Christmas is that special time of year for giving, receiving, and eating until you feel sick

For the less fortunate, Christmas isn’t exactly all sleigh bells and fairy lights. This year, skip the frantic last-minute shopping, and make sure to stay out of Santa’s Burn Book by spending your hard-earned dosh where it really counts. Anny Ma tells you how…

Trade Aid treats

I don’t think there is anybody in New Zealand who hasn’t had a stash of novelty chocolates in the cupboard as the “wasn’t expecting you but Merry Christmas!” presents. They go down a treat, yes, but you can do one better this year – in lieu of Roses and Favourites, pop into your local Trade Aid (or online shop, hello millenial-life) and pick up some fair trade chocolates, coffee, tea, or even a yummy gift box if you really love them. Good for the environment, people, your conscience, and your wallet. Easy!

Charitable donations

While many people are charitable-minded, they just have no idea where to start, or who needs their money the most. An easy gift is a simple charitable donation in your giftee’s name. Charities such as your local City Mission, SPCA, Women’s Refuge are great places to start, or national charities like KidsCan, Child Cancer, or UNICEF are all organisations which can’t survive without donations. If you can’t decide, let the recipient – the Givealittle website is overrun with thousands and thousands of great causes, with vouchers easily purchased too. The best part – you can do it all online, with your hand dandy debit card and printer!

Buy local

While charitable donations evoke immediate warm fuzzies, the feeling of shopping is right up there. If you’re going to buy something tangible, go local! Brands that are designed and made in NZ have huge costs to cover, and love being able to keep their suppliers in business. If you’re splashing out on somebody, avoid the online shopping tax and buy local! Deadly Ponies, twenty-seven names, or Ingrid Starnes all have highly-covetable products at a range of price points, and all their production is proudly based here. If a Mr Fill N Zip isn’t in the budget, a cute cap or hand lotion surely is!

Subscriptions

Miss FQ and your other fav reads aren’t the only things you can subscribe to these days – you name it, you can subscribe to it! From food to make-up, subscription boxes are the way of the never-leave-the-house future. The I Am Co gift boxes are the perfect monthly subscription for the gal who likes to live her life with no nasties, offering health food and natural skincare goodies every month! Subscriptions can be gifted for one month up to 12, and are always totes instagrammable. The products are usually locally sourced as well, so it’s both great for the likes and the locals! #doubletap. If your giftee is in Auckland or Wellington, an Eat My Lunch subscription is also an option, so both they and a child in need get lunch delivered!

Your time

Giving your time is the MasterCard of gifts – priceless. Be it offering to volunteer at a shelter, mentor kids, hang out at an elderly home, or just making quality time for your loved ones – this gift will not only mean the world to somebody, but also give you #feels and a little life perspective. If Kyga can do it, you can too!