A Clutter-Free Christmas

S3, who lives in a condo with her husband Kulisap and the little Music Man, emailed to say that if we haven't bought her presents for Christmas, it's okay if we don't give her anything at all. At the moment, she is saving on space as the Little Music Man's things have taken over the unit.

I, on the other hand, am also decluttering and hopefully when I'm done, I would have reclaimed some space. With how it is now, it's easy to get lost in "space" without leaving the planet. I told S3 that while I'm doing that, I would still be happy with gifts that come in small packages or gift certificates to a favorite restaurant (paging S5!).

Here are a few gift ideas for a clutter-free Christmas.

Food. This is a popular choice during the holidays. However, to minimize spoilage and to spare the recipient of too many calories in so little time, give him food that doesn't have to be consumed right away.

Movie tickets or membership to the local cinema. Movie addicts would definitely love you for these.

Season tickets. For a fan, this is a dream come true. Why not give season tickets to a sports event, ballet or theater?

Gift certificates to restaurants or coffee shops. These would be well appreciated and are very practical. Get the lowest denominations possible, in multiples if you must, so they can use it when dining alone or with a group.

Gift certificates to the spa or salon. Let them pamper themselves to destress.

Gift certificates to department stores, bookstores. This gives the recipient the option to buy what he likes.

Online accounts. Why not give a fellow blogger a custom domain? It only costs $10 a year at Blogger. Or why not a premium Multiply account? I, for one, would be happy with another year to my Flickr account.

Stuff you use everyday. OK, I know they're not ideal gifts but they're very practical and can help you cut down on your grocery list. Ask friends to give you your favorite soap brand, pencils, etc.

Small items. Although big gift-wrapped items have that wow factor, small packages can contain treasures too. And while similar sized boxes may contain a diamond and an SD card, I'd be happier with the latter.

Charity. Some people donate to charities in the name of another and the recipient just gets a card acknowledging the donation.

Travel. If you must go over the top, why not give plane tickets or hotel accomodations?

Cellphone load. The Philippines, after all, is the texting capital of the world. Arm that cellphone with load.

Cash. Leave it up to the recipient to spend it or save it.

I also suggest that you tell people what you like so that you'd end up with something you actually need. Blog about your Christmas list or drop hints.

That said, let's all have a clutter-free Christmas. Or as S3 said, being remembered with a Christmas greeting is all that's necessary.

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This is my entry to the Christmas Gifts Group Writing Project over at 1HappyCorner.com. And my 15th entry to Thursday Thirteen too.

clutter, christmas, gift, thursday thirteen