If the winter holidays have become more about finance than fun, take heed. Most households will add to their already-worrisome credit-card balances over the next month, and that can cause season-ruining stress. So cut back on the shopping, wrapping, gift-giving, calorie-consuming extravaganza— especially if you’re in charge of it. Instead, consider some psyche- and earth-friendly alternatives, says the Center for a New American Dream. The Takoma Park, Md.-based advocacy group offers a free “Simplify the Holidays” booklet, available on its Web site, newdream.org. Here are some of its tips.
Give time, not things. Take nieces and nephews on an outing to a museum or skating rink, with an ice-cream or cocoa stop. Offer to cook, run errands, dog-walk or handle other chores for family members. Buy a bagful of compact fluorescent light bulbs for an elderly relative, go to his home and install them.
Skip gifts for adults. “Most folks can afford to buy themselves the $30 item you were going to get them anyway,” says Monique Tilford, the center’s deputy director. The extended family can pool their money and take a day trip or meet to decide which charity to give it to. Or gather and “shop” at alternativegifts.org, which lets you give targeted charitable presents—like a goat or bicycle for a poor African-village family—to friends and relatives.
Make a game of giving. Instead of everyone buying multiple gifts for several relatives, draw names. That way, each relative buys just one present; it’s cheaper and allows you more time to fuss over getting the right gift. You can go a step further and make it a minimalist contest by setting a $5 or $10 limit and seeing how creative everyone can be for less.
Pick and choose. Analyze the holiday activities to decide which ones you really like and which are just a burden. Eliminate the burdens by baking with friends, making the holiday dinner a potluck and just skipping some altogether. Replace them with fun, like a family winter hike or multi-generation photo-labeling session. Unless, of course, that’s your burden.
