Here in the U.S., I keep hearing and reading about supply chain issues and how people had better start their holiday shopping early. But if you celebrate the holidays in an eco-minimalist way, then buying new things is never an issue.
In this article, I'll give you some tips for making this season more eco-minimalist so that shortages don't affect your holidays. Here are the topics in this article:
Why are there supply chain shortages?
Be a conscientious objector to frivolous consumerist practices
Be open-minded about what's available
Break stereotypes
Manage expectations
Gratitude
Why are there supply chain shortages?
In case you haven't heard about this issue, I'm going to give you some bullet points so you have an idea of what I'm talking about.
- truck driver shortages
- empty shipping containers on trucks with no place to go
- freight ships anchored outside of port waiting to offload
- average fuel prices are $1 more per gallon than last year
- inflation
- port restrictions/closures overseas
From what the experts say, this isn't just about the 'Rona. It's been going on for a while, and factors keep adding up to make things worse. Since it's a systemic problem, there aren't any easy fixes, and more issues are coming up that can complicate things further, like the upcoming expiration of the Longshoreman's contract in 2022.
So instead of getting frustrated and letting this disrupt your life, why not find ways around it? The following sections are tips that I use successfully to make my life less stressful while living in a consumerist society like the United States. If you're not in the U.S. but live within a similar culture, these tips can easily be applied where you are as well. And even though this is about holidays, you can also translate it to use the rest of the year.
And don't we all want to have fewer of our purchases sitting on a ship somewhere, with an unknown arrival date?
Be a conscientious objector to frivolous consumerist practices
I've talked about how wasteful I believe a lot of American holidays are in my Unpopular Minimalist Opinions article. One of my least favorite holiday "traditions" in the workplace is Secret Santa, or "White Elephant" party, which is used to make the idea less mainstream Christian. Regardless of what it's called, I still feel it's exclusionary, and the pressure to participate is ridiculous. If you're someone who doesn't participate in traditions that include gift exchanges, then it can be an uncomfortable and alienating experience.
Not to mention how wasteful it is to buy some cheap gift for an unknown person! To me, the whole point of giving a gift is to put thought into what they might want and give them something that they need, or at least will give them pleasure or improve their life. It's pretty much impossible to do that with these blind gift exchanges, so people end up getting gag gifts, which are usually cheaply-made and probably end up getting thrown away.
It's been (thankfully) a few years since I've worked somewhere that foisted one of these parties on its employees. However, if it were to happen to me this year, I would probably discuss with both my coworkers and my boss that participating in these parties goes against my beliefs.
For me, minimalism, and especially eco-minimalism, are part of my belief system and something I plan on incorporating into my lifestyle permanently. Therefore, I feel that this should be honored in the same way as a religion by my employer. Just like I don't think that people who are Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventist, Jewish, Pagan/Wicca, etc. should be forced to participate in a "Christmas" gift exchange if they don't want to, I feel I should also be exempt from participating due to my beliefs.
As an alternative, I might suggest we instead do a non-denominational potluck (not a "holiday party"). Because who doesn't love food?? If the goal is to have employees socialize, I think eating is way more fun than getting a singing Justin Bieber toothbrush. Yep, that was actually someone's gift at the last White Elephant I participated in. The guy who received it was not happy.
Be open-minded about what's available
Maybe you have traditions for the holidays where you buy certain foods, wear certain clothes, get a new decoration, etc. If those items aren't available, you may feel like that's going to negatively affect your holiday. But your good memories of past holidays aren't about the objects that were there. They were about the people you were with, the actions you took, and the feelings you felt.
So if things don't turn out exactly the way you anticipated, try to let go of those expectations. Try instead to focus on the important things: people, actions, feelings. The objects are just window dressing.
Break stereotypes
I know some adults (and their children) who would never go along with a second-hand Halloween costume, or wear the same costume as the year before if it still fits. And buying the costume from a thrift store? Forget it, that's for poor people.
This elitist behavior is not just hurtful for socioeconomic reasons. It's hurtful to the planet. It encourages stores and manufacturers to continue to pump out cheaply-made, high-priced costumes that may not even last through a single Halloween. They're usually made of unsustainable fabrics and end up in the garbage. Some people try to donate them, but if they're damaged then the thrift store will probably throw them away as well.
Here's a challenge for you: try to find a way to enjoy Halloween without buying a bunch of individually-wrapped candies. Teach children that this is a tradition that doesn't need to continue due to its lack of eco-friendliness.
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| This puppy's upcycling a cloth napkin for his Halloween costume. |
As for gift-giving, let's start some new traditions where gifts don't have to be shiny and new. They can be re-gifted, homemade, upcycled, and more. A few years ago my predecessor wrote a gift guide for minimalists that you can use for more ideas. There are some timeless gifts there that are still valid options today.
Also, if the holidays seem to be too stressful and complicated for you, we have an article with some unique tips for having a quiet, simple holiday season.
Lastly, if you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at our post about why Black Friday isn't what it appears to be. My personal favorite thing to do on the day after Thanksgiving is going grocery shopping for the week. The store is always so quiet and I get in and out quicker than any other day of the year!
Manage expectations
If you want things to go smoothly, it's best to talk out your feelings and wishes with everyone that you may have plans with during a holiday. In advance. Don't spring it on them at the last minute, or make a dramatic announcement when you show up for an event. Give everyone a chance to adjust to anything different you want to do. For example, if you don't want to be part of holiday gift exchanges, now is a good time to speak up!
However, it's also important to recognize that not everyone you encounter will want to go along with whatever changes you have in mind. I've told people that I don't want to exchange gifts on birthdays and holidays, but some of them still want to give me things. Then I asked if they could make charitable donations instead, but some people thought that was too impersonal.
I'm respecting their wishes and will accept any gifts they give gracefully because it's something they feel like they have to do. It's not my job to convince everyone to be an eco-minimalist, and it's more important to have peace than to argue about my principles. Maybe next year they'll be more open to my way of thinking. However, I won't feel bad if they give me something that I don't need and I secretly give it away to someone who needs/wants it more than I do (a trick I learned here)!
Gratitude
I think one of the easiest ways to not worry about what you can't have/do/spend during the holidays is to be thankful for all the things that can and will happen. I'm so grateful to spend this time with my partner and to be in a relationship with someone who thinks similarly to me so that we can enjoy the time we spend together.
I also feel so lucky and privileged to have the choice to spend (or not spend) money during all the upcoming holidays. I focus on simple treats that feel extravagant, like making my own version of hot apple cider (100% apple juice heated up with a cinnamon stick--so much better than that powdered stuff). I love watching the leaves change and then scooping them up to add to our compost after they've fallen to the ground. And since I'm more of a cool-weather type of person, I've enjoyed switching out to warmer clothes and walking in the nice, crisp air.
Opportunities for gratitude are everywhere, and they're easy to find if you let yourself be open to them.
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