Christmas is one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is the favourite festive season for many people. Most of them always look forward to the end of the year to start their celebrations or even travel to new destinations. But can you have a minimalist Christmas that is also magical?
The festive season is also a chaotic, stressful, and hectic time. People have to attend different gatherings and parties, decorate their homes, buy gifts for family and friends, and organize events.
This makes December one of the most overwhelming months. It can feel like it comes with a never-ending list of things you need to do. This has led some people to try to find ways of getting the most out of a minimalist Christmas. But how can they?
Limit Your Giving
One of the most important things for those who want to get the most out of a minimalist Christmas is to ensure that they are not giving more or receiving more than they need. How many times have you received a gift that you never needed or wanted?
Similarly, how many times do you think you have given someone a gift that they never needed? Instead of doing the same thing this Christmas, why not get a simple gift that makes sense and wishes your loved ones a Merry Christmas?
For instance, Christmas cards can do the job very well for you. You can even get them on mixbook.com easily and have them customized to match your requirements. This will help you avoid spending a lot of money on gifts.
Scale Down on Food
Did you know that about 30% of meals prepared during Christmas go to waste? The truth is that family members and loved ones gather together during Christmas.
They attend long lunches, dinners, and different parties with plenty of food. This makes Christmas look like a food festival to most people.
To get the most this year, you should get organised before Christmas. Ensure that you have planned well for yourself and your family and only prepare what you need. This will save you a lot of money.
Give Experiences Instead of Physical Gifts
Chances are that you have spent a lot of money before getting a gift for a family member or friend during Christmas. Do you know that this gift might be gathering dust somewhere today? They might even have lost or forgotten about it.
Instead of committing the same mistake this Christmas, you should think about giving experiences instead of physical gifts. Such experiences are not easy to forget and chances are that the recipients are likely going to remember that Christmas forever.
You can plan for things like camping with your family, a walk on the beach, skydiving, and lessons, among others. You can even get vouchers to enjoy a day out in the park, movies, or at the zoo. These are experiences that are not likely going to be forgotten.
Observe the Three R’s
Do you know the three R’s? Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. More often than not, people always remember the third R, forgetting the other two. They do not know that if they observed the first two during Christmas, the third one would not be very important.
That notwithstanding, you need to reduce, reuse, and recycle to get the most out of a minimalist Christmas this year. For instance, did you know you can re-gift? If you were given something that you do not use, why not give it to someone else this Christmas?
In addition, you can make your decorations instead of spending money buying expensive ones. Recycle some items in your house when making decorations. When wrapping gifts, you can get fabric sacks instead of the normal gift wrappers. Keep these sacks well and use them again next year.
Ask For No Gifts
This might be one of the most difficult things to do when trying to get the most out of a minimalist Christmas. However, you are allowed to tell your family and loved ones that you do not want any gifts this Christmas.
Just let them know that you are happy with everything in your possession and are not interested in adding anything else. However, make sure that you are polite when making this request. You do not want to sound rude to your loved ones! As an aside, what do you think about re-gifting? This post discusses whether re-gifting is resourceful or rude.
A minimalist Christmas comes with a lot of benefits. You could save a lot of money, keep a clean environment and teach your loved ones to be appreciative. As you can see above, you can achieve this and have a minimalist Christmas, which is still full of joy.