Holiday Clutter Is Stressful: 6 Tips to Prevent It from Adding Up

Excessive holiday shopping can clutter your home, cause anxiety, and add to your debt.
Minimalist author Joshua Becker recommends moving away from the “more is better” mentality.
Sustainability is key when it comes to jewelry and gifts.

When I was a child my father didn’t want Christmas tree. Being a minimalist, he didn’t like dragging it into the house only to throw it away a few weeks later. But my mother insisted on creating a little magic for us children. So every year we would go into the woods behind our house in Texas, cut down a cedar tree, bring it inside and decorate it with heirlooms and chili pepper garlands.

Now I have a husband, two children and my own. minimalist trends. I’m wary of Black Friday and other holiday sales that feature tons of jewelry, home goods, clothing, and gifts. There is pressure online and in real life to throw lavish parties and fulfill everyone’s bucket list.

All of these things can clutter our homes, reducing usable living space and makes us worry. And it’s expensive.

More than a third of Americans went into debt during the 2023 holiday season, according to a survey. LendingTree found. Of these, 65% said that going into debt was not part of their plans. On top of that, we spend money on containers, storage units, and even larger homes to store our ever-increasing possessions.

“We fall into the trap of thinking that more is better,” Joshua Becker, author of a popular blog. Become a minimalistsaid. “Parents are just exhausting themselves, stressed and tired, and they don’t have to.”

Adopting some minimalist ideas can help you prevent holiday clutter and stress before they start to pile up. Minimalism can be loosely defined as the pursuit of simplicity, which looks different for everyone. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Make your jewelry smaller and more eco-friendly

Decorations can be stressful part of the holiday season“Less is more,” Becker said. They are difficult to install, time-consuming to disassemble and store, and expensive to purchase and replace.

Many garages are filled with large plastic decorations. They spend the year accumulating dust, stains and holes and often have to be thrown out. Instead of buying a new herd of inflatable reindeer, buy (or make) a real wreath that can be composted or turned into mulch when the holiday is over.

Go old school and make garlands out of popcorn, cranberries, dried oranges or candy canes. This will make decorating a fun activity that you can do with your loved ones and save you the hassle of searching storage space.

Skip the new matching outfits

Many families get into the habit of buying new sets of identical clothes every year, including pajamas, suits, holiday outfits and “ugly sweaters.” These clothes have a festive pattern, so they are often worn only once and then forgotten or outgrown.

Instead of buying more, look for small, matching accessories you already have—hopefully ones you won’t outgrow, like antlers or bell necklaces. The simplicity of these accessories can make things easier if your kids drag their feet when it’s time to dress up for a party or family photo.

Don’t update kitchen and dining utensils

When throwing a big party, you may be tempted to buy new kitchen utensils, glasses, cutlery, coasters and other items to wow your guests. But you probably don’t need them, and no one will remember that you had those napkin rings or that new KitchenAid mixer with a wooden bowl. They will remember how much fun they had with each other. And besides, a “perfectly set table” will only look perfect until someone spills milk on it.

Rethink your gifts

Many families love seeing boxes stacked under the Christmas tree, but you might be happy with fewer items and more experience. “In a culture where excess is celebrated and excess is rewarded and rewarded, very few people post a photo of a Christmas tree with just an envelope underneath,” Becker said. But that doesn’t mean you should let what we see on social media dictate how you spend your holidays.

Becker has four rules to help you avoid hoarding gifts unnecessarily: quality over quantity, needs over wants, experiences over possessions, and consumables over non-consumables. Personally, I like to give night at the hotel or a ticket to a show.

Ask your loved ones for help

Be honest about your desire reduce your clutterand tell your loved ones that you need their help. This can be difficult when grandparents and other relatives want to spoil little ones, but the conversation can be very productive, especially if it happens early in the season.

“Don’t just say, ‘We want experiences, not physical gifts.’ Give a nice long list of what some of these experiences might be,” Becker said. And be patient; Understand that in the first year they may not fully grasp or understand what you mean.

Focus on next year’s wealth

Think about the money you’ll spend on items and “solutions” for storing gifts and decorations. Make a commitment to spend less, and then use the difference on what you really need in the new year. Or use that money to create more money. Let it be appreciate in retirementbrokerage or 529 college savings account.