Black Friday: Experiential Gifts November 26, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Less IS More, Mindfulness, Sustainable Living.trackback
Angela Barton has some wonderful ideas for Gift Giving: Experiential Gifts for the Holidays.
What’s an experiential gift? . . . a Gift of Experience from the Heart!
A few examples from Angela’s list:
* Museum or Zoo Memberships
* Concert or Theatre Tickets
* Spa or Massage Services
* Gym Memberships
* Yoga or Pilates Classes
* Charitable Gifts (Gifts of Hope)
* CSA Memberships (produce)
* Membership in a Wine Club
Experiential Gifts is the first segment of a series Angela posted last year about non-consumer holiday gift giving.
In addition to tips on Experiential Gifts, she posted ideas for Handmade Gifts, and other frugal gift ideas that cost under $10.
So save yourself (and your wallet) from another crowded mind-numbing visit to the mall, and swing by My Year Without Spending instead!
Spirit Lights The Way 
I love the idea of classes as a gift.
Me too! Something that is truly beneficial to the recipient . . . to learn and grow. 🙂
Wine tasting 101, anyone???
I also love the idea of classes as a gift. The museum tickets are great too. Now to convince people that’s better than a lame gift card to some store I never go to.
Start dropping hints . . . “I’d love tickets to the museum.” 🙂
I’d drop hints, but these are gift cards I get in the mail (aka, I never see or speak to these people). They’d also be extremely insulted that I would “dare not want what they give me,” regardless of how I worded it. These are the same people who know I am vegan, organic, gluten free, and male, and they send me meat, bread, and philosophy perfume (women’s perfume. So…. yeah…
Well, maybe you can just tell the Universe what you want and cross your fingers. 🙂
True.
These gifts are most definitely better than socks or chocolates
Hmm . . . better than chocolate?
I don’t know that anything is better than chocolate. 😉
I REALLY like this idea. So much better than stuff that’s probably never going to get used or will get old after a couple of months.
And there are even more examples on Angela’s post. 🙂
It won’t let me reply. 8D Anyway, I’ve done it one better and am letting the folks who matter (to quote Dr. Seuss) pick things out. I just hope no one minds if I give away all the stuff they’re given me over the years, since non-organic stuff drives me mad. lol
I used to feel “compelled” to hang on to every gift . . . whether I needed it, wanted it, or had any use for it.
And then . . . I read Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James and changed the way I viewed gifts.
A true gift is given with NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
Nancy- Thank you so much for the lovely write up. I truly hope more people discover the pleasures of these kinds of gifts. I have enjoyed the holidays so much more since starting it. I also agree that there is no better gift than chocolate, and that true gifts are given with no strings attached. I love passing on gifts to others I know will be able to use or enjoy them, whether as a regift or a freebie.
For years, we’ve focused on giving “consumables” to the adults ~ gourmet cheeses, favorite foods, assorted wines, etc.
I’m also a firm believing in giving “mathoms” ~ any object for which the current owner has no useful purporse, but which others would find of value ~ as gifts.
Keeps clutter to a minimum! 🙂
Thanks for your posts. I may highlight them again during this festive season.