It’s that time of year again…time off from work, seeing your family, eating great food, and searching for the right gift for your loved ones. If you are anything like me, buying gifts can be a stressful time, especially for those you don’t see much. Here are a few ideas to substitute buying meaningless gifts and then feeling guilty for the lack of thought and effort.

1) Instead of buying gifts for your family, sponsor a less fortunate family and get them gifts.

2) Buy an experience that you can participate in together. Something like an escape room, the symphony, or a special weekend away someplace. These types of gifts often have much greater satisfaction involved because people love to experience things together and it’s usually more meaningful than a possession.

3) Decide to limit gift giving to one gift per person. This one can be a bit more tricky because you have to choose which one you think the recipient will appreciate more.

4) Write a kind letter of all the things you appreciated about the other person over the last year. To those who are uncomfortable with touchy feely, this one’s not for you.

5) Give acts of service instead of things. Give coupons for a massage or doing household chores. Sometimes saving people time can be the greatest gift!

Whatever you decide for your gift-giving plans this holiday season, make sure you at least think about why you are choosing the option you do. Increasing your awareness is important and if you love your reason, keep it!
I want to hear from you! How do you navigate the gift-buying season? Leave your comments below. 
Wishing you the happiest of holidays! Peace.