Looking for a fun and different gift for your loved ones this holiday season? Gifting an experience, trip, or adventure for them may be a great way to make a lifetime memory rather than another sweater or hat from grandma. As much as it is fun to open presents, many people forget minutes later or are left feeling unfulfilled and under-satisfied. Which is not the feeling you want being the gift giver!
Every year $15.2 billion dollars are spent over the holiday season on unwanted Christmas gifts. With even 4% of them ending up in the trash! During the holiday season, trash waste increases by 25% in most homes in the United States(US Environmental Protection Agency). I don’t know how that makes you feel but it certainly doesn’t make me want to buy another toy that my nephew doesn’t need.
Luckily there are many different types of gifts that you can have for a loved one that doesn’t involve as much physical waste. Think of adventures or plans that you can book, depending on what your loved one might like. In this blog post, you will find a list of ideas that you can give to your loved one to make the holidays more memorable this year.
- Book a rental house: does your wife have an A-Frame cabin on her list? Or a house in Bali? AirBNB, VRBO, and Hipcamp are great places to book a house or property for this experience. Plus, the popular properties book well in advance, so booking it for the following year and gifting for the holidays makes the perfect thing to look forward to. Plus, AirBNB has a “pay a portion” option so it doesn’t dent your pocketbook all at once. Team up with another family or friends and make it even less expensive!
- Book an experience: companies like Get Your Guide or Tinggly are great companies to book through. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can give your loved one the choice of what they might want to do. A hot air balloon ride in Arizona? Plane tour over the Columbia River Gorge? Scuba diving with Sharks? The list is endless really! These experiences are on people’s Bucket List. Simply ask, hey do you have a bucket list of things you want to do in life? This is a wonderful way to get experiences planned.
- Plan a Trip: planning a trip for some people is their worst nightmare. Depending on if you like to do it yourself or hire a travel agent, gifting the family a trip of a lifetime might cost just as much as Christmas gifts. Trade the gifts for a trip this year. Think winter in Utah, summer in the Pacific Northwest, or even an international trip if the budget allows. This will excite family members and give them something to look forward to beyond Christmas. My husband and I even book our vacation for February or March around Christmas time to make sure we’re just as excited as if we were booking Christmas gifts.
- Gift a cooking lesson! Does your partner always talk about wanting to learn how to bake pasta, bread, or homemade pizza? Team up with an expert in your area and book this experience! Have more of a budget-dream big like a pasta cooking class in Italy!
- A day at the spa! While this might not be ‘adventure worthy’ as hikers, backpackers, and skiers, we all need that rest and relaxation for our muscles. Going on a ski trip? Surprise your partner with a massage at the spa as a holiday gift! Who would complain about that!
- A National Parks yearly pass! This is a budget-friendly gift idea that your adventure-loving friend or family member is bound to love. Bonus points if you get the local state parks pass they frequent often too. One less thing on their mind when spring and summer months roll around, and they will think of you every time they go visit.
- A season on the ski slopes: have a family member that loves to snowboard or ski? Buy a couple lift tickets, or if budget allows, a season pass for their favorite resort.
- A new backpack from Gregory Packs! While we don’t want to push buying a new backpack if they don’t need one, perhaps you have a family member new to hiking or backpacking. Maybe they need a luggage upgrade. Never fear, shop with Gregory to ensure your travel-loving friends and family have what they need.
Gift buying can be stressful! Making it more meaningful and less wasteful is mutually a win-win for you, the planet, and your loved ones.
Happy Holidays!