Try gifting an experience instead of a physical item

Last year, I decided I had had enough: I skipped the frantic shopping runs, the endless scrolling for gift ideas, the late-night wrapping sessions that left me surrounded by paper and tape.

Instead, I decided to give experiences — moments that could be shared, not stored.

I invited a friend for a picnic by the river. I made dinner for my family, with mismatched candles and a year-in-highlight presentation that we all laughed about. I wrote a little “movie coupon” for someone special. None of it looked grand, but every single one of those gifts turned into something I still remember.

The truth is, the holidays can get noisy. There’s joy, yes, but also pressure — to buy, to wrap, to keep up. Somewhere in all that, I realized how easy it is to forget that giving doesn’t have to mean buying.

And you know what? Secretly no one even wants to do gifts. A 2023 survey by the Center for Biological Diversity found that 90% of Americans wish the holidays were less materialistic — up from 78% in 2005. And 88% say the season should be more about family and caring for others — a feeling that’s stayed steady over the years.

What I’m Planning This Year

This season, I’m keeping that spirit going.

Maybe another picnic. Maybe a shared cooking class. Maybe just a slow morning coffee with someone I’ve missed talking to. I’m also thinking of donating in someone’s name — to a cause that matters to them. It feels like a simple way to make giving more intentional, more aligned with what really counts.

I’m not giving up gifts completely — just reimagining what “giving” means. If even one of our gifts this season becomes a shared moment instead of a wrapped one, I think we’d all feel the difference.

So, this year, I’m choosing stories over stuff, and I think you should try it too!