Comments on: 12 Thoughtful Gifts for Minimalists (They’ll Actually Like)

By: EllenMarie

EllenMarie — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 02:18:15 +0000

Oh and I forgot a gift card to a restaurant so I can take the family out, which gets expensive for my big family. But it gives ME a nice little break! So like a Panda Express card for 25.00 ( Subway, pizza place,etc)and I will be happy, especially in between volleyball and basketball tournaments and games, helps me get dinner for the kids when we are so busy.

I get my older kids gas cards, Victoria Secret, Target and Barnes and Noble gift cards- secret to fund my Christmas gifts for 5 children are to use my rewards points which I have used for many years to cover my gifts and try to do it as free as possible! However, make sure you pay off your credi card every month in full( I do all my bills and grocery shopping via credit card so it accumulates points for my gifts!)! You have to be sure you are disciplined to be able to do this!

By: EllenMarie

EllenMarie — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 02:09:55 +0000

I guess I may be even more simple than the list you have here. I don’t want others to have to spend much on me as I know people like my older kids don’t have it or I don’t want them to waste money. So I am perfectly happy with baked treats bc I don’t bake sweets so this is a special treat once a year. Things that I want are cozy, fuzzy, soft socks and a 9.99 portable cell charger( I told them about the 20% off coupon too). So usually it is something practical or consumable as I want my home to be simple as well.

By: Heather aka HoJo

Heather aka HoJo — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 16:38:26 +0000

Yes, PLEASE stick to the list! Although I’ve finally gotten to the point where I simply put things immediately in the donate or sell pile guilt free. Some may think that it’s harsh of me, but I don’t want the clutter, junk, and “stuff” in my home when I’ve worked so hard to get rid of it! 🙂

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 04:41:48 +0000

This is a wonderful post! I hate it when my family deviates from the list. Consumable or something on the list that I need. It’s that simple. 🙂

By: Sarah @tortoisehappy.com

Sarah @tortoisehappy.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 12:40:56 +0000

Yes! I often suggest a nice bottle of red because I genuinely appreciate it. Sometimes people think it’s a cop-out, but that’s only the case if you throw something in your trolley when you do the food shop without even reading the label! We’re old school and use a cafetierre rather than coffee machine, but really high quality coffee beans is another good choice for coffee lovers (or ground coffee, if your recipient doesn’t have a grinder) 🙂

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 02:42:42 +0000

Some great ideas Emma, I love getting books and I love the idea of “experiences not things”.

It baffles me that people rack up a lot of debt on expenses Christmas presents that aren’t even that useful. There are plenty of ways to be generous on Christmas without ending up with a credit card hangover come January.

I think more people are starting to come around to this way of thinking which is great to see. 🙂

By: Ruth

Ruth — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 02:42:04 +0000

Great list Emma. Its a topic I have been thinking about a lot lately as we head into ‘birthday month’ where about 21 friends and whanau all expect something. One thing I personally like to receive is a second-hand gift. It much harder to shop second hand so the fact the person finds something just right for me means a lot – and hopefully only cost them $2. Like you I don’t like receiving junk gifts that just add junky stuff to my house and I said to my family last year “no presents, but you have to still acknowledge me on the day”! A great book I found is “FLOW – book for paper lovers”. For $25 you have cards/paper/cut out cool things handy to last well over a year of gift giving. You can buy them on Book Depository.

By: JP at TheMoneyHabit.Org

JP at TheMoneyHabit.Org — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 21:35:48 +0000

I love this list. My go-to gift is experiences. You can combine the experience gift with some time and attention. For example, I had a friend who recently moved to Chicago. We created a Guide Book of restaurants and experiences within 10 blocks of her house as a housewarming present. In it, there were gift certificates for well-reviewed restaurants nearby that served Chicago specialties, gift certificates to two bars so she could try and find her new local watering hole, and a bicycle rental coupon so she could explore what her new city had to offer her.

The coffee date coupon with a beloved with book is something I’ll have to try.

By: Kylie Travers

Kylie Travers — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 21:35:11 +0000

Experiences instead of things is a big one for us. We live in a tiny unit and don’t want more stuff. We have our wishlists of stuff we do want because it is very specific gear. Outside of that, we want nothing. Great ideas here!