As I’ve been moving toward a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle, I’ve found one of the hardest things to navigate is holidays; specifically, gift giving holidays.

For a while I’ve told people not to get me gifts for holidays, but my friends and family don’t like that. In some cases it genuinely hurts them not to. People love giving presents. It makes them feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside when they see joy light up the recipient’s face, or when they feel they’ve provided them with something nice.

I completely understand, as I also love giving gifts! I think some context may help.

The aim of asking people not to get gifts is to avoid a few specific things:

• The environmental impact of consumerism
• Supporting companies and products that don’t fit my values
• Adding more clutter to my space, especially with things I don’t need, even if they’re nice
• Guilt over decisions of what to do with a gift I can’t find room for or no longer use

If you’re in the position of wanting to give a gift to a sustainable minimalist, it can be difficult to figure out how to navigate these issues, but there is hope! I’ve come up with several ideas for gifts they will be thrilled to receive.

*If you’re a sustainable minimalist and like these ideas, share them with your friends and family, and let me know in the comments!*

Experiences

Experiences can mean so much to a person. If you are near each other, you can go somewhere together, but you can also send them on adventures alone. Someone gifted me an hour long massage once, and you better believe I enjoyed the heck out of that. You can go all out and take them on an all expense paid vacation to Vegas if you want but that might not be the most practical. Tickets to a basketball game, museum, or concert work well, or even just taking them out to a nice dinner or wine tasting. Think of what they like, but don’t get to do very often.

Time and Effort

One of the best things you can give someone is quality time. Give them a call or video chat if they’re far away, arrange a hike or just stop by. Rent some of their favorite movies, or ones they’ve been wanting to see, and make a day of watching them. Take them to the tree lighting in your city’s center, or take them out caroling.

Even better, if they have something they’re working on, help them out for an afternoon! Offer to help them finish painting their bedroom or weed their garden. Help them move, clear out their garage, or wash their car. Doing something like this can mean so much more than a traditional gift could, and is much less expensive. Doing things like this together can make some real lasting memories.

Money

I know, I know. It may not be the most glamorous, but money really is the safest and most practical gift to get someone. Especially for environmentally conscious minimalists, it can be one of the most appreciated gifts as well. Most people have things in their lives they’re saving up for but can’t afford quite yet, or things that they want to do that don’t fit into their current income. Having a little bit extra can make a big difference.

This doesn’t have to be a wad of cash handed to them either. You can combine it with an experience gift or a “time and effort” gift for maximum benefit. I’m also fond of the out-of-the-blue Zelle notification that there’s $30 being deposited to my bank account.

When sending money, digital payments are preferred. Be sure to use something that doesn’t charge fees like PayPal (friends and family payments), Cashapp, or Zelle. Checks are second best because they are recyclable and renewable, but still waste trees. Cash isn’t great because it uses non-renewable materials in its manufacture. Gift cards are plastic (and limit where you can spend the money), so those are a no-go.

Also falling into this category would be making a donation in their name to a charity or cause they support, or naming a star after someone (yes that’s a real thing).

Digital Gifts

Digital gifts can come in many different forms depending on what kind of person you’re working with.

Ecards

Ecards are the simplest option and come in a ton of different forms. They can be funny, meaningful, or just plain weird. If you had thought about getting them a physical card, get them an ecard instead.

Digital Artwork

If you’re an artist yourself, you can create a piece of digital artwork for them to use as they wish. My brother sent me a “fractal” for my birthday one year and I still have it as my desktop background to this day!

Software Subscriptions

Another option is a subscription to a service they use, or want to use. If they watch a lot of YouTube you could get them a subscription to their Premium service. If they listen to a lot of music, a subscription to Pandora One or Spotify Premium would work. Those interested in literature or self help may enjoy an Audible subscription. Software and software subscriptions, like Adobe Creative Cloud for graphic designers and Davinci Resolve for video editors, are also great ideas, though expensive.

Physical Gifts

If you do decide to buy something physical, be sure to take into account their values around things they own. What do they care about specifically? Some people who are waste conscious may have a strong distaste for anything that comes in plastic packaging, and others may be okay with it as long as the plastic is recycled and recyclable.

Generally, here are some guidelines to follow:

• Pay attention to the materials used in the item. Most environmentally conscious people will want to stay away from plastic and plastic derivatives, including in the packaging of the item.
• Do some research on the company that produces the item. Are they making efforts to offset their carbon emissions? Are they known for dumping toxic waste in our waterways? Do they treat their employees well?
• If the person in question lives in a small space, think of the size of the item. Will they be able to fit it in their space? For minimalists this is especially important. When you walk into their space, how cluttered is it? Do they have many decorations? If not, make sure to choose something low profile that won’t impede on their need for open spaces.

Keeping those things in mind, here are some ideas of physical things they may enjoy!

Consumables

Food

The most obvious thing in this category is food (and drinks). Everyone likes to eat! Take them out to dinner, or get them a (recyclable) gift box of their favorite candy. One of my favorites is one of those giant multi-section tins of different flavors of popcorn.

Hobby Supplies

If your giftee is a gardener, seeds for their garden are a great addition. If your gift will be during the winter months, stick to seeds versus starts. To be a true consumable gift, make sure the plants are annuals (will not come back year after year).

NOTE: Houseplants are not consumables because they will be around for a long time. Gifting a houseplant can be like gifting a pet, so be careful with this. If you do choose to gift a houseplant, pay special attention to the growing instructions. Make sure it’s manageable! Probably don’t gift them an orchid (unless they’ve specifically been talking about wanting one).

If your giftee is an artist, you can get them things like sketchbooks, colored pencils, paint, canvases, and anything else they would use to explore their craft. Stick to things you already know they use, including the brand. I can tell you as an artist myself that Prismacolor colored pencils are not the same as any other brand, and it can really mess with your flow to try to switch.

Things they Need

For this you’ll have to do some sleuthing. Did their favorite spatula just get demolished in the dishwasher? Did their roommate’s dog chew up the remote to their electric blanket and they can’t seem to get a moment to replace it? Have they been talking about needing a new sweatshirt but haven’t wanted to spend the money?

A lot of things in this category may be expensive, and may tend not to end up on their wish list because of that. Minimalists, environmentalists, and waste conscious people all tend to consume less, but consume very high quality when they do choose to. Consider getting together with a group of their friends or family and all pitching in to get them what they really need.

Clothing in general falls into this category, but be careful! Ideally, they’ve shown you a specific item online or in a store they want, and you know the exact size to get them. If you’re choosing yourself, make absolutely sure what you’re getting fits with their style and values. Check out the materials used in the fabric especially. Think renewable organic fabrics, or recycled fabrics if going for something synthetic. If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out my shop here. All of the items there fit the above description, and are printed on demand to reduce overproduction.

A note about Gift Wrap

Make sure if you decide to wrap your gift that you wrap it in something recyclable, and preferrably recycled. Old newspaper is a good start. Stay away from shiny or glossy wrapping paper, as while those are sometimes recyclable, they still add new plastic to our ecosystem. For sealing packages, use things like cotton yarn instead of tape or plastic ribbons.

EcoCult mentions using the shiny inside of old chip bags as wrapping paper (see their article here for more ideas). Your giftee may be more excited about something wrapped in your trash than you can imagine!

In Conclusion…

From my perspective, if you are out shopping and see something that screams the name of your minimalist friend, get it for them, and save it for the holidays if you want to. They will most likely love and appreciate it! What I think most are trying to avoid is the consumerist nature of being on a Christmas list and people feeling obligated to buy them something.

Hopefully this post has given you some ideas of what to get your loved one. Did I miss anything? Did the person you’re shopping for appreciate the thought you put into their gift? Let me know what you think in the comments!