{"id":13477,"date":"2014-11-24T04:59:33","date_gmt":"2014-11-24T11:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/becomingblog.wpengine.com\/?p=13477"},"modified":"2017-12-08T15:37:49","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T22:37:49","slug":"unwrap-clutterfree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/unwrap-clutterfree\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Avoid Holiday Gift Clutter"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Well before the over-commercialization of holidays and society, gift-giving was practiced. It\u00a0is a tradition as old as time itself.<\/p>\n
Gifts can be given for the purpose of expressing love, showing appreciation, gaining favor, smoothing over a disagreement, or even manipulating for personal gain. Because of these varied motivations, our approach to decluttering gifts and handling holiday clutter can\u00a0get\u00a0complicated\u2014especially if the motivations behind gift-giving are selfish in nature.<\/p>\n
Before considering how<\/em> to declutter gifts, it is important to articulate\u00a0these motivations so we can recognize them and proceed appropriately.<\/p>\n Personally, I respect gift-giving as a love language and do not want to rob my family members of that joy. If this is their motivation, we prefer quality over quantity, needs over wants, experiences over products, and provide gift wish-lists whenever possible. For the kids, we reevaluate toy boxes and closet space a few months after the holidays to determine if there are items (new or old) to remove. The philosophy is simple, straight-forward, and easy to manage.<\/p>\n But, if the motivation behind gift-giving is manipulative in nature, I have other opinions. Gifts given with an hidden agenda are less appreciated. These can be difficult to recognize at first, but over time, givers with these manipulative habits will\u00a0identify themselves. It is important to address your concern with\u00a0this type of gift-giver\u2014and this does not have to be done in a confrontational manner, it can still be accomplished with respect and tact.<\/p>\n Of course, the most difficult gift-giver to address is the one who should be motivated by love, but is motivated by selfish gain instead. It is important to be aware and assertive in these circumstances. Find a private moment to ask the giver if they are expecting anything in return for the gift. Allowing\u00a0them to audibly declare \u201cno\u201d will be a helpful step for you and them. If the problem persists, it is within your right to not accept a gift. If this is the only way for the giver to recognize the severity of their problem, you may\u00a0actually be giving them a gift by saying no.<\/p>\n For the sake of this conversation, let\u2019s seek to address the genuine gift-giving process. Holidays, birthdays, and special circumstances seem to stack on top of one another. And given our culture\u2019s propensity to commercialize any and every festival and celebration, the receiving of gifts and the subsequent clutter is most certainly on your mind.<\/p>\n How can we create space to both humbly accept gifts and remain clutterfree? What specific steps can we take to successfully overcome holiday gift clutter?<\/p>\n 1. Begin with fewer possessions.<\/strong>\u00a0We have celebrated numerous gift-giving holidays and special occasions since deciding to become minimalist. Each time,\u00a0I am reminded\u00a0one benefit of minimalism is that there is \u201croom to add.\u201d Because we have kept our personal belongings and kids\u2019 toys down to a minimum through regular sorting and purging, there is room in our home for new things to enter. Although adding new things may seem counter-productive to the pursuit of\u00a0minimalism, it is in fact, one good reason to consider it.<\/p>\n 2. Make your gift requests known early.<\/strong> Though it does not always work out this way, gift-givers should desire to match their gifts with the receiver\u2019s wishes. Creating gift lists and providing them to family members well in advance of holidays and celebrations can be a very helpful tool in limiting the clutter collection. Work hard to provide a wide-range of gift ideas varying in prices. Again, follow this formula: request quality over quantity, needs over wants, and experiences over products.<\/p>\n