Every week in December, we’ll be showcasing how to make your holidays just a little bit greener and eco friendly. So this week, since we’ve launched into major shopping, we’re highlighting tips on how to make your holiday shopping season more green. Here’s wishing you a green Christmas!
- Make a list and check it twice – Making a list will save you the time, trouble and money you would spend if you just went to the mall willy nilly. List out all the people you need/want to get gifts for, then note some ideas down next to each one along with the total amount you want to spend for that person.
- You better shop around – Do your homework this year and find the best deals for the items on your list. Don’t just buy the first thing you see just so you can cross it off your list. Deal hunt and also find out store price matching policies along with shipping deals, etc.
- What’s old is new again – Hit up vintage stores for that on-of-a-kind gift. You’re find something so unique and great that it will be the most talked about gift for years to come.
- Give instead of receive – Purge your house of unwanted items and take them to a consignment store or donate them.
- Re-gifting, no longer a faux pas – Why sit on something that you know you will never use. So long as it’s in good shape, it’s better off going to someone who will enjoy it.
- Map out your shopping days – Knowing where you need to go and planning your route can help you save time, gas and money. Again, heading to the mall willy nilly can really waste quite a bit of valuable time, money and gas. Consolidate trips to areas where you can get the most done, know store hours, deals, etc.
- Shop online – Save yourself the agony of driving around, looking for parking, fighting the crowds and not getting what you need as it’s out of stock. Skip the annoying steps and get right to the giving along with saving yet another trip to the post office to ship the gifts out yourself! Also, find sites that offer green packaging.
- Rid yourself of the wrap – So many items are packaged using excess plastic and other packaging materials. Try to avoid items like that as they are simply wasteful. Another great reason for hitting up vintage stores.
- Not every gift needs to be a store bought one – Sometimes making dinner, spending some one-on-one time, making a photo album or other personalized gift (a nature wreath, a bouquet of flowers, candle holders, etc) can mean much more than a store-bought gift.
Have yourself a greeny little holiday season!!
