The idea of Christmas in July is a marketing maneuver that many stores and corporations use to try and make a few extra bucks with big sales during a month that has few marketing opportunities. However I decided to kick-start my yard sale shopping this month so that I can buy Christmas presents now. It is my goal to buy very few, if any, NEW gifts for Christmas this year. If I do buy new I want to be able to have the money to invest in quality items that will last.
Why? Well, buying new encourages the consumerism that devastates our planetary resources. Buying used is always a better alternative. I will also save a ton of cash that can be spent on more worthwhile things. Too many people drown themselves financially every Christmas because they just get caught up in a consumerist frenzy. I did the whole 5 AM trip to Wal-Mart last year and was shocked to see folks that I knew were just barely scraping by loading up their carts with TVs, game systems, and other expensive stuff. I felt weird for being there just to get a laptop DVD player…for myself. But wanna hear something sad? I brought that DVD player home and I never saw it again. I have NO idea where it is…I just bought it and forgot about it. That shows how much I needed it. :(
Even though I think I did reasonably well last year I hope to do even better this year. I will try to go used or homemade for all gifts. I am off to a good start. I have a few things already for my two youngest.
It also works for birthdays. My 7 year old son turns 8 at the end of August and I have already bought all his presents and all of them are new despite finding them at yard sales. He is getting a chemistry set, a big box of modeling clay, 2 wooden model planes, and a large kite. All of it cost around $10 and easily enables us to give him his real present which will be an overnight trip to the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. We will also have a small party for both of us since my birthday is in August too and we will be requesting that no gifts be brought.
This is all part of my plan to live with more simplicity, the goal of which is not to see how cheaply we can get by but how WELL we can live…on less.
I would love for you to comment below and share with me some of your favorite simple living tips!