Is Minimalist Joshua Becker Right? 3 Simple Ways to Scale Back for the Holidays by Susan Masterson, PhD

Holidays Opinion
3 months ago

Is Minimalist Joshua Becker Right? 3 Simple Ways to Scale Back for the Holidays

An article about cutting back on Christmas is circulating and getting lots of attention. In it, the minimalism guru Joshua Becker encourages us to scale way back on our gift giving this Christmas

We simply have too much stuff, and often aren't happy with what we get. I'm here to tell you he's right, because my family has already implemented some of his suggestions.

  • Draw names: We draw one adult name and only buy for that person. Focusing on the wants and needs of one works better than grabbing "whatever" because you have so many to buy for and need to just get it done.
  • Buy for just the kids under 18: Since they're still developing, their needs and desires advance each year. Some will disagree with this, but we reason that since they don't already have “everything,” we can justify getting them a thing or two. Plus, the parents of babies may appreciate things that take care of needs – lightening their financial load (they’re gifts for the parents, actually).
  • Gift them with experiences: Tickets to shows, museums, something they wouldn't buy but would enjoy that won't collect dust.

By following these guidelines, not only do we appreciate quality, but it lifts pressure off the giver, making it all way more fun!

Read Joshua Becker's article, Is It Time for Us to Rethink How We Give Gifts?

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Donna John
Yes!!!! My family was going to do a white elephant for the first time this year, but now thinking we should draw names. Love what you said about that here! Gift giving has definitely gotten out of hand. And thanks for bringing my attention to Joshua Becker. Following him now. Heck, maybe we can get him on board at 30Seconds! #goals
Elisa Schmitz
Wonderful idea and I'm all for it. My family was just talking about the fact that "less is more" this holiday season (and all year round). Thank you for sharing this, Susan Masterson !
Ann Marie Patitucci
I SO love this, Susan Masterson, especially experiences over gifts. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Donna John
Yes! With everything that's happened this year, I don't think we need to buy a lot of STUFF for people. Let's reel it in and just be thankful for what we have.

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