Christmas is a very special time of the year when we look forward to the holiday period and spending time with our loved ones.
The much-awaited festive season brings Christmas trees, fairy lights, baubles, garlands, candles and bubbly making it all very joyful and just lovely! We start looking forward to spending time with family and friends and, in preparation, we make gift lists. The downside is that far too often we end up spending most of December thinking and searching for presents. To ensure the Holiday craze does not get to your sanity or your wallet unnecessarily, try this: on the run up to Christmas, and especially today just a few days away, stop, think and relax instead.
When I was little Christmas presents were fewer and mostly from my parents and grandparents, but for a long while into my adulthood presents seemed to sprout from everywhere: family members I saw just once a year, distant friends with well-timed parcels, colleagues keen on secret Santa and even neighbours who seemed to appear with a gift at my front door on the day before Christmas. Although this seems all very nice, over the last few years it has brought me to ponder over the necessity of it all.
A curious observation has been that, apart from the gifts that came from the ones really close to me, the rest often appeared to be impersonal, as if bought in a rush, under offer or recycled without much thought behind. It is not that I do not understand or appreciate what it means to buy on a budget and the challenges of not knowing the person you are buying for very well. What I don’t fully understand is the need for this dance. The second observation has been that, typically, I find myself running out with a guilty feeling looking for presents for people who I had not planned to buy for but who have presented me with a gift. My thought is: do we really need this? Wouldn’t it be nicer to spend time together with a cup of hot choc or glass of bubbly in the comfortable knowledge that nothing is suddenly going to spring out of a bag making us feel unprepared or with less pennies in our pocket?
In Spanish there is a word for presents we receive with which we have no idea what to do. They are called “pongos” and the reason is because they answer to the question “donde lo pongo”, meaning “where shall I put it?”. What if we said no to pongos, no to unnecessary presents and replaced that with spending quality time with our loved ones? I believe banning the pongo-dance will, not only help us fully appreciate the meaning of this special time of the year, but also aid our finances. Least but not last, it will go a long way to reduce our carbon footprint. Interestingly, I once came across a picture of a lorry with the sign “Don’t like trucks? Stop buying shit! Problem solved.” Quite thought provoking, huh?
So, where does the decluttering come into play? In the last few years I found that decluttering in the month of December is a really good reminder of all the things we already have which we don’t even need. Even when we try to hide or deny it, deep down we know our homes, garages, lofts and sheds are full of stuff and this stuff clutters our homes, makes us spend more money and buy more boxes to contain these things that we are not even using! Not to mention the feeling of guilt we often feel when we do not use or wear something or when we find ourselves hiding an unwanted present that was never really us. All this stuff can even weight us down and hold us back making us view moving house or taking up a job or sabbatical abroad seem impractical and complicated.
Since early age we have been exposed to consumerism through advertising, product placements and well displayed store windows. We are continuously exposed to it and as we see more and more of our peers possessing more and more of these things, we too can from time to time unknowingly turn into mag pies. But spend some time exercising your power over it and you will suddenly start wondering what the fuss over owning more and more stuff is. Do we really need the latest fruit juicer? Do we really need a new watch or another set of candle holders? By the way, just I case you were wondering about it – the latest perfume fragrance is not going to make you that much sexier!
While you go about decluttering, think about getting rid not just of your material stuff but also of those subscriptions you no longer enjoy or no longer have a use for. Learn to live with what you really need and declutter your life of unnecessary things and costs. I was once asked how was it possible I did not hold a movie streaming service subscription since they are so cheap. “It’s just a few pounds a month” I was told “surely anyone can afford that!” This comment left me rather perplexed. Of course I could afford it, but my question was: “why if I have no use for it?” Plus, as a tip, most streaming services replenish their stock very slowly, meaning you are often better off signing up for a free trial or just for a couple of months when you know you’ll be spending some time at home, like during the holidays.
Perhaps, consider sharing your thoughts with friends and family too. You might have seen a familiar social media post doing the rounds every year around Christmas. The one suggesting being the present instead of buying presents, wrapping someone in a hug instead of wrapping presents, sending love instead of gifts and being the light instead going to see the lights.
Most people already have a lot of stuff and decluttering in December is a great way to be reminded of that. Consider selling or donating what you no longer need. There is also a lot of joy in knowing that by letting go of your unwanted things you let others enjoy them. There’s a lot of charities out there fighting for good causes who would be thrilled to have your unwanted treasures! Be the present and spend quality time with your loved ones. That’s what’s truly is important and instead of worrying about not seeing everyone because of the gift fear, make a point of seeing everyone and wrap them up with a warm hug. Don’t let consumerism stand in your way to human contact and happiness. Finally, feel relieved in the knowledge that you’ll have no overdraft worries weighting you down on Christmas day.
