With a little advanced planning, it is easy to save time and money at Christmas. This can be done while using environmentally friendly practices. The holiday season shouldn’t break the bank, and it doesn’t have to. The holiday spirit is about spending quality time with friends and family, and it doesn’t have to be stressful.
Shopping online, purchasing bargain gift bags, stocking up on Christmas decorations during boxing week and organizing Secret Santas are excellent ways to save valuable time and money during the holidays. Consider these eco-friendly holiday stress-breakers and have a joyous holiday season.
Shop Online to Save Time and Avoid Lineups
Shopping online is a great way to save both time and money during the holiday season. Many websites offer secure credit card payment options and fast delivery to the buyer’s home. Consumers can visit OnGuard Online to learn how to protect themselves against fraud.
To save money, it is beneficial to buy several presents from one website, as larger orders are often eligible for free shipping. Shoppers shouldn’t leave online shopping until the last minute – the postal system is usually busier and therefore slower during late December due to large volumes of activity. Shopping early will pay off financially since the cost of shipping and handling is usually cheaper, if not free, when customers select standard delivery rather than express delivery.
According to Dr. Julia Edwards of Heriot-Watt University, shopping online is far more environmentally friendly than visiting stores in person. She states that "twenty-seven items need to be bought on a dedicated car journey to the shops to achieve the same level of efficiency" as shopping online (The OnLine Green Awards, London England, 2008). Carbon emissions are a concern in today's world, and shopping online is a responsible way to help reduce them.
Bargain Reusable Gift Bags
Gift bags are an excellent environmentally friendly alternative to wrapping paper. However, many stores charge several dollars for a single bag. The solution is to shop at local dollar stores which often sell two or three gift bags for one dollar. At the end of the holiday season, received gift bags can be stored away for next year. Not only is this practice environmentally friendly, but it is cost efficient as well.
Stock up on Christmas Decorations During Boxing Week
Boxing week is the time to buy discounted Christmas decorations, as they are often 50-75% off. Shoppers can find tree decorations, Christmas lights, gift bags, wrapping paper, Christmas cards and house decorations at great prices after the holidays. This strategy involves a little organization, because after boxing week these items generally disappear from stores until the following December, when the prices are marked up again. It should be kept in mind that purchasing items with minimal packaging maximizes environmental friendliness.
The Secret Santas System Makes Christmas Easier
Big families, friends and workplaces can choose to use the Secret Santas method of gift giving to save money and time spent picking out gifts. Everyone in a gift-giving pool writes their name on a piece of paper, and the names go in a hat. Each gift-giver selects a name from the hat, and the name they draw is the only person they have to buy a present for.
If it is not possible for everyone in the gift-giving pool to get together to do this, one member of the group can arrange who will by a gift for whom. This person will distribute the names by phone, email or mail. Secret Santas can be a lot of fun when each member of the group, or Secret Santa, leaves clues to his or her identity for the gift-receiver. To save paper, clues can be left by email.
Secret Santas doesn’t necessarily have to involve secrets; some groups know who is buying for whom from the start. The group should decide on a maximum price limit for gifts to keep spending reasonable and fair. As an alternative to the traditional method of Secret Santas, individuals can arrange to give gifts to every member of their immediate families, but arrange a Secret Santas system with their extended families.
The holidays is a time for joy and togetherness. Christmas can be more enjoyable and less stressful with these time and money-saving ideas. Making eco-friendly choices and saving money should go hand-in-hand!
Julie Atchison - Julie Atchison is an elementary school teacher in Ontario, Canada and enjoys working with students of various ages. She graduated from the ...
