Some people are special – they are the genuine ones who care about you, and make life worth living. We all have such people around us and we genuinely acknowledge and appreciate their presence and efforts. Sometimes we communicate it with words, sometimes let gifts do the talking.
But when it comes to gifting, picking one can be extremely perplexing. So we ask ourselves all sorts of questions – would they like it? Would this item be of use to them? Etc etc.
But what we do not ask ourselves – how much waste a gift can create? How severely would it affect the environment? In fact, these are the right questions you must ask before gifting someone. You wouldn’t want to harm the environment when you should be its knight in shining armor.
So, if you seem to agree and wish to do something good for the environment, here are 50 zero-waste gift ideas you can choose from.
50 Zero-Waste Gift Ideas
A set of reusable kitchen tools such as steel straws, steel spoons, knives, and forks.
Hand-made soaps and shampoo bars to meet their skin and hair goals.
Organic cosmetics such as lip balms, body scrubs, and then moisturizers
Home-made cookies and chocolates packaged in cane boxes, not plastic sheets for wrapping
Dry fruits to make sure they remain in the best of their health.
Tote bags made out of cloth to carry all the essentials in style.
Organic bamboo cutting boards.
Netflix subscriptions for them to Netflix and Chill after a hectic day at work.
Amazon Gift cards to shower them with things they have added to their card for a long time.
Money envelopes, to help them select the gift of their own choice.
Ecards that can be sent over mails. In fact, it can be highly budget-friendly as some websites allow you to send e-cards for free.
Reusable dental kits including wooden toothbrushes, organic toothpaste, floss, and steel tongue cleaner.
Spa gift vouchers to make sure the receiver says goodbye to stress at once.
Concert or movie tickets.
A set of candles. Or jar candles that they can use as planters later.
Recycled notebooks.
Steel and copper water bottles to keep drinkables cool and also for the well-being of our environment.
Coffee mugs (However, if you know your friend has plenty, skip it.)
Earphones – one of the gifts that people would actually use.
Nimble portable chargers. They are eco-friendly and also made out of recycled aluminum.
Steel straps for Apple watch.
Buy your friends e-books if they are avid readers.
Kindle Paperwhite for them to make a switch from paper books to digital books.
Buy a kindle subscription for them.
Gift Video games that come in sustainable packaging options.
Nutella and cookies kit if you know they unconditionally love the combo.
Send them food. However, ensure that the packaging is also eco-friendly. For instance, encourage the restaurant to pack it in brown paper.
Face packs for some top-notch skincare.
Organic bedding – For a peaceful and cozy sleep
Silk pillowcases and scrunchies to help someone with the hair of their dreams.
Cushion covers – People rarely gift it, and it can really be of use to the people you are gifting.
Ceramic vases – they are eco-friendly and can be a great addition to up the home-décor.
Plants – Not only are they a blessing for the environment but one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give someone.
Oxidized Jewelry.
Backpacks – Go for the ones that are made from recycled materials.
Baby shampoo bars and Baby water bottles if you are gifting to children.
Clay set – another sustainable gifting option for kids. (Once again, be mindful of the packaging. If you cannot find it in one, prefer buying loose clay, and then work on its packaging.)
Silicon phone covers – They are any day better than plastic transparent phone covers. You can even go for hard-matte phone covers.
Recycled colored pencils for kids.
Jewelry making kits for kids
Cute planters for somebody who loves gardening. You can even gift them flower seeds as well.
Make a heartfelt video for someone you care about.
Cane mirrors for someone who loves home décor.
Electric diffusers.
Stainless steel lunch boxes and containers.
Reusable makeup removing pads.
Glass food containers.
Make a self-portrait for somebody special.
Handkerchief set – Beware of the packaging.
Green tea sets (Make sure they’re tea leaves, not tea bags)
Finally
Well, don’t you say now that you don’t know what to gift the people you love. I gave you plenty of options to choose from. However, be mindful of the packaging materials after choosing your gifts.
Everything about Christmas is worth smiling and being happy about. The Christmas lights, decorations, carols, gifts, and whatnot. However, there’s still one exception that can make you sweat despite the merriness and joyfulness of Christmas – The expenses. Christmas can mean overspending.
But not anymore! Wondering how? Read along to find out.
30 smart tips to save money during Christmas
1. Gift experiences
You cannot always gift materialistic things, you can also gift experiences. For instance, a go-kart experience for your kid! This is my number 1 ask of people gifting our girls, not just for Christmas, but for everything! An experience and time spent with the gift giver is far more important a memory that will last much longer than the toy or clothing item ever will!
2. Regift
Have a lot of gifts that remain unused and unopened? Feel free to gift them away. There’s no shame in that. As someone who always gets a ton of extra PR gifts I can’t ever use, this is one of my favorite ways to gift. I usually don’t open the item, or if I do, it’s carefully and barely used. It’s the perfect way to gift someone something that would normally sit around and take up space collecting dust!
3. DIY gifts
You can make Christmas cards, mixtapes, cookies, and cakes to gift someone. Even handmade cards are great DIY gifts!
4. Send out E-cards
Some websites allow you to do that for free! A few I found and have used before include 123cards and JibJab.
5. Make use of coupon codes and cashback
Don’t let them sit idle. The same goes for gift cards! These are money baby and you can use them just as you would use cash!
6. Shop Christmas essentials on Amazon
Retail stores tend to loot customers with heavy prices during the Christmas season! Instead, shop on Amazon.
7. Buy Amazon gift cards
Let people decide on their own what they want this Christmas. This works amazing for people you don’t know so well, or those who are extra picky! You can also get amazing deals if you buy them constantly throughout the year.
8. Pay attention to money-saving deals
Don’t turn a blind eye to deals that can help you save bucks. Watch out for sales, offers, and deals. Don’t hesitate to shop beforehand if you find a good deal.
9. Don’t shop last moment on Amazon
You might have to pay extra shipping fees to get the purchases sooner if you place the order late during Christmas days.
10. Shop on Dollar trees
Dollar trees are discount variety stores throughout the USA and Canada. You can get good products for as low as $1.
11. Save wrapping paper
Got a gift? Don’t just throw away the wrapping paper. Instead, open it with ease to use it again.
12. Go for wrapping paper alternatives
Don’t have used wrapping papers? No issue, you don’t need to buy new ones when you can settle for thin wrapping rolls or brown paper rolls. You can also decorate them with stickers for aesthetics. A fun thing which became popular last season was the Japanese style of gift wrapping called furoshiki, which uses fabric to store, carry, and wrap things. They are a specific size, but you can google the size and use any fabrics, or scarfs you want to gift or have on hand as the gift wrapping. It becomes a gift that keeps on giving!
13. Shop cheap Christmas tree decorations
If you are not at all in for using old Christmas tree decorations, at least do not buy decorations from high-end craft and stationery stores. Instead, buy them from the Dollar Store! You’ll get them at dirt-cheap prices and they have cute options always!
14. Save on dinners
If you are hosting a Christmas dinner, try to encourage your guests to bring one dish per family. There’s no shame in that – the wise ones will understand the stress and hard work one has to go through during dinner preparations. This also gives those of us who don’t always cook the ability to contribute something to the table when we otherwise wouldn’t be asked.
As Amazon reserves some portion for itself for every sale, some sellers on Amazon list their products higher to make up for their loss. Thus, you can get the same products cheaper at the seller’s website. You can also do a free store pickup or free shipping if you get it direct from the store versus on Amazon.
18. Go to a mall for a Santa experiences
If your kids love Santa, there’s no need to hire one for them. Instead, take them out to a mall. Malls have Santas dressed up to entertain kids for free.
19. Head to Shutterfly for coupon codes
If you’re looking for great money-saving deals, you can rely on Shutterfly coupon codes. Just register on the website, and you can get amazing coupon codes from time to time.
20. Stop gifting adults
Just ask yourself, how many gifts that you got during the years on Christmas remain unused? I bet there’d be plenty. But that’s not just you. So, stop gifting adults if your acquaintances share the same mindset. If you do decide to gift them, maybe a small gift card and a coffee cup is sufficient. Nothing extravagant is needed.
21. Go for boxed Christmas cards
You can find such boxes in Target. Since they are in bundles, you can get several for cheap. You can continue using them for years if you still have some left to give. These take up less time and energy, thus maybe you will get them in the mail on time!
22. Gift meaningful gifts
Instead of shopping for something expensive for someone, gift them something meaningful. For instance, if your partner loves reading books, gift them one. A gift card to their favorite store is also a meaningful gift that shows you care.
23. Buy an affordable turkey beforehand
You don’t have to buy one from a lavish store. Don’t fall for the packaging and store aesthetics. Especially this year, the shortage of many things will cause for increased prices and higher demands, therefore shop early!
24. Book tickets in advance
Have to be elsewhere for Christmas? Book your tickets beforehand – before ticket prices soar to new heights during Christmas. A little note about this one — have patience and understanding as many people in the service industry are overworked and getting very little pay.
25. Don’t borrow on Christmas
If you can manage the expenses through savings, don’t add loans. You’ll also have to pay interest. The same thing goes for spending all of your paycheck and not putting anything into savings like other months. Now is not the time to skip on your future!
26. Do a secret Santa
Doing a Secret Santa means buying gifts for one person – not everybody. Hence, lots of money-saving. Another tip is to set a limit on the amount spent for the person. It allows people to get creative with their gift giving or to let people pick one gift for that dollar amount.
27. Start money-saving early and create a reserve
Reserve a little money for Christmas every month to prevent the financial blows later.
28. Invest in an artificial Christmas tree
They are cheaper and they won’t destroy the Christmas vibe, but help you save money. Plus, they don’t make a huge mess and require watering, adding to the stress of Christmas.
29. Find local events
If your locality happens to host free events, don’t think twice. Ditch the fancy day-outs. Growing up, the Christmas parade was something we looked forward to each year. We got to see cool floats that threw out candy and it always ended with Santa on the sleigh. We then got to go sit on his lap and get a bag of goodies and tell him what we wanted. Give those same memories to your kids.
30. Lastly, Save for next year
I know it’s a little too early, but hey starting early can help you save more.
Merry Christmas! If you happen to try these tips, let me know how they work out for you in the comments below. Have a great time this year!
Christmas is just around the corner and seems to come faster each year. It’s time to gather the lights, décor and spread joy and happiness all around you. But something even more important is to prepare your wallets for the Christmas expenses that might create a deep hole within your pockets. Even if you are someone who likes to spend time with those you love over gift giving, you still need to plan to save gas money.
So, if you are someone who finds themselves disappointed and stressed after looking at the credit card statement at the end of the holiday season, don’t just sit and do nothing. Work on saving money this Christmas.
Not sure how to do that? Read on!
50 creative ways to save money this Christmas
1. Don’t buy anything during Christmas time.
Prices go exceedingly up, and you end up spending more than you should have. Shop beforehand.
2. Take advantage of Buy 1 Get 1 offers.
This is not limited to Christmas days, if you find such deals on arandom day – even when you are not in the mind frame to shop Christmas gifts, buy them. This will help you save money later.
3. Create a gift basket
If you have someone special to gift something expensive, consider investing in a thoughtful gift basket. Instead of buying one big expensive present, find little inexpensive ones to create a basket.
4. If you happen to have brand new and unused gift items, gift them away.
They don’t do anything other than creating space, they might as well be of use to somebody else.
5. Monitor your expenses.
Calculate how much you have spent, and how much of it is still left.
6. Look for alternatives if a gift seems expensive.
Perhaps you can get the same thing from a different store, or anything else that would be a makeshift for it.
7. Buy second-hand things.
Trust me, you can still get good-quality items at reasonable rates if you do your research well.
8. Shop at the Dollar Store.
If you happen to have one in your city, what are you waiting for? You can get good things at dirt-cheap rates.
9. Compare prices online.
If you find items cheaper there, buy them.
10. Shop from outlets.
You can get things relatively cheaper there.
11. Go for handmade gifts if you can.
They communicate importance.
12. Shop from thrift/flees stores.
Ditch expensive shopping malls.
13. Buy books and DVDs for people who love them, they are inexpensive and can be thoughtful Christmas gifts.
14. Make your greeting cards.
15. Do something different, send e-cards this time.
16. Print your own greeting cards.
They will cost you less.
17. Make use of coupons, vouchers, and cashback points.
18. Bake cookies and cakes, and gift them away as Christmas gifts in cute packaging.
19. Avoid dining at high-end restaurants during Christmas.
Go for a fun-filled home-cooked dinner. If not that, bring in a takeaway.
20. Don’t buy anything extra – even when it might be of use for you after Christmas.
Now is not the time to shop for such items.
21. Limit credit card usage.
22. Save on fuel and electricity in the months before to make up for the heavy bills in the holiday season.
23. Play Secret Santa so you wouldn’t have to gift everybody.
24. Go for an artificial tree.
They are cheaper.
25. Use last year’s Christmas décor – however, change the style.
26. Go for frugal get-togethers.
You can go see Christmas lights as a family. Or if you have gatherings, ask people to pitch in and bring a dish or two.
27. Shop in charity shops.
28. Use last year’s wrapping papers if you still have some.
If not, go for brown rolls and decorate the packaging yourself.
29. Shop in Black Friday sales.
But make sure the deals they say they are are actual deals!
30. Try to gift experiences rather than expensive gifts to special people.
31. Try a side-hustle if your schedule allows.
32. Cut down Santa’s stocking.
33. Book tickets months before if you know you have to travel during holidays.
34. Go for free local outings – free outings or meeting Santa in public spaces.
35. Save on Christmas lights
Don’t decorate the whole house, but just the central parts. Don’t go for fancy decorations
36. Do a yard sale for things you might not need.
37. Go for cheaper alternatives, instead of going for branded stuff.
38. Don’t send out cards to everybody – Call them instead.
Or if you want to send them a card, do so via email or with the online card services like JibJab.
39. Don’t try to please anybody by gifting them beyond your means.
40. Don’t forget to use your loyalty points or credit card points.
41. Try to make and eat at home during the holiday season as much as you can.
You can go out for ice cream instead of dinner. It would be relatively cheaper.
42. Make a shopping list, and ensure you adhere to it.
43. Plan your Christmas meals in advance.
44. Do a casual bonfire over exquisite family dinners.
45. Use Ibotta and Ebate.
46. Create a reserve for Christmas to soften the budget blows or pay for expenses altogether.
47. Do DIYs.
If you have kids, this is the best way to give gifts that are actually from the heart and made with love!
48. Don’t invest in high-end cleaning supplies
Make use of home ingredients such as lemon and baking soda.
49. Fill out surveys and get money in return.
You can use Swagbucks and Mypoints. Use the apps Fetch or Shopkick to get points for scanning receipts and redeem them for gift cards to a lot of places.
50. Always check for coupon codes.
I hope now you’d spare yourself the financial and mental stress of spending so much during Christmas. So come on, be happy, and spread happiness. Have a Merry Christmas!
the environment? In fact, these are the right questions you must ask before gifting someone. You wouldn’t want to harm the environment when you should be its knight in shining armor.
your kid! This is my number 1 ask of people gifting our girls, not just for Christmas, but for everything! An experience and time spent with the gift giver is far more important a memory that will last much longer than the toy or clothing item ever will! 
would use cash! 
as $1.
shame in that – the wise ones will understand the stress and hard work one has to go through during dinner preparations. This also gives those of us who don’t always cook the ability to contribute something to the table when we otherwise wouldn’t be asked. 
partner loves reading books, gift them one. A gift card to their favorite store is also a meaningful gift that shows you care. 
tip is to set a limit on the amount spent for the person. It allows people to get creative with their gift giving or to let people pick one gift for that dollar amount. 
gifts.
decorations
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