After making my way through the panicked hordes of last minute shoppers at Best Buy, I found myself in the long winding line. Standing behind a mom with a wailing baby strapped to her side and a Doritos munching daughter, whose hunger was not satiated by her own junk food and whined for every candy in the aisle, I calculated the damage my mom’s last few Christmas gifts would cost my dwindling bank account.

As the mom in front of me valiantly tried to push her four large packages forward, while shushing the baby and keeping her daughters powdered ‘cheese’ covered fingers away from every impulse offer in the checkout, I felt something buzzing. Struggling to balance my boxes against my hip, I plunged my hands into the abyss known as my purse. As my hand finally came to clamp down on the smooth contour of my cell phone the buzzing stopped. The penetrating dirty looks of the shoppers behind me, who wondered what was stopping the gratifying sensation of moving forward (even though we weren’t even close to cashiers), compelled me to ignore the call and shuffle on.

After finally paying and making my way into the cool night air I checked my cell phone to see what I missed. It was a call from Bill the editor-in-chief at Busted Halo wondering where this article about ways to Celebrate Christmas without consumerism was.

It’s not always easy taking ones own advice, and a Christmas without spending money to some may seem like an impossibly cheap suggestion. However I can certainly guarantee that these five tips will make both your Christmas season less hectic, and probably make others much richer, than anything that can be bought at Best Buy.

1. Give the gift of time My mom might need some new electronics, but if you ask her what she wants for Christmas she will tell you, all she wants is to spend time with me during this holiday season. Now, although to some this may sound like a mom’s excuse to keep her daughter from spending too much money at Christmas, time with loved ones is in fact a far better gift than anything that can be purchased. Bill McGarvey shared his family’s tradition of giving IOU’s for things like babysitting or a dinner together in the future instead of material gifts. People (especially in America) don’t really need more things, (that’s why companies like the Container Store and those who make the multitude of other organizational solution products have such a booming market) but time with family and loved ones is usually a rarity, so instead of waiting by yourself in long lines, skip the lines and spend the time with family instead.

2. Give the gift of Christmas spirit Busted Halo project manager Jarrad’s favorite Christmas memories never involved gifts. They involved driving around with family to see displays of Christmas lights in Austin. My personal best Christmas memories involve family Christmas traditions like looking for the Star of Bethlehem on Christmas eve, and making Christmas wishes in the starlight. Others go caroling, some build snowmen, whatever traditions you may have, or may want to start, they are all more affordable ways of making your Christmas special while spending time with friends. They’re also far more Christmasy than pushing through the crowded mall.

3. Give the gift of your creativity Even if you may not have much disposable income at Christmas, you can still give great material gifts if you’re just a little creative. My friend Kathleen gave her father a giant pinecone she found as a gift, which is now proudly displayed on her families mantle, because she knows her dad loves outdoorsy things. Kate the intern at Busted Halo is making her family’s Christmas gifts (gift details omitted in the interest of surprise), because she couldn’t think of anything that they actually needed that she could afford. Even if you’re not crafty you can bake cookies, or make other Christmas treats and give them away as gifts. All things which show more love and are cheaper than store bought presents.

4. Give the gift of self Christmas is about giving, but less about giving presents that people don’t need and more about giving hope and of ones self. So in addition to spending time with you family and loved ones, spend some time giving to those less fortunate in your community by volunteering during this Christmas season. My friend Dayna delivered Christmas gifts to children in the housing projects of Brooklyn. My friend Ina volunteered at a community Christmas party for Children in the shelter system in New York. There are literally thousands of organizations that need your support at Christmas time (and any other time of year to be honest), so pick one, and make a Christmas family or friend outing out of helping others. The gift you will receive in return will be priceless.

5. Give the gift of health Even if you’ve already spent thousands on your Christmas shopping, and this list comes too late for you to meet up with family or plan a Christmasy outing you can still give yourself, and your loved ones, a Christmas gift by making a personal commitment to being healthy during this holiday season and beyond. Christmas is an easy time to overeat, not exercise, and generally make some pretty poor health decisions. But, good health is undoubtedly more valuable than anything that can be bought or sold. So if you have some unhealthy habits make a commitment to ending one of those this Christmas. Or if there is nothing specific make a point of doing one thing during this Christmas to make yourself a little healthier, whether it’s going for a walk, or skipping that extra glass of eggnog.

So save a dollar, skip the lines, and enjoy Christmas for what it’s meant to be, a celebration of faith, family, and community, not consumerism. Have a Merry Christmas from Busted Halo!

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