A retailers dream, but a consumers nightmare...The U.S. household will spend on average $1,536.00 on the Christmas holidays and over 14% of Americans will sell their possessions to fund Christmas spending.
Whats worse, Americans throw away $16 Billion worth of unwanted Christmas gifts. The reason why is because the gifts are unwanted or undesirable. 46% of people cited that clothing, accessories, household items, cosmetics & fragrances.
On top of the wasted money, there will be an additional 7 Million lbs of waste generated between Thanksgiving and New Years day.
Want to break the cycle and enjoy a clutter free Christmas, here are some suggestions:
Certificates Baby-sitting, taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, or cleaning the car.
Trips/Outings Museums, parks, beaches, hikes, full moon walks, or winter picnics.
Hand Made Gifts Fill a basket with baked goods, assemble a collection of favorite family recipes, make a holiday bouquet from fresh greens, holly, etc. and tie with bow, make Christmas ornaments from family photos, or video tape family members telling favorite family stories/memories.
Tickets Movie, concert or sports tickets.
Gift Certificates Restaurants, record stores, book stores, video rental stores, department stores, or grocery stores.
Memberships Health spas, swim clubs, museums, zoos, or amusement parks.
Subscriptions Magazines, newspapers, book clubs, or flower of the month club.
Financial Accounts Savings accounts, mutual fund shares, or stocks or bonds.
Gifts for Children "Dress Up Box" filled with costume jewelry, scarves, hats, aprons, and ties, cooking equipment and a recipe with ingredients, blank journal or diary, blank scrapbook with scissors and tape, flower seeds and pots, or tool box and supplies to build a simple bird house.
Gifts to the Environment Send e-greetings to family and friends who are on-line, buy a living Christmas tree and replant after the holidays, buy live plants, gardening tools, bird seed, battery charger with rechargeable batteries, bus/light rail/train passes, bicycles or walking shoes.
Or, if you want to go the traditional way and you realize you need to store all the new toys, call Laing Self Storage at 607-775-9776 for your storage needs.