Why it’s time to buy an experience for Christmas
The world is overflowing with unwanted goods and material items that no one really needs and yet every Christmas we all rush to buy more.
We all know that climate change is upon us and that we all need to act to reduce waste, plastic production and packaging. However, when the clock is ticking towards the festive season and you want to show people you care, it’s really easy to panic buy something that will end up in their loft or the back of a cupboard.
Some retailers are doing their best with sustainable gift sections to help us reduce our impact but even the most well considered tangible gifts are often a waste.
The scarf for a lover of scarves that just isn’t quite the right shade or pattern for their tastes but they don’t want to tell you.
The box of chocolates for the absolute chocoholic who, unbeknownst to you, receives boxes of chocolates from many others too and come the January health kick tends to either give them away or even discard them.
Similar for the whiskey lover who secretly knows they need to cut down or cut it out altogether and has their eyes firmly fixed on Dry January.
The ornament that is exquisite in your eyes but is ugly to the person you’re giving it too, who will, nonetheless, feel obliged to display it so as not to seem ungrateful.
Experiences are the answer
Experience gifts have been around for a long time now but they continue to be a failsafe option and a responsible one too.
With an experience gift you’re not imposing your taste onto someone else. It’s pretty easy to select something you know they’ll enjoy from the huge array of options out there.
A simple meal voucher is always going to be welcomed by the vast majority of people. A spa day or relaxation based gift will be lapped up by anyone who has a busy life – and let’s face it that is almost everyone!
You can select far more focused gifts for people you know well too such as cooking experiences, golf days, animal adventures or adrenaline highs.
These are gifts you can buy well in advance or at the very last moment too – so if you’re running out of time, you can still click through and purchase a really thoughtful experience gift and present it on the day.
There’s no waste, no packaging and no risk of the embarrassment around how your personal tastes differ from the recipient’s!
We need time together more than anything
This year with the devastation of Covid-19 and all the difficulties it has brought to all of our lives, the simple things, experiences, memories and time together are more valued than ever.
Experience gift providers have fortunately tended to recognise the difficulties we all currently face with planning as uncertainty and unforeseen lockdowns continue.
A quick check of the small print on expiry dates of gift experiences is always wise, but you’ll likely find there is much more flexibility on refunds or longer expiry dates to allow for the times we’re in.
So many of us haven’t been able to get out, to be together and to do nice things this year. Now, more than ever, experiences feel like a huge treat. That’s especially the case for experiences we can share with friends, family and loved ones.
There’s little more that anyone wants this year than to be able to make some memories with the people they love and care about.
