What to Get Each Other for Christmas When You Already Have Too Much Stuff

I love Christmas. I love spending time with family, receiving presents, and unwrapping them on Christmas morning next to the ratty old plastic Christmas tree we've been recycling year after year since I was born. What I don't love, however, is the residual clutter than ensues.

I come from a very big family, with more than 70 family members from my mom and dad's sides combined. Imagine the volume of presents that translates to! Each year, we give and receive so much stuff that by the end of the holidays, we would have enough content for an entire season of Hoarders.

As a solution to this, last year I came up with (what I thought was) a pretty genius idea. I tried gifting people with gifts they had already received but probably didn't remember because they got buried underneath all the clutter. My younger brother Jiggy received my old barely-working Gameboy Advance from the 1990s, external lamp light and all. My sister Cait got her old Pokemon-themed Tamagotchi that she hadn't seen in a decade. And my parents received, for the second time in their lives, their old non-functioning analog camera.

As you might have guessed, none of them were too thrilled about receiving stuff they already had. Sorry fam.

This year I'm going to make it up to them by getting them something new and clutter-less. I thought I'd share some of my Christmas gift ideas here for anyone else looking to minimize and simplify.

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1.) For my brother: something digital

Jiggy is a huge video game nerd who spends a good chunk of his day either playing games or watching videos of other people playing games. As such, he's the easiest in my family to shop for and gifting him with Steam credits is a no-brainer. 

For the uninitiated, Steam is one of the largest online game distributors in the world. Think of it like the App Store for PCs. It has thousands of titles available, even ones dating back to the 1990s. 

Steam credits are perfect for gamers who want to keep playing games and wish to avoid having to stack on more discs to that growing tower of games perched precariously in the dark corner of their room. You can buy Steam gift cards digitally here or buy a physical card in gaming stores like Datablitz.

2.) For my sister: something she actually wants

Caitlin is also easy to shop for because she's very honest about what she wants and doesn't want. Like when she says she doesn't want any pasalubong, she truly means it, and won't be hurt if you come home from your vacation empty-handed. I learned this the hard way when I got her a wallet from my trip to Sagada, and it's since been sitting unused in a sad pile of clutter.

This year she requested for film for her Instax camera. While physical photos can contribute to clutter, I'd still consider this a good gift because a.) she asked for it, and b.) Instax photos are intended to be displayed on walls or given to friends, thus lessening the chances of it becoming clutter later on. Plus, they're currently on sale at the Shopee mall. Win-win! 

Photo by Farica Yang on Unsplash

3.) For my dad: something edible

My dad has got the sweetest sweet tooth. Each year, my go-to Christmas present for him has been some variant of his favorite chocolate. And what's nice about my dad is his tastes are very simple. Your average grocery store Cadbury bar is enough to make him happy. And he works really quickly; he can easily pack away a week's supply of chocolate into his belly overnight, leaving no shred of evidence that there ever was a present to be eaten. As much as I want him to watch his blood sugar, I think I can look the other way just for the holiday. 

Chocolates and other consumable goods are the perfect clutter-free present because, aside from the packaging, they're don't stay for too long with you once they've been consumed. (Except for fruitcake, which usually remain with my family untouched for generations.) 

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4.) For my significant other: something drinkable

Rap is harder to shop for, which is why I'm mentioning him here towards the bottom of the list. Each year he either doesn't want anything in particular, or wants something extravagantly expensive that I flat-out cannot afford. Unfortunately this year, it's the latter: a pair of Sennheiser headphones that will set me back at least PhP 100,000.

Obviously I'm not getting him that. Instead, I'm thinking along the same lines as in the previous gift and getting something consumable. He's big on whisky and has recently fallen in love with a particular brand called Glenfiddich. I haven't tried it myself but what a nice experience it would be to share a sip or two while listening to our favorite music before being deployed to our respective barrios. 

Photo by Ridham Nagralawala on Unsplash

So that's one down. His birthday comes a day before Christmas, and each year I do make the effort to get him two separate presents. I imagine how unfair it is to December kids that everyone else gets two separate presents for their birthday and Christmas while they only get one. I usually get him something personal and "homemade." The other year it was a baseball cap with a Kalinga tattoo embroidered on the front. This year, aside from the whisky, I'm stumped. What would make a nice no-clutter present for your partner? Leave a comment down below and help a sister out! 

4.) For my mom: something memorable

My mom is the hardest person to shop for, which is why I've saved her for last. When asked what she wants for Christmas, she says "nothing." And she already has accumulated so much stuff. She owns way more clothes than her closet can accommodate. Skincare, makeup, and perfumes are also off the table since she's accumulated so much of these as well throughout the years, mostly gifts from her sisters and aunts. She also doesn't enjoy chocolates or sweets. Needless to say, giving her more stuff to add to her mountain of stuff is just a bad idea.

This year, I want to give her something intangible but memorable; an experience instead of an item. I thought that since she's always so busy at work, and my sister and I rarely see her in a year, a nice girls day out at the spa or salon would make a fitting gift. It's all the warmth and fuzziness from a Christmas present, minus the clutter!

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

That concludes my shopping list this Christmas. Hopefully this encourages you to buy less random stuff and instead fill your homes (and the homes of your loved ones) with things that actually spark joy. 

To mom, dad, Jigs, Cait, or Rap: I didn't think you'd actually read this blog so I went ahead and published it before Christmas. Sorry to spoil your presents. But if you have a problem with what I'm planning to give you, speak now or forever hold your peace!

To the rest of you, have a happy clutter-free Christmas! 🎄🎄🎄