I find that gift giving is a very nice thing that we do but I wish that I didn’t have to be part of this social obligation.
Over the years I have gone from wanting gifts or stuff to just wanting to get stuff out of the house. I want to have the clutter out. I feel like the clutter is holding me back in a way. Not that I don’t have the room to be storing stuff and I am constantly decluttering what I have but I tend to get items that I don’t want, I either end up re-gifting4444 or throwing it away. There are some gifts that I get that I didn’t want or is just edible. The worst is getting something that you really don’t want and you just keep it around for a little bit before you realize you are just keeping it out of guilt.
Getting items that are edible are part of the reason why so many people gain weight around the holidays. Yes, there is food that is only available around the holidays but encouraging to over indulge is something that shouldn’t be happening.
Over the past few months I have become quite the minimalist and have gotten rid of so much. I know that over the next few months I will be letting go (or getting rid) of a bunch more. I can’t wait for the donations centres reopen and I can donate some more things that I have laying around to do so. I know that in the new year when we get new furniture that I will be getting rid of a whole bunch more stuff but that is the thing as long as you continue to declutter, continue to do so. Minimalism isn’t something that has an end date. You don’t just get rid of x number of things and things and you are a true minimalist, you need to continue to get rid of things.
I think that we should get rid of gift giving all together so you do not have to go throw the ‘hassle’ of eating the food that you get, throwing out the food you do not want or you don’t have to re-gift or donate anything that you get.
I find that gift giving creates an obligation that you have. I am one of those people that just because someone got me a present I need to get them something, there creates the obligation to go out of my way to get them something, wrap then gift it to them. A down fall of this is that you end up getting something more valuable then what you gave which could end up creating guilt or more obligation. If we agree to exchange gifts but then are unable to right away due to weather, other obligations or things that just happen then what are you to do with what you have.
Gifts can be fun to give and to receive but ultimately, I would rather just get nothing. I would rather spend time having an experience with them.