With Christmas less than a week away, some of you still may be looking for the perfect gift for those on your list. Instead of hitting the candle or toy aisle, maybe you can go with something a little more “clutter-free”. Check out this list of gift ideas that won’t take up space in someone’s house:
Subscriptions
Nowadays, people have subscriptions for a variety of services. Consider giving someone a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or many other streaming services. What about a membership to a car wash? If your budget allows, you could give a year of Amazon Prime or membership to Costco or Sams.
Professional Services
Do you know someone that has a hard time spending money on themselves? Everyone deserves a little pampering! What about treating them to a salon or spa service?
Or what about the ultimate gift for someone that has everything…maybe even a little too much! Consider a gift certificate for a professional organizer. An organizer can help you set up systems to manage the excess clutter in your home. This is great for someone that might need help with paper clutter, closets, kitchens, playrooms, craft rooms, etc.
At Emend, we can also help in other ways. We offer photo organizing services. Can you think of a better gift than helping to preserve family memories? We can organize physical and digital photos and can scan any printed photos.
We also provide move management services, including decluttering before a move, unpacking after a move, and help downsizing or aging-in-place. This can be a huge stress-reliever for someone that is moving in the new year.
Consumables
A consumable is anything that will be gone once it’s used, such as a food item or even art supplies.
You can be thoughtful with consumable items. Give coffee, wine, or baked goods as gifts. You could even purchase a subscription for a coffee club or create your own gift basket.
For kids, go for art and craft supplies. This could be paint and canvas sets, clay, tie-dye supplies, sidewalk chalk, or even duct tape for all of the popular duct-tape crafts that are online. You could also get a subscription for unlimited audiobooks and/or ebooks.
Elevate a Gift Card
A lot of people give gift cards, which has a mixed bag of reactions. Some people love getting gift cards, while others feel it’s impersonal.
Instead of giving that person a gift card to a restaurant, why not take that person out for lunch or dinner? Or, give someone a gift card for dinner, but arrange for childcare (or offer to babysit) so it can be a date night.
If you do want to give a gift card to a store, you can always offer to take the person shopping so you get the added bonding experience.
Create Memorable Experiences
You can also give an experience. This includes things such as a zoo membership, museum membership, waterpark passes, art classes, horseback riding lessons, batting cage session, cooking classes or concert tickets. In pandemic times, you can gift online classes or tickets to drive-in movies and concerts.
Family or friends could all go on a trip together instead of exchanging gifts. Depending on your gift budget, maybe you pay for a week of summer camp or contribute to a child’s college fund.
Perhaps my favorite clutter free gift idea is to create a tradition around an experience. For example, maybe you’re an aunt and uncle and instead of gifts for the nieces and nephews, you plan a holiday slumber party that includes bowling and pizza. Every year, everyone gets to look forward to the holiday sleepover!
Or take your grandchild on a special date each year for their birthday. They may not remember that lego set you bought them when they were 10, but they will always remember that every year you go to them one-on-one for a special bonding experience..
With any of these clutter-free gift ideas, you can create a habit, so that every year you’re giving them the same thing. It’s beneficial for both parties: you don’t have to think about what to gift each year. The receiver can look forward to your gift.
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