With the holiday season rapidly approaching, a woman reached out to Reddit for advice after several years of her well-meaning husband purchasing her gifts that went unused.
"My husband loves to go shop for my gifts," the original poster began. However, while the thought was certainly appreciated, there was one problem: She couldn't use the presents, which meant wasted money and unneeded clutter in closets.
"A year [ago], he bought me a 'Canada Goose minus 50 degree Celsius puff jacket,' which I could not wear as it is too warm for our climate," she explained. "Last year, he asked for my shoes size and bought me a pair of gorgeous high heels as he noticed that I did not own any similar pair. I in fact have back pain that stops me from wearing high heels."
The OP was at a loss about what to tell her husband, adding that she has been aspiring to adopt a more minimalist lifestyle — a practice tiny-home owners and others have adopted in the quest for comfortable, more affordable, and sustainable living.
"What gift should I ask my husband to give me?" the OP asked. Fortunately, other Redditors in the r/minimalism community had the perfect advice.
"Does your gift have to be tangible?" one person asked. "I like experiences rather than physical gifts. … I'd say think outside of the box….literally."
According to multiple studies, the commenter is on to something. For instance, research from the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business found that experiences rather than material gifts contributed to more immediate and long-term happiness.
There's also the fact that the holiday season creates significant waste, which then contributes to warming global temperatures as discarded paper, uneaten food from huge family meals, and other types of trash sit in landfills and produce heat-trapping gases.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans increase the amount of garbage from their households by around 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
To combat this, the EPA recommends a range of easy "green" tips for celebrations, from reusing wrapping paper or newspaper when gifting material items to donating unused toys to charities that can get them in the hands of children who may otherwise go without.
While some commenters suggested the OP could ask for something that would provide long-term value — another way to make sure gifting dollars are well-spent — another person also suggested that happy memories may be more valuable than any material item.
"Is there an experience you'd want to have? Like a play or musical? Maybe an escape room? This past year I wanted to see the Christmas light show at the botanical gardens. My husband got the tickets then bought us apple cider and hot cocoa. I treasure that memory," they shared.
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