Toastmasters Speech #5

12 Tips to Lighten Up Your Holiday Season

 

1. Prioritize! Ask yourself what is most important about the holidays, and then schedule your holiday calendar according to those priorities. Avoid activities that don’t bring you some sense of satisfaction. Keep in mind, however, that important may not always equate with enjoyable. You might find that spending time with your partner’s family is less than satisfying, but you know that it is very important. Conversely, while you may enjoy attending every holiday party to which you are invited this season, it might be more important to reserve some of your time and energy for family, or simply for yourself.

2. Prepare a budget. Plan for all the various holiday categories such as gifts, cards, food, travel, events, etc. It is remarkably easy to overspend this time of year (the retail industry counts on it!). Being armed with a well-thought-out spending plan will reduce the likelihood that you will enter the New Year in the red. Keep a record of your budget and what you actually spent for next year’s planning.

3. Inventory your holiday stuff. Don’t be tempted by the barrage of holiday decorations, gadgets, and goodies on display. Taking stock of what you already have will help you avoid those impulse purchases. Get your holiday gear out early enough so you can do an inventory (and, at the same time, cull unwanted items).

4. Shop online. Avoid the crowds in the malls and post offices by shopping online. Gifts purchased over the Internet can be gift-wrapped and shipped directly from the retailer, saving you precious time and resources. And, not only will you significantly reduce your level of stress, but you will also be less inclined to purchase those holiday baubles tempting you in the checkout lines.

5. Shop creatively. Shop for gifts at thrift stores, yard sales, consignment shops, antique stores, and estate sales. The San Luis Valley has a plethora of unique shopping venues that encourage reuse — take advantage of our impressive local resources while supporting the recycling effort.

6. Plan your holiday gift giving. Before you hit the malls or cyber stores sit down and list each recipient on your gift list. Then write down your gift ideas for each person. In some cases, you may be able to determine exactly what you intend to purchase before you even begin shopping. For those difficult-to-buy-for individuals, brainstorming on paper often saves hours of frustration wandering through the malls searching for inspiration. Planning ahead will make your shopping experience more efficient, productive, and enjoyable. You will also be less inclined to shop impulsively.

7. Give gifts sparingly. Don’t feel obligated to give everyone you know a gift this season. If you want to show you care, a card will often suffice. A photo (of you, your family, or your pet) is another low-clutter, personalized offering, which can even slip right in with a card. When you do give gifts, avoid going overboard with multiple gifts. (Anyone with a small child in the family can attest to the troubling phenomenon of excessive present giving.) More gifts mean more holiday clutter, so keep it in check.

8. Send alternative greeting cards. Avoid holiday card waste by sending e-cards. There are numerous free and for-pay e-card companies on the Internet. You can also use their services to “e-vite” guests to holiday parties. Or reuse old cards saved from last year. Simply cut the front side to make a postcard, or paste onto construction paper to create a new card. These make great projects for children!

9. Avoid gifts that encourage clutter. For example, give consumables (gifts with a finite lifespan) such as food, beverages, homemade goodies, plants, or flowers. Another way to limit holiday clutter is to give gift certificates for services such as massage, spa treatments, catering, housecleaning, etc.

10. Consider participating in a gift exchange. A clutter-reducing option to traditional gift giving is the gift exchange. One way to do this is for everyone in a particular group (family, friends, co-workers) to provide a single generic gift. Gifts can be distributed in any number of ways: drawing numbers, rolling dice, holding a raffle, or playing games. A variation on the gift exchange is one in which participants draw the recipient’s name ahead of time and offer their present anonymously. Much of the fun is in trying to guess one’s donor.

11. Give to charity. Consider donating your time or resources to a local food bank, shelter, or favorite charity. You might also give a donation on behalf of someone on your gift list in lieu of giving a traditional gift — a marvelous way to reduce holiday clutter.

12. Forgo gifts altogether. Instead of exchanging gifts, pitch in for a special dinner at a favorite restaurant. Or plan an excursion to a holiday event, a cultural activity, or winter vacation out of town. Such activities will generate holiday memories, not holiday clutter.