If only Christmas wasn’t centred around buying. If only we didn’t force ourselves to spend endless hours navigating crowded shopping centres, narrowly avoiding the wrapping-paper whack from passing shoppers, while we sweat and pant under our faux-fur coats.
If only we didn’t have to consider selling a kidney to make it through the season, and yet, splash out ten quid on the latest deep-fried hybrid from a market vendor without a second thought. Cronuts, here’s looking at you.
And yes, if only our society wasn’t trapped in a paradox of materialism and wasteful consumerism, valuing gifts, yet ever willing to chuck them in landfill the second the frost has melted from our driveways.
But alas, it is.
And given it is, and that’s the world we live in, let’s focus on how we can shop right. Or better, at least. There’s a lot of fun to be had in changing things up too. I’m no Grinch. I want you to jump into the festive season like a reindeer on a pogo stick, and I too, am more than ready to shake it with The Pogues, and terrify children with tacky jumpers.
So, below, I have compiled a list of ways to make your festive hauls more ethical, sustainable, and successful. Conscious consumerism is the way forward, in my opinion, and with any luck, the saviour of our decaying high streets. Which, by the way, are sparkling with snowflakes and icicles hoisted onto lampposts right now, which never fails to make me smile.
So, get your tinsel out, get that mulled wine brewing on the stove, and grab a notepad.
1. Shop Independent
There’s a lot of truth in the cliché, “when you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance.” I worked in an independent accessories shop as a Saturday girl as a teenager, and to this day, it’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Getting to know regular customers, earning their trust, packaging their new clutch bag with extra care and ribbon because you know they’ve had a tough year. I loved it.
For each sale, we would handwrite the product and cost on a paper list behind the counter, to track the day’s sales. It sounds quaint now, but I can recall a fair few happy dances, and the dopamine rush of selling the exact gift a customer had spent hours hunting for.
You aren’t lining the pocket of another billionaire. You’re paying for a kid’s dance lessons, covering an unexpected vet bill (that damn dog), or funding a modest Christmas meal down the local pub.
Locally, Independent Brum is doing Santa’s work, shining a spotlight on over 170 independent businesses across the Birmingham area. Pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops, and experiences can be filtered by location and availability on their website. It’s my absolute go-to for booking a place to eat. And they’ve just released a Christmas Gift Guide, alongside my absolute favourite: Bab About Town.
For market lovers, Christmas in Cathedral Square would be my choice any day over the German Market. Yes, my Saturday did involve fried chicken from Chatty Patty, Cadbury’s hot chocolate, and the best gluten free funfetti cookies of my life.
2. Shop Second Hand
Shopping second hand is an antidote to certain overseas fast fashion giants who Shall Not Be Named. If we stopped manufacturing right now, we’d still have enough clothes on the planet to dress generations to come. Comfortably, and fashionably.
Think Vinted, DePop, charity shops, vintage. Besides, your outfits are far more likely to be unique, a total bargain, and if chosen well, long-lasting. Listen, I get it. Fast fashion may seem like a smart economic decision in the short term, but when your £1.50 mini skirt is fraying at the seams by next Thursday, perhaps it wasn’t so clever after all. Investing in a well-made item, from a decent brand, that’s been worn once or twice on DePop for £30, and will last for years as a wardrobe staple IS a smart move.
I’ve bagged some total steals from the Cancer Research shop on Corporation Street, Birmingham, and am desperate to hit the Oxfam superstore the second I have an excuse to be in Oxford. It’s so worth the rack rooting. Just this weekend, I cinched a brown vintage leather jacket that fits like custom, a gorgeous mustard blazer, and a sequined puff-sleeved top, perfect for the social season ahead. All will remain in my wardrobe for years to come.
The one thing you can chuck in landfill are any outdated notions of hand-me-downs, working class stigma, and the idea it’s somehow “gross” to wear clothes that belonged to someone else. Be a vintage queen with me. You know you want to.
3. Shop Not-For-Profit
If you like making a charitable donation at Christmas, why not kill two robins with one bauble? (Horrifying, I know). The UK’s first not-for-profit bar in the UK is located right in the centre of Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade. The Good Intent looks cosy as hell, and was home to some gorgeous carol singers last weekend.
Get out of the cold, get out your wallet, and spend your hard-earned cash at a business donating their profits to local charities.
Charity Christmas cards can also be a great way of donating, whilst buying something you already need. Think of a cause that means something to you, and go and check out whether they’re taking orders for cards this year. Go on, have a look.
4. Shop Smart
This basically means, identify the gaps before filling them. Before panic-buying an outfit for the Christmas party or the big day itself, conduct a wardrobe audit. Perhaps there’s a beaded pencil skirt from 2016 that can be given a new life with a different belt, jewellery, or shoes.
Perhaps you own twelve sparkly tops, and not a single skirt to wear with them. Perhaps there’s a mega pair of flares you bought in last year’s January sales that just needs a partner to flourish. See? Now you have some direction. And you won’t accidently buy something you already have five of.
Choosing evergreen items is key when shopping brand new. Remember, Levi’s that will last five years win out over Primark jeggings that won’t make it to Easter any day. The same applies to so many other things. Check your bookshelf, empty your stationary drawer, count up your makeup box.
And when it comes to gift buying, there’s one easy way to avoid unnecessary duplication: ask.
Yes, it might be boring, and yes, you might love surprises, but asking for a list from a loved one, or telling them directly what you want is just smart. Everyone’s wishes come true, and no-one’s crying into their chocolate orange because, once again, you’ve proven your fella isn’t psychic.
5. Shop What Matters…To You
For example, supporting disabled creators is important to me. I’ve been unable to work due to poor health many times in my life, and I know how hard it is to receive government support for chronic illness. So, when I can choose to purchase from a small disabled-owned business, that’s my preference.
It feels like funding my tribe, and honestly, I hope others would care enough to do the same for me. Every share, like, and comment on my writing makes my dodgy stomach do a cute little flip, and reminds me I’m on the right path. Doing so for others is my superpower, and could be yours too.
Maybe it’s important to you to get behind black-owned businesses, female leaders, or LGBTQ+ spaces. If so, have a rummage around, and see what fabulous things are going on in those areas.
6. Experience Over Stuff
Sometimes, you just have enough stuff. It’s pouring out your ears, it’s tumbling out of drawers, it’s rolling out from under the bed.
Which is fine, because beloved Christmas memories come from experience. Sitting at the kids’ table, watching the John Lewis ad for the first time, ice skating with your cousins, hitting the carousel bar at Winter Wonderland.
My chap and I have often bought each other tickets for Christmas, be it for the theatre, stand-up shows, Harry Potter studio experience, city breaks to make February a little less miserable. Print off the confirmation on nice paper, roll it up like a scroll, and decorate with a ribbon, so it feels like something to open. Perhaps put it in a gift box with tissue paper. As long as you intend to re-use it, and avoid the urge to buy loads of random crap to pad it out.
Although money is tight, so is time. Choosing to spend more of it having fun is never a bad idea.
7. Shop Meaningful
This gets to the soul of my personal brand of gift-giving. It can only be done for those you really know, like, on a cellular level. I’ll admit, I’ve outdone myself in recent years.
My great-uncle was Ulster boxer, Jimmy Carson, who fought world champion, Alphonse Halimi, in 1957 at the Harringay Arena in London. He’s kind of a big deal in our family, and I know our sporting history is something that holds a lot of pride for my dad.
So, lucky for me, I was able to track down an original programme from the fight. It was the perfect present for my dad. It still had betting odds scribbled in the margins in pencil, and was barely tarnished despite being printed sixty-five years ago. I swear I detected a hint of emotion when it was unwrapped. It was inexpensive, and to most outside of the Carson/O’Neill/Halimi families, probably holds very little value. But to us, it was gold.
Similarly, after being horrified to discover my granddad’s war medals stuffed in a box in a cluttered kitchen drawer at his bungalow, I paid a framing service to have them properly displayed and labelled. Now, we have less chance of misplacing them, and can celebrate his achievements in their full glory. This was a Christmas gift to my mom the year we lost him. It’s a truly special piece, and will remain in our family for generations to come.
8. Vouchers Need Not Be Impersonal
If your best mate works from coffee shops three days a week, then a Costa voucher might not be a bad idea. That mocha will taste extra sweet when she didn’t pay for it. Some smaller, indie cafes also offer vouchers these days, so it’s always worth checking their website.
Movie lovers will always be pleased to unwrap a cinema voucher, paired with a bag of popcorn, and their favourite sweets. So simple, and yet, when used smartly, will provide several date nights, free of cost. Ho bloody ho. Love it.
Another idea would be to pay for their Independent Brum app subscription for a year. This would keep delivering up to 25% off independents across Birmingham and Solihull for twelve whole months. They’d likely save way more than the cost, and it’s never a bad thing to encourage family and friends to eat/shop at the very best places the city has to offer.
For book lovers, vouchers for Waterstones or their local book store could bring a tear to the eye. I speak from experience. Trust me, if you choose carefully, gift vouchers will be appreciated, and used, probably by 5 January, because they love it so very much. And now they love you.
9. Buy For Them, Not You
This seems obvious, but is overlooked by many when searching for gifts.
Don’t just think, oh wow, I love that jumper, I’ll buy it for Sally. Will Sally really love that jumper? Or would she rather get mauled by the abominable snowman than wear a shade of orange that matches the exact tone of her hair?
Remember, Sally said she’d just bought a record player, and she was obsessed with that new Elvis film when you saw it together at the Electric. Bring any ideas to mind? Exactly.
Listen, and the rest should follow.
10. Wrap Like David Attenborough
Always ask yourself: What Would David Do?
Keep your materials as environmentally friendly as possible. Wrap with brown recyclable paper if you intend to chuck it, purchase recyclable Christmas cards (and actually recycle them), look into making small changes, such as using eco-friendly crackers at the table.
You’ll still get your massive hat and bad jokes, just with less impact to good old Mother Earth.
As a general rule, the shinier it is, the worse it is for the planet. Sorry about that. Go for glittery eye-shadow instead, and leave the shining to the lights.
11. Bonus Tip: Don’t Shop At All
By this, I mean, go homemade. Think gingerbread elves, indulgent truffles, knitted scarves, hand-sewn tree decorations, scrap-book photo albums, paintings (if your talents allow), and home-crafted cards with paragraphs from the heart.
Spending does not equate to love. Effort would surely be a better marker, bearing in mind we all have our own stuff going on, of course.
Good luck, sweet shoppers.
Now, mask up, strap on your elbow pads, and keep me posted on your festive wins.
Loved this article Amy so true and a good reminder 🥰xx