Christmas Presence, not Presents.

It's Christmas Eve and I'm curled up on my ma's sofa watching tele and eating excessive amounts of cheese. I'm lucky enough to have been off work for the last 4 days and have pretty much been focused on these tasks for the entirety of my visit. For me this is what the festive break is all about; mum & bro time, driving practice around the Spa, food and heating (that i haven't paid for!), childhood traditions with my oldest friends and lots of sleep. One thing I haven't been concerned with is presents. The hideous new terminology of 'Black Friday', 'Cyber Monday' and what I'm sure today will be 'Crazy Christmas Eve' have no place in my vocabulary or Christmas timeline.

On Sunday, I had the most wonderful day with all of my extended family and though I had a pang of guilt when presents started to be exchanged and I was empty handed, on the whole I was glad to have not wasted time and money on gifts that had no use to my family but purely acted as a marker to the accepted norm. This is our first Christmas without my beloved Grandma and a get together with everyone, including the newest addition of 2 week old Bethany, is the brightest star on my festive horizon and worth far more than any gift.

So many aspects of our modern life are governed by what we spend and how good it looks, but as we meander through this post recession world, shouldn't we face the question of the economy of gift giving whilst the spirit of Christmas/austerity is in the air. I have always had a sense of savvy and nothing gives me greater pleasure than getting a good deal. Discounts, sample sales and cashback are my raison d'etre. You could say I'm the female equivalent of Martin Lewis (Martins money saving tips) but with less knowledge, skill or research...

I genuinely love to give gifts and shopping for them too, but when my bank balance is debilitated, the shops are horrific and time is restricted, is it so bad to give something that someone else has given me? Not necessarily because I don't like the present, it may be that I love it and just have multiples or think another friend may enjoy it more. Does that detract from the quality of the gift or my desire to give? These thoughts have resulted in my gifting mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Re-gift). It's not a new idea and though potentially controversial, could this revolutionise present buying forever more?!

Reduce

Very few people are getting presents from me this year. A lot of the time we give just because we think we should and ultimately I'd rather spend the money on an experience with my friends than unnecessary presents for them.

Reuse 

I get given awesome stuff at work, so under the tree you will find parcels that weren't even wrapped by me, let alone paid for! They are still awesome.

Recycle

I am not only unafraid to recycle old presents, but also ideas...  I believe my mum and I may have bought identical gifts for one another. 

Tomorrow will be an intimate little Christmas with my mum and bro, and I can't wait. I genuinely don't need anything, and when my brother asked me what I wanted I requested socks (you can never have enough). I have a feeling we will have a highly caffeinated house very shortly (let's wait and see) but more than anything I  just want time at home with my nearest and dearest. I haven't even bothered with Christmas cards this year, I will see my oldest friends in Leamington, call my loved ones and with the wonders of modern technology even Facetime others further afield. I hope I don't come across as a Scrooge in this; I desire all of the magic, all of the sparkle, peace on earth and all that jazz, just without the desperate dash down the high street. And any Christmas presents you receive that don't fulfil your Christmas wishes, it's less than 2 months until my birthday... Time to get into the re-gifting spirit.

Happy Holidays xxx