets with them!
I just use the white dishtowels that you can get in a 10 (?) pack at wal-mart or sam's, and they work just fine.
Yes, fabric softener or dryer sheets both coat the fibers making them soft but not absorbent! If you need to "fix" your towels, put vinegar in the rinse cycle. They may smell like vinegar after they are washed but will not smell after they are dried.
Go all cotton, they don't necessarily have to be terrycloth - I like the tea-towel type texture (say that 5 times fast!) myself. But that's probably 'cause it's what we used at my mom's. 🙂
Thanks, everybody! I knew you folks would be helpful. 🙂
Use the one thing made to absorb a ton of liquid - cloth diapers. (New ones, of course 🙂
Thanks for posting this today. We're hitting that time of year where my son is saying "Can I get that for Christmas?" about everything.
I've actually heard the same poem mentioned above, but in a slightly different form: "something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read." I'm hoping that I can convince my husband--who, while he is quite frugal most of the year, would fill our entire home with presents for the kids if he could--to move towards that, especially once the kids are older.
We have a rule in our house that gifts are only given at Christmas, birthdays and Easter and you may chose one thing. A gift is anything you want that you cannot buy yourself. I feel it is my responsibility to fill my children's needs when they need it rather than giving it as a gift. The good thing is, they get one gift from us, their parents, one gift from each set of grandparents and one gift from each aunt and uncle. Added up, that's a lot of presents!
Great stuff. I did most of our Christmas shopping for our four kids this year at a big consignment sale. Got some GREAT stuff at awesome prices.
And I noticed that Ten Thousand Villages has had some great jewelry in their online sale section--not that I mind paying full price for something fair trade, but I can't seem to help myself when there's a "sale"!!
My friend collects all the requests he get for donations this time of year. Then at Christmas the family sits down with those as a group and each person chooses which one they want him to donate to as their gift. That way the person "giving" the gift gets to pick which best suits him or her and everyone, including the charities chosen, feels good about their part of the celebration.
I just bought a pair of very pretty earrings from the Novica website, and if you set up a new account with them you get $7 off of your first purchase by using the code SAVE7NOVICA. My first Christmas present has been purchased and it cost less that $12 (which includes the shipping)! And no hassle or long lines to stand in! I love it!!!
One thing I am doing is making homemade jam and vanilla. I have a few jars of strawberry jam and fig preserves to give away and I am sure that my family will appreciate a taste of summer at Christmastime. Making vanilla extract is EASY and I think will make a great gift.
Get a vanilla bean and slice it open and drop it in a bottle. Pour in 1/2 cup of vodka, and seal the bottle. Forget about it for 2-3 months (until December!), remove the vanilla bean and then give it away with a pretty ribbon and a wooden spoon or something. It will keep in the fridge for a year. I have a lot of bakers in my family so they should appreciate this gift.
Since we have a separate gift-giving holiday on Dec, 5, and since I wanted Christmas to be a holiday in the true sense, a holy day, we quit gift giving all together. I know that will not be an option to everyone, Sinterklaas is a very Dutch affair. But the best part is that my boys keep telling me that Christmas is their favourite time of the year! All we do is celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the return of the Light. We spend time together and set this holiday apart from the rest of the year with simple frugal rituals that belong to our family. And it works.
Again, this may not work for everyone. But even if you do exchange gifts, you may considering concentrating more on spending time together and try to invent simple rituals that set this holiday apart from all other days of the year.
I Christmas shop all year round. That way I can take advantage of purchasing items from local summer festivals, on super mega sale IF it is an item I know the person will like or use. It also spreads the cost out and ensures I pay cash for all of our holiday gifts. More often I shop for IDEAS. I'm on the lookout when someone compliments me on something I wear, the new things the kids are into (sports, hobbies, etc), mentions that they are considering buying such and such. I write them items down on a spreadsheet full of gift ideas on my computer. I also have a little section that my personal wish list so if something asks me what I like for my birthday/Christmas I remember the book I was interested in, etc.
A couple of years ago I made my nephews fleece pj pants and the nieces purses. The PJs went over well - with Teenage boys no less! The girls liked the purses but I think they wished they got PJs too. This summer, found a sale, bought the fabric for all the kids pj pant gifts (saved 60%!) The scraps won't go to waste. I'm going to braid them into doggie chew toys. Yes, I'm "extravagent" I give my dog gifts for Christmas too.
Fleece PJ pants is a fantastic idea! I think you may have sorted Christmas for me! I never know what to get for my nephews, whose parents have a similar outlook to me(no more stuff PLEASE!). And I know 10 year old DS would love them. I find it hard to find any trousers (pants) to fit him properly as he is very skinny but also very tall- age 14 leg length and about age 9 waist!And he loves anything fleecy.
Off to look at fabric...
Another tip is to buy things throughout the year. I'm making a car mat for my son (I decided it may not be the most cost effective, but it will last!) and we've been buying cars, trucks, etc to go with it when we've seen stuff we've like for the last few months. He'll have a great Christmas with it (of course he's only two and a half so isn't caught up in asking for things yet!)
I'm going to go check out The Advent Conspiracy... thanks for the tip! And the Novica link as well.
We've already started our Christmas shopping as well -starting early makes it more fun and keeps the spending down. Here's why I start shopping early: http://liverichandfree.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-im-christmas-shopping-now.html
I've been shopping for clearance toys and sales since July! I feel like I've got a good head start before the Christmas frenzy beings. These are great reminders, I would love to give to Heifer this year as well.
One tip I have is to turn off the TV when the holiday commercial ads start. Not being tempted to buy, buy, BUY helps me to stay on track with my giving and priorities. Remembering the joy of the season can not be found at Macy's.
Thanks! 🙂
Those are great ideas. I also like to do nice gift baskets with stuff from the dollar store, thrift shops and garage sales ect.. It is fun to put food in them like homemade fudge too.
Loved your reuse book. And just to add, another Christmas idea, when i saw the pretty little flower headband, it reminds me of the fabric yo yo's I make and i think easier to make. Put a button in the middle and looks just like a flower but just one piece...circle, running stitch, pursestring it, and wala! And can make doilies and so many different things with them.
I recently started making cheese. My husband and I are planning on giving our parents and brothers all homemade, organic cheese for Christmas! We might give them some other tidbits too, but I'm excited about the cheese part.
I have a large extended family. Several years ago we cut out the name draw among the adults, and give gifts only to the children ( under 18). We have always had a white elephant gift game, the one where you can "steal" the gift away from another person, etc. Last year, we decided that instead of the usual " white elephant" gift, we would do a gift card exchange. The value is $20 and the suggestion was to get creative; think of places - stores, restaurants, entertainment, etc., (even online shopping websites),that we wouldn't normally think of. Well, it went over great- there hasn't been so much "stealing" at our white elephant game in years! Any person who wishes to participate buys and wraps a $20 gift card. That's all you have to
spend. The kids,even though they are receiving gifts from family members, like to have their own little gift game. This is mainly for the ones under 12- after that, they can participate in the grownup game if they want.
If $20 sounds steep for a gift game, it isn't when you add up what you would spend if you were exchanging with all your relatives!
Love this post, Kristen! We don't save year-round, but that's only because my husband always gets an "extra" check during one of the fall months, and we use some of that for Christmas. Otherwise, we'd be socking away cash every month.
I love my local Ten Thousand Villages store for gifts. It seems like I can find something for everybody there (though the danger is that I see lots of stuff I want, too!) I'm also making a lot of homemade gifts this year, though I won't disclose what they are. 🙂
I would like to add that I also shop year round. In the days that I was staying home with four children, layaways were my best friend. Then most stores discontinued them- but I hear Wpalmart has started theirs again, as has Toys r us.
As admirable as it is to make Christmas shopping all year round, this typically doesn't happen with us. Giving a ticket to concert or tip the family movie instead of giving stuff I quess would be environment friendly. (Buying nothing even better but this far we didn't get yet. 🙂 I would like to add to the list, done with kids especially, GFA's Christmas-shop. (GospelforAsia)
I agree it's only October, but for those of us who do Christmas in a 'simple frugal way' it requires some prep. I'm starting to think about my miniature Christmas cakes, homemade cards off the kids etc... not all this happens overnight!
May I add about the coffee gift. One idea is to buy a reusable insulated mug, and some good coffee. Make a gift voucher for the recipient as 'coffee to go' for a month - something along those lines - a little thought goes a long way!
Samaritan's Purse is also a great place to give gifts of charity. You can purchase anything from clothes to water to chickens for those in need and do it in honor of someone. This is what I will be doing for my in laws this year. They have asked we not buy them stuff for Christmas so I thought this would be a good way to honor them.
Over the past several years I have been working on getting to a "free" Christmas by creating with the stash I have collected. And I have bought from a local winter farmers' market and the library booksales (although someone was astonished that I would give a used item). My SIL works at a thrift shop and we always anticipate what we might received from second-hand Rose (and I have some nice, where-did-you-get-that items from her. Last year we started pizza and movie night.
Advent is suppose to be the preparation to Christmas, which follows. To me we rush around for that time period and then stop at Dec. 25.
These are great tips! I especially like #4. In the past I've been hesitant to make gifts for people, because I thought they may not appreciate something homemade as much as store-bought, but then I realized it that I love it when my sister-in-law gives me a basket full of homemade jams and scones and other edible things at Christmas, so people I know would probably love it too.
This is my first year saving up for Christmas each month. My husband and I don't spend much at Christmas ($300 maybe?), so we only have to save $25 a month. It's not a huge burden on our monthly budget to tuck away an extra $25, and now we don't have to spend this Christmas scrambling around trying to find an extra $300 in our December budget.
I know this is an old post (and I'm commenting in July) but...
There's definitely some good information here! I especially love 3 and 5. However, I have to disagree with your non-tip comment about October being too early to buy Christmas decorations. You may feel it's too early to actually decorate, but shops put decorations out at the lowest price you'll get between whenever they rear their glitter encrusted heads and the after-Christmas sale. The prices are going to steadily increase until they start putting them on the 2-days-til-Christmas "sale" - which will still be more expensive than they were to begin with! If you're trying to save money, buy early and stash them in a box in the closet. You don't HAVE to put them out the moment you buy them.