I’m a Joshua Becker Certified Professional Organizer. I’ve spent ten years in other people’s kitchens, which means I see the gifts that worked and ones that didn’t.
Many people love shopping and gift-giving, especially at the holidays. And recipients know this about the gift-giver. That’s what makes the items hard to get rid of later.
So before you buy anything this year, here is what I’d want you to know.
Ask yourself where it will live
If you can’t picture the exact spot in their house, don’t buy it.
Remember, an avid reader probably already has enough books to read, and someone who loves clothing probably has several closets full.
Don’t give someone a hobby they didn’t ask for
The sourdough kit, the yoga mat, the gardening set. Those come to the donation pile more than almost anything, and usually unopened.
I always suggest consumables
Coffee, olive oil, candles they will actually burn, dark chocolate.
Consumables are temporary and appreciated by people who are trying to own less or thinking about downsizing.
Avoid anything that needs its own storage
Seasonal decor, holiday dishes, the second set of anything. A gift that lives in a bin eleven months out of the year is one more thing to find a home for.
Always include a gift receipt
And be sure to tell them, when they open it, that you will not be offended if they return or exchange it.
A lot of the gifts that a professional organizer donates are because someone felt guilty. Give them a gift and permission to pass it on if needed.
Skip the countertop appliances
The InstaPot. The air fryer. The bread machine, the pasta maker, the gadget that does one thing beautifully. They are what I call uni-taskers.
These are generous gifts. But they are also the ones I find still boxed in a basement or a garage. And then loaded in my car for donation after a lot of conversation about how guilty they feel getting rid of it because it was a gift.
The problem isn’t the appliance. It’s the counter. In most of the kitchens I work in, counter space is scarce. It is what I call prime real estate because more than appliances, people need empty kitchen counters. A new appliance usually takes up space on the counter because their cabinets don’t have room either.
The typical lifecycle of an appliance no one asked for is remaining in the box, then on the counter, then it moves to the basement, and finally the donation box. What was meant as a gift becomes one more thing to store, and one more decision to make.
Most people will buy an appliance if they want it.
And be careful with whatever is on trend
The premade gift baskets you find in most big box stores. The one with a blanket, soap, lotion, and a candle. This is a very generic gift, given without a lot of thought, and yet thousands of them are given every year and end up in the donation pile.
Also, be careful with any item you see heavily advertised online and in stores. The gifts I donate the most are ones like this. That’s what I meant about the small appliances too. I predict this year it might be a Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker.
What resonates the most
Services. A professional organizer for a day or a cleaning lady. Meal delivery service. Gift card to their favorite restaurant or spa.
Last year, one of my clients paid for a cleaning lady for each of her three daughters who were married with little kids. They were all over the moon to receive this gift from their mom.
What else can you give instead of a service or physical gift? An experience. Here are some ideas:
A restaurant they’ve mentioned wanting to try. A cooking class. Theatre tickets that they wouldn’t buy for themselves. A zoo or museum membership. (Get one for yourself and make it a shared experience.)
Experience gifts work because nothing has to be stored, cleaned, maintained, or eventually removed. And studies show that people remember experiences far longer than a physical gift.
If you want something to wrap
Wrap an item to go with the experience.
If grandma is buying swimming lessons, suggest a swimsuit to wrap with it. If you are gifting something elaborate like a trip, then upgrading their luggage is a great gift because it is one suitcase in and one out. No new storage needed.
Make the cooking class a card with the date already picked that you can attend together. And if you must, add a new chef’s knife to replace the knife set they bought in college. They still get to open something, but the experience will be the real memory.
If you really want a wrappable gift, choose quality over quantity. If they love to read, then buy the latest bestseller by their favorite author in hardback. Take your time wrapping it too.
The goal isn’t to buy nothing
The goal isn’t to buy nothing, but rather to be intentional and thoughtful about what you buy.
Lastly, for my own gift giving, I make a lot of homemade consumable gifts like homemade vanilla extract and a jar brownie mix. My friends and family look forward to it every year. Yes, it takes time, but that time is what makes it such a welcome gift. And it’s time I have because I don’t spend hours shopping and wrapping.
I choose experiences not stuff, because what we have is simply enough.
How will you do gift-giving differently this year?
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