The numbers are a retailer’s dream, but a consumer’s nightmare. The average American will spend $1,250 this holiday season on gifts, travel, and entertainment.
These numbers might be acceptable if the gifts we were buying and the possessions we were accumulating were actually increasing the happiness in our lives. But that’s not the case.
Over half of us will receive unwanted gifts this year—a staggering $16 billion wasted on unwanted gifts! Eighteen percent of gifts are never used by the person who receives them and 4 percent are immediately thrown into the trash!
The reality is that our homes are already overcrowded with clutter. In fact, the average American home has 300,000 items inside it. The thought of adding more layers of stuff on top of it? It’s all too much.
What then can we give that won’t add to the clutter problem?
99 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas:
Experiences (where applicable)
- Bowling Tickets
- Carriage Ride
- City Tour
- Comedy Club
- Community Theater
- Concert Tickets
- Dinner Gift Card
- Charitable Donation
- Escape Room
- Facial
- Family Vacation
- Horseback Riding
- Indoor Rock Climbing
- Laser Tag
- Manicure/Pedicure
- Massage
- Mini Golf
- Movie Pass
- Orchestra
- Overnight Camp
- Round of Golf
- Shooting Range
- Ski Lift
- Spa Day
- Sporting Event
- Theater Tickets
- Trampoline Park
- Travel Voucher
- Water Park
- Zoo / Aquarium
Memberships
- AAA
- Amazon Prime
- Art Museum
- Audible
- Children’s Museum
- Community Pool
- Disney+
- Dollar Shave Club
- Farm Share
- Hello Fresh
- National Parks
- Netflix
- Science Museum
- Simplify Magazine
- State Parks
- Theme Park
- Toy Library
- YMCA
Time
- Babysitter
- Car Wash
- Date Night Out
- Family Portrait Session
- Gas Card
- House Cleaner
- Oil Change
- Parent/Child Date
- Personal Chef
- Pet Sitting
- Prepped Meals
- Professional Organizer
- Shoveling
- Sunday Brunch
- Yard Service
Classes
- Baking
- Cake Decorating
- Coding
- Cooking
- Dance
- Foreign Language
- Home Brewing
- Improv
- Karate
- Magic
- Master Class
- Music
- Painting/Art
- Photography
- Private Coach
- Scuba Diving
- Sports
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Voice
- Yoga
Consumables
- Baked Goods
- Chocolates
- Coffee Beans
- Coffee Gift Card
- Desserts
- Flowers
- Fruit Basket
- Local Foods
- Meat/Cheeses
- Olive Oil
- Snack Box
- Tacos
- Tea
- Video Game Gift Card
- Wine
I absolutely love this list! It’s so refreshing to see gift ideas that prioritize experiences and practicality over more stuff. I especially appreciate the suggestions for local experiences and personalized gifts. Can’t wait to start planning for the holidays with these clutter-free options in mind!
I absolutely loved this list! It’s so refreshing to find gift ideas that focus on experience and sustainability rather than just stuff. Can’t wait to try some of these out for the upcoming holidays!
This Christmas, I’m giving my kids a donation in their name to the charity of their choice. They both really liked it.
Gift card for a hug and one hour of just listening without phones
White elephant gifts were originally something you have in your home and don’t use.
Oh, that’s interesting. I didn’t know that.
Joshua, Are you replying to the white elephant comment? Interesting! Maybe that explains why people tend to buy really nice/expensive when exchanging white elephant gifts. I guess I have known the “white elephant gift concept” for a long time. I guess because I am old. Haha. After all, I am almost 20 years older than you.
I did this last year. I had everyone over and told them not to bring a white elephant gift. I wrapped up items I had stored and never used. It was fun and I got rid of stuff I wasn’t using.
Oh man, that’s SUCH a swell idea!!!
I need something for my family
Those are GREAT suggestions!
Boppie
not a single suggestion for a charity?
See number 8!
#8 on first list is charitable donation
#8
See #8
Not true, #8 on first list.
See #8
Please read the list before you make that kind of comment
What would you suggest for a white elephant party gift?
For a white elephant party gift, I think it depends on the group of people that you will be gathering with but I also think Toilet paper, laundry detergent, warm socks and soft blanket or a bottle of wine would work for any adult gathering. Lottery scratch off tickets are fun too.
A variety of meats and cheeses (a more expensive cut or brand than what someone might spend), seasoning blends/herbs/spices, specialty coffees/teas.
Lottery tickets!
People who don’t gamble will look at lottery tickets like trash. Thanks for the paper that I can immediately throw into the trash!
Joshua, I hope you’ll follow up with a list of charities to donate to in the name of a friend or family member in lieu of a physical gift or experience. This is what my friends and I do now. Donating to animal shelters or local rescue groups, sanctuaries (Black Beauty Ranch), adopting an elephant (virtually!) (Hedrick Wildlife Trust), going to Amazon for a charity’s wish list and sending things that way in your friends’ honor – are all great clutter-free gift choices. Seems more in line with the spirit of Christmas to me.
Meals on Wheels for Pets Nassau, Inc. is a local Nassau County, FL charity that provides pet food and veterinary care for companion animals of underserved seniors. They would be thrilled to have donations!
Well, I’m a pretty big fan of my nonprofit: The Hope Effect.
Joshua,
Hello; I’ve been an avid reader of your column for over 6 years. I enjoy the articles immensely. I live in Kenya, Africa. I’ve been a minimalist for most of those years of reading your articles.2022 has been a rough year for me. I’m kindly requesting you and your readers to send me to a place in our beautiful country to just relax and unwind. Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place.
What part of Kenya do you live in?
I give cash. No one has complained yet!
Me too!
When both of my parents were still living, they gave me a gift every year for my birthday of a membership with AAA. I firmly believe not only was this providing for my personal safety, nut they were a;so ensuring their own peace of mind.
As my brothers and sisters and in-laws and outlaws have gotten older, we started the gift rule of “it must be edible, drinkable, or consumable (i.e. bath products, ect.)”.
We have years of “things”.
We’ve been including charities on our wish lists for many, many years after my mother starting do it. We all are fortunate enough in having what we need, and that we also have enough to share with others, so we do. My mother was a devoted educator, and the year she passed away my husband made a donation in her name to buy desks for schools who couldn’t afford them. It was one of the best gifts I ever received.
Other than donations we exchange stocking stuffers that are usually something consumable, and maybe a small gift card to a local restaurant, coffee shop, or bookstore. It keeps us on budget and we spend time together relaxing and enjoying each other’s company instead of hours and hours shopping for stuff we don’t really need.
Great ideas! My grandchildren have more than they can possibly want already. No room for more toys! Christmas gift this year will be an outing somewhere of their choice.
Our grands are getting a handmade coupon for an outing of their choice.
Jams/jellies
Honey
And Maple Syrup
why, i might ask, is QUILTING not included in the classes?
Thanks for the comment Alicia. There are a thousand activities not included in the list. If the list sparks new ideas for you (like quilting), it has served its purpose perfectly in my opinion.
I enjoy all crafts and DYI when I am home xxxx
This is the email exchange I had with my sister just yesterday:
Sister: Can you please confirm your address with me.
Me: Please do not send me anything. I don’t need or want a single thing. In fact, earlier this year. I decided not to do gifts—send or receive–ever again. But thank you for the thought!
Sister: Why the decision?
Me: I am not sure. It came out the blue. I believe I was browsing online and maybe letting my brain wander and I suddenly realized that if I wanted something I would just buy it. (Maybe not at the moment since the new home is taking so much of my money but generally.) Maybe I had the new cats and realized they were so bananas that getting a six-foot white tree like I had planned for a long time wasn’t a good idea. Probably it was a combination of things. But I realized I didn’t want to do gifts any more, that Christmas for me would be all the things I loved—and gifts were not an integral part of that.
Sister: Well I’m really sorry to hear that, what are you gonna do for Christmas then or are you going to celebrate it at all. Fyi, not at all people feel obligated to give presents, some people just enjoy making other people smile.
Me: Oh, I am participating fully in the Christmas season. I love it. Events and decorating. Just no gifts, no stress. I am not doing a big meal but maybe pizza or something easy along with board games. We’ll see. My one-year anniversary of my home closing is just a few days before Christmas so it will be a double celebration. It is what I want as far as gifts. I am not adding things to my home as I feel comfortable with what I have now. So gifts are just something in which I don’t wish to participate—but encourage anyone else to do what they with with others.
Lauren, to the latest news, holiday travels curse and lockdown until January can be a big turn down for this year. I love it when you talk about your tree and the cats. They would be happy to have you home. I used to send gifts to my sisterin-laws and brother, and visit them. We now just get on LifeMeet, Zooming with them. It can feel strange but that is as close as you can get if you wish to gather with your family. It is safer to stay away from the outbreak while it gets better, at least, until mid Jan.
It might be important to consider in this discussion that what some people “want to do with others” is to express warmth and love with their ‘native’ love language… (obviously not yours–and that’s okay) which you just insisted must shut up and go away. You shut them down and affirmed you will not express love in a way that most conveys warmth to them. If they are local and you also spend time and make memories this is not such a big deal. But I know what it’s like to be far from all my family gatherings and then be told this stiffling news.
My daughters and their friends ( my extra daughters) all wanted to give me gifts at Christmas, and I told them I didn’t want presents, I wanted their presence… so for the last 13 years we all get together and decorate gingerbread cookies. I make loads of cookies and icing (put in zip lock bags) and we spend the evening decorating and visiting. They each have cookies to take home … they get pretty elaborate w the designs! They don’t have another gift to think about … win win win!!!
I’m 79 and have no means of transportation since my husband died this year. I would have been lost without out prime membership from Amazon. I can order things I need and have them delivered to my door. I’m learning to use EBT card for food and they take it. I also love to read and watch movies. I was blessed we had membership already. But some don’t.
Membership to Walmart and Amazon have been a blessing. Best gift ever for someone like me just to survive. Paying for haircut and offering ride there and back is priceless to them. What would you need if tomorrow you had no transportation? Do that for the disabled or elderly. Make their Christmas bright.???
This sounds perfect for the occasions. Every year we have an issue with the boys. There is very little choices for clothing, books, etc. so money wise, they have to earn them. This year, for the three of them, we decide that they will get a car wash certificate. I am still searching online for specials, for all. Does Uber offers certificate, I think my mother in laws would love those. Happy Holidays!
Dear Eve,
Some groceries offer InstantCart and deliver green vegetables to your house. If someone is in need of fresh fruits and greens it becomes very convenient. I am sure this could be helpful during winter. Betsy.
I just checked it is “Instacart” not InstantCart
Excellent insight Eve.
Thank you and bless you for being willing to try new technologies to help you live independently.
I’m praying for you right now, in so many ways. Your message has blessed my heart, & surely many others. I’m so sorry that your husband was called Home this year. I’m happy that you had a husband, & I hope your heart is filled with years of wonderful memories.
God Bless You.
Great list of gifts to note. Stealing some of this for my ideas. Thanks for sharing
Would love to see a list relevant during the pandemic!
Most of this list is relevant, although some items depend on where you live certainly.
When I click on your book titles the link shows your books are included with audible. I joined audible and it says they are not included. That is disappointing. I was looking forward to listening to them while I organize my home.
Skip the first section relating to outdoors and focus on the below lists that are fantastic.
I enjoy getting and giving a good gift. But there’s just so much waste you’re creating from every product that you purchase. Especially if you’re making the purchase online — say on Amazon. And before the wrapping and packaging can become actual waste, I tend to let them stay in the house for too long to become a semi-permanent clutter. I clean them out periodically but it just feels like a never-ending cycle. These gift ideas you’re providing are super awesome! And it would definitely help someone like me who tends to hoard stuff.