A Sea of Sales
No sooner did election season end then the Black Friday sales, appeared. Is there no rest for the weary?! I had barely caught up with clearing my inbox and cell phone of all the ads for candidates (how did they find me? I’m not registered with ANY political party) but ads for Christmas goods, populated that space. Deck the halls in all these bargains! It would seem EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE is on sale. Well, not quite. You really need to know the price of the product during the rest of the year to know if the sale this time of year is a bargain.
My eyes glaze over when my inbox pings for the millionth time announcing the best deal of the season on items from nighties to necklaces, slacks to shoes to stoves to storm windows. Okay, maybe not storm windows but you get my drift. And to be clear, NONE of these ads sways me to shop. Nope. I’m not interested in stuff. Granted I don’t have children to buy for, but a dear friend does and has chosen to eschew buying stuff’ that will soon be outgrown or put aside. Instead, she’s investing in adventures, experiences; on travel. In the end, the family is accumulating shared memories, which of course, don’t have an expiration date. You also can’t outgrow the memories and as the years go on, we might just embellish them, making the experience seem even more delightful!
My friend is onto something. Research finds that experiences bring more joy than a closet full of anything. That’s because travel broadens our horizons, helping us to realize that we are not the center of the world. It also helps teach us to be understanding of others. Don’t like leaving home during the holidays? There are countless experiences to be enjoyed in your own backyard: light shows, fairs, exhibits, theatrical performances. As with travel, there’s less clutter with experiential gifts which leads to less stress. Yes, the clutter from too much stuff can be stress inducing. De-clutter queen Marie Kondo made a fortune on helping us ‘make room’. Additionally, all the stuff so many of us collect and then off-load is a burden on the environment. More reasons to be judicious about what we’re buying.
Does this mean I’m fully bah humbug on tangible gifts? Not at all. But I am full throttle on being choosey. Is it necessary? Is it something that will bring joy? These questions form my litmus test for gift buying. Stuff for stuff’s sake IMHO is a waste.
So deck the halls, pour the egg-nog and slice a piece of fruitcake. Embrace the spirit of the season and share it with others. Delight shared is delight amplified.
What are you doing this holiday season? Lots of gifts? Taking a trip? Trip and gifts? Investing in others through charitable work? Something else? Let me know.
