The Best Minimalist Christmas Gifts: 5 Great Gift Ideas

Set a budget

The first thing that we need to do is to set up a budget. What I would like you to do and I like to think about is how much you are prepared to spend per person; what is your budget?

When you see things, you need to have an idea of what you're willing to spend per person around the Christmas period. If you have this in mind, it can make it much easier to think about presents moving forward rather than doing ad hoc buying.

You might have a different figure for different people depending on how close they are. You might have a different figure for family to friends depending on how close you are with them.

Ask what the recipient would like

My next tip is to think about asking the gift recipient what they would like to avoid gifts that are not needed or not wanted. You could outright ask them if there is anything that they would like for Christmas.

This doesn't necessarily work with everybody, but there might be a few people who would probably appreciate something they would want or need rather than having a gift that has no meaning to them, so it also creates a purpose.

Let's look at five different kinds of minimalist gift ideas you could give somebody around the Christmas period.

1. Something they need

The first is something that somebody actually needs. You may have a really good idea of what they might be missing or what they have been desiring from conversations throughout the year.

Think about something that they might need. It also could be something that would help them with daily life as well. It could be a small kitchen appliance they've been looking to replace or something that just makes their daily life a little bit easier.

So think about something that they could really benefit from.

2. Experiences

This could cater to any budget. Experiences could mean a meal out with them. It could be a spa day or a facial or something like that. It could be a day out somewhere. It could be any kind of experience. It could be driving a racing car.

Anything that gives them an experience that is going to give them a memory and that's more personal. If you can give somebody an experience either with you or for them to enjoy on their own or with another friend, etc., I think that's more valuable.

It creates meaningful moments in somebody's life, and that's amazing.

It doesn't have to be a really expensive thing. It doesn't have to be like buying a ride in a hot air balloon for hundreds of pounds. It could be something simple, such as paying for a massage or getting their nails done.

3. Consumables

Anything that your friend or family member likes to eat or drink would be a really good gift because it's not going to go to waste. It's something that they're going to enjoy.

They're going to be able to take their time to eat or drink, and they're going to have that moment of enjoyment from it. Make sure you think about consumables they enjoy or want to try.

4. Gift vouchers or e-cards

These give the person a choice in what they could buy. If you know they want to spend money on clothes, but clothes are pretty tricky to buy for somebody, you could give them a voucher for a shop they like.

If they're looking at purchasing furniture, you could give them a gift card that would go towards furniture.

Know that you have contributed to that piece of furniture or the clothing that you bought, so you still have that connection there. They have ownership over what they purchase so that it meets their taste rather than yours.

5. Subscription services

Another minimalist Christmas gift idea is to pay for a subscription service for them. This could be something like a digital subscription, like Netflix or Amazon, or something like that.

It could be a food box subscription, meaning they can do a week's worth of food boxes that would give them a week where they have an easier time where they don't have to think about what they're going to cook.

They don't have to pay for food, but they still get an opportunity to try out a new recipe. It gives them something that will help them in their daily life. Like with TV subscriptions, that's going to be something that they can really enjoy.

If you give a premium TV channel subscription, you can always watch something together. It means that you have something that they are going to value while getting some time with you.

Bonus: sentimental gifts

My final thought is to give a gift with sentimental value if you know them well enough. You might want to give them a piece of jewelry because you know they don't have many earrings or bracelets, and they really want that. They will be able to think of you every time they wear that item.

Minimalist Christmas gifts

Those are my five minimalist Christmas gifts that you could give to someone. It still gives you the opportunity to connect with them, be purposeful, and not be caught up in the consumerism of gifts they're not necessarily going to use.

Do you have plans to give minimalist gifts? Share in the comments; we love to hear your ideas!