"It’s The Thought That Counts Isn’t it?"
How about another perspective?
As a professional organiser a large bulk of my work is to help people sort through the stuff in their lives - including accumulated ‘gifts'. So next time you hear the words "it's the thought that counts" in your head when gift buying, take a moment to consider this and spend your money thoughtfully to achieve a win/win.
When working with clients we determine what stays and what goes during the de-cluttering process by categorising whether each item is something they either need, use or love. Items we need or use are usually easy to discern, whereas items we love are obviously more difficult to part with. So we must investigate why these items are loved, and give these items permission to remain by testing their worth via nine key questions.
- Is it in good condition? And does it work?
- Does it enhance the room it inhabits?
- Was it given or left to you by someone special?
- Are you keeping it for someone else? E.g. children who've left home or future grandchildren?
- What emotions and associations do you have to the item? Positive? Negative?
- Do you feel obligated to keep it?
- Would someone else in the family appreciate it more?
- Does it enrich or enhance your life?
- If it's kept for sentimental reasons, is it stored in a way that will preserve the item respectfully without damage?
The amount of positive responses must outweigh the negatives for the item to be kept. With all of this in mind here are some ideas to help you avoid the negative outcomes of gift giving.
- Suggest and agree with family and friends to buy presents only for the children, and ask the parents if they'd prefer gifts of clothing, books, CDs, etc.
- Perhaps one gift for the family to share would be more appropriate. E.g. a computer game, DVD or family pass would be more popular and cost less than several smaller individual gifts.
- Buy consumable gifts. Think food, stationery supplies, ink cartridges, label tapes, blank CD's, nappies, cosmetics, gardening, cleaning and auto supplies. Items can be placed into a reusable pot, basket or storage container. Where possible try to afford and find brands the receiver prefers.
For clutter free gift giving suggestions, check out my article "Outside The Gift Box".
Angela Miller-Davis is a Professional Organiser who helps people to find solutions for an organized lifestyle through her consultancy Less=More, Brisbane.
