It’s hard to imagine how folks celebrated Christmas and other December holidays in 1923. I try to close my eyes and picture people’s priorities on December 23, their kitchens on December 24, and their faces on December 25. It’s likely that December 23 was another day on the farm, not a day of scrambling at the strip mall, trying to find last minute gifts. It’s likely that December 24 meant kitchens were plain with the day’s’ baked bread (if not yesterday’s), not boasting (or dare I say, complaining) about a refrigerator and pantry full of food for an upcoming family party that would feed 50 people with leftovers to spare. It’s likely that December 25 was a day of prayer, quiet, and simple gathering, not a day of hustle and bustle, a family room engorged with presents under the tree, waiting to be ripped open, then dismissed by 10am.

Admittedly, I struggle with this time of year. I love the sentiment, but I don’t care for the run-of-the-mill “tradition.” I like the “tradition before the tradition.” In other words, my family begs me to watch the Home Alone movies right after Halloween. I refuse. Instead, I like to think about what will settle me down and calm me for the upcoming holidays. What will stop me in time to really focus on what matters most?

Gift-giving is one of those things that paralyzes me. I want to give everyone I know a gift of some kind. It has always been in my spirit. I don’t like to give gifts to see the reaction on a person’s face when they realize I’M AWESOME for giving them the BEST GIFT EVER. Instead, I like to picture them feeling seen and loved and appreciated in the quiet moment of their own personal, private unwrapping.

So how do I give gifts? I think about what people did during the Great Depression. I have done some research on what this looked like, and even my ideas are a little more extravagant. But I think it’s a good meeting in the middle, if you will.

Here are some ideas that will save you money but won’t compromise the intent to be kind and generous during this time of year:

1. Give the gift of time. Can you spend time with a person, hosting them at your home with a cup of tea and some good conversation? Can you go for a walk outdoors with them? Can you call them on the phone instead of texting? I’m not saying that you need to draft up a coupon that reads, “GOOD FOR ONE HOUR OF YOUR TIME.” That’s usually only endearing when children give that sort of thing. But you can vocalize this to a friend: “This year, I want to give the gift of time. Would you like to come over for some tea and cookies?”
   
   
   
2. Exercise gratitude. You can’t wrap this. But you can challenge yourself to take on a better posture of gratitude and thank someone every single day. You can write it in a letter to someone and send it.
   
3. Don’t complain. I try not to write guidance that starts with the word “Don’t,” but sometimes you need to be more straightforward. Stopping yourself from complaining can be the quietest, best gift you give to everyone around you. I happen to believe it’s underrated. Again, I try to imagine how often folks from the Great Depression complained. I can’t even picture it. I just picture hard-working people, quietly doing what they need to do to support their families and their community.
   
4. Borrow and share with others. This might not sound like a gift, but by borrowing from others (like the snow blower from your neighbor instead of buying it), you can save money for something else. In addition, borrowing means that you feel a natural sense of indebtedness to someone else, so you find a way to reciprocate, which builds community. Sharing with someone is an underrated kindness that gifts them the convenience of not having to buy something they need. You are taking a weight off someone’s shoulders. Also, as someone who sometimes struggles asking for help and favors, I enjoy the idea of “sharing” because it means I am not 100% receiving. There is a quiet understanding that sharing means I cannot keep it all to myself and I must either give it back or share with someone else.
   
   
   
5. Cook from scratch. I can hardly count the people who have smiled when they received a homemade pie, a box of my sourdough chocolate chip muffins, or my fried lumpia. Gifting a meal or treat from scratch shows people that you put love into something delicious with the labor of your hands. It was far from convenient, but to you, it was time well spent.
   
   
   
6. Make what you can. Perhaps you have old t-shirts, dresses, or other linens that you can wash, cut up, and sew into something special, like a reusable grocery bag, a drink cozy, or a rag doll. These days, I am turning old fabrics into baby quiet books (stay tuned for pictures and instructions). Do you have old wood and some paint that you can turn into wall art or a vintage home decor sign? Can you turn a vintage china tea cup into a gifted plant from trimmings in your garden? Can you melt down an old scented candle or old soaps to create a rustic new candle or new soap? Look around your home and challenge yourself to create something using only items at your immediate disposal.
   
   
   
7. Write someone a handwritten letter or poem. This is one of my favorites. There are few things that are more special to receive than a handwritten note or poem, expressing fondness, appreciation, and whatever love you have to give. People surprise you with how long they keep these notes or how long they remember what you said and how you made them feel. Besides, you can surprise yourself with how much you enjoy using a good pen with some beautiful paper! I tend to geek out, getting a thrill from sealing an envelope, plopping a stamp on it, and placing it ever so delicately in my mailbox, raising the red flag to end the whole experience. I know I am romanticizing it and I don’t care. That’s a big part of the fun.
   
   
   
8. Teach a skill. There are so many skills that people want to learn, like crocheting, knitting, baking, cooking, foreign languages… the list goes on and on! Maybe it’s more “practical” and less “recreational,” such as how to draft an email or edit a website. In similar vein to #1, teaching a skill can give people a gift they can use for the rest of their lives. It can be a future business venture for them that is highly lucrative.
   
   
   

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I hope these ideas will encourage you to reevaluate which gifts you are giving and which recipients would most appreciate some of these ideas. Try to imagine yourself receiving these gifts and it will certainly keep you motivated to avoid big box stores and opt for something simpler.

Before you know it, you will gain the reputation that you give creative gifts, gifts from the heart, and gifts that aren’t just another Amazon 2-day purchase.