the Informer

I wear the same eight or nine t-shirts regularly without much variation and I’m pretty content.

When it comes to materialism and having a closet full of clothes I never wear, I am quite opposed.

With the holidays rapidly approaching it’s hard for me to purchase gifts for family and friends that aren’t practical or desperately needed, but year after year I reluctantly resort to BestBuy.com for my big purchases.

There’s no denying that we as Americans are fueled by consumerism. We love to shop and there’s no changing our minds. But how much of the stuff we desire and labor long hours of minimum wage for do we really need?

According to Annie Leonard, creator of “The Story of Stuff,” 99 percent of the things we buy make their way to the landfill within six months of purchasing.

When you take a step back and look at it, that’s a huge amount of material mindlessly being disposed of. When shopping for gifts this holiday season, I challenge you to think outside the box and get something that will last for the individual you are purchasing for.

Practicing asceticism, where you simplify your material possessions and value doing more with less, may prove to be the answer for some.

No, my eight t-shirts aren’t ripped or stained, but some how the same regular products seem to not be enough for some people. Advertisers don’t get paid for nothing. According to Consumer Reports, the average American sees 247 advertisements a day.

These ads create perceptions that the clothes we’re wearing and the phones we have are already irrelevant, no matter how long ago you purchased them.

It’s quite simple; companies want to make money, so they make the consumer think that what they have is no longer in style and therefore must go out and buy the latest material good to keep up with the times.

Why not buy second hand this holiday season?

The environmental impact of buying things used, not to mention the impact on your wallet, is a great start for being a savvy consumer while still pleasing your relatives.

We buy used cars, so why not buy a used bookcase, or furniture?

Practical gifts aren’t just something people really appreciate, but they can come in many forms. Another good idea for practical gifts without consuming much, is offering services as gifts.

Cut out the middleman of currency and materials and clean your parent’s house for a month while your home. Services, although not glamorous gift ideas, will be something people respond to once they’re done as something really practical and useful.

You were going to exchange your time at your job for money for a gift anyway, so why not spend time cleaning out your attic and enjoying the experience of sorting through your family’s past?

It is not realistic to give everyone in your family services and practical gifts for the holidays because it’s too damn easy to exchange cash for material goods with the click of a mouse but why not just try it with one person on your list of people to shop for?

You can save money, reduce waste and put a smile on someone’s face for an out of the box gift idea that really helps someone out.