​

Make a budget before you begin your Christmas shopping, working out how much you spent on gifts, food, travel etc last year, and resolve to set a percentage aside at the outset to donate to charity. 
 

Give time or skills instead of buying gifts - e.g. days out with the (grand)children after Christmas, a 'date' with your partner, or a voucher for a particular service you might be able to give.
 

Create simple presents instead of buying expensive or extravagant
gifts – these might be food contributions to the festivities,
hand-crafted items or personalised artwork, poems or short
stories... but be careful not to replace one form of stress with
another by getting too ambitious in what you take on.
 

Suggest that family members/friends bring a dish for Christmas
dinner instead of a gift.  Remember: there are 12 days of
Christmas, so even if everyone can't be in the same place at the
same time this year, there are plenty of other opportunities!
 

Suggest that children might help cook/wash up the dinner as

their present to parents, and encourage them to donate money

they might otherwise have spent on family Christmas presents
to a favourite charity or cause.
 

Gift-wrap IOUs to place under the tree for shopping trips in
post-Christmas sales, and donate the amount saved to your favourite charity.
 

Don't feel guilty about ignoring some charity appeals!  Choose one or two favourite causes, perhaps especially  those concerned with the relief of homelessness, hunger and poverty wherever they occur.
 

Don't be pressured into reciprocating cards or gifts. Again, invite friends/neighbours in after Christmas if you can.  But do remember elderly, housebound, lonely people in your card/shopping list.  This year more than ever, a phone call or a conversation over the garden wall will be worth its weight in gold.
 

Instead of everyone giving gifts to everyone else in a family group, organisation etc, draw lots for one name and buy a gift for that person. Agree within the group the maximum amount to be spent per gift.  Donate the amount saved as a family or group to charity.
 

Buy gifts in charity shops or from charity catalogues where possible. You might also like to consider whether a charity might gain more from your giving it a single donation than from buying a number of individual gifts. 'Alternative' gift cards can then be handmade

so that the recipients know what you're 'giving' in their name.
 

Remember the environment too! Only send paper Christmas

cards to those whom you won't be able to greet in person

or by other means; or to those who may be lonely or

housebound.  e-Cards are available on many websites 

(including www.christmasgiving.net/send-an-e-card).
 

Discuss what you're doing with family and friends, and you

may be surprised how many people want to do the same!

​

Top Tips section is joint copyright with The Sanctuary

www.thesanctuarycentre.org