Several years ago I picked up a lovely little book at the bookstore entitled “The $100 Christmas.” This little book by Bill McKibben and his website about the New American Dream helped me to re-think what it means to give at Christmastime. Whether you celebrate Christmas or one of the other end-of-year holidays thinking about setting a budget of $100 is a great idea.
Basically, the idea is that the consumerism of the holiday season contributes in a very big way to our word’s declining ecosystem and growing class-isim. From packaging to wrapping to travel… you get the idea. An average holiday bill can easily add up to over $3000 dollars for a family.
This is the plan: Other than things you would buy anyway, set a budget for your holiday of choice of only $100 total. Presents. Travel. Special Meals. Everything.
What this means: More time is spent traveling and planning together. Creativity is required for families to come up with unique gifts that are within the budget. Meals are simpler and made special by being together or doing something special instead of huge caloric intake. Little to no time is spent traveling.
Despite trying several times, I have never been able to pull off a $100 holiday. Do you think it’s possible?
