Clutter free Christmas gift ideas
Is it possible to have a clutter free Christmas?
Does this scenario sound familiar to you?
You don’t know what to buy your partner or spouse for Christmas (especially if that person is male…why are men so difficult to buy gifts for?!)
So you buy them a few “novelty” type gifts. Gadgets, coffee table books, games etc, because of course you want them to have a few things to open. But then after Christmas once everything is tidied away, these items are lucky if they ever get used again.
And what’s worse, you share a house with this person so you are literally spending money on stuff nobody actually needs only to have it clutter up your own home!
This Christmas clutter can be even worse with kids, and a lot of the time the clutter is coming in to the house from other people…but at least the kid’s stuff will get used (hopefully).
My husband and I have been together for over 20 years and in that time you can imagine the number of things we have bought each other that have ended up serving no real purpose other than clutter just for the sake of extra stocking fillers to open.
Obviously we have given each other some fantastic and treasured gifts in this time too, but I for one am glad the CD and DVD age is over as those once favourite stocking fillers probably would have taken over our house by now! (Luckily, I have managed to make back some money selling CDs on eBay.)
Whether it’s for reselling for cash on eBay, to get rid of items that remind us of past excess spending or to simply keep a more tidy and ordered house, Christmas can be a time when we are bombarded with items – often from people who live in the same house as us!
With this in mind, I have put together some suggestions for “clutter free” or consumable Christmas gifts for all ages.
Is it Clutter if it’s Practical?
Of course, I’m not suggesting that everything you buy for Christmas has to be clutter free! There are likely to be clothing, beauty products, books, games and tech items that are put to very good use and so of course these are not classed as clutter.
This guide is just to get you thinking of clutter free options to reduce the amount of stuff coming into the house that won’t be put to good use.
Want to take the stress out of Christmas for good?
Check out the Ultimate Guide To A Debt Free Christmas Toolkit
Experience Days
The ultimate in clutter free Christmas gifts, giving a loved one an experience rather than a physical gift has become increasingly popular, leading to a vast range of options. Whether you’re buying something significant for a partner or the whole family, to smaller budgets for friends, I have hand selected my favourite clutter free experience days for 2022.
Spa Retreat with Afternoon Tea for Two
This spa retreat with afternoon tea for 2 experience is available in a range of locations across the UK. It is great value at £49.99 for 2 and includes 3 hours use of hotel spa facilities as well as afternoon tea.
Lamborghini Driving Blast
The ideal clutter free Christmas gift for car enthusiasts, this Lamborghini driving experience is available at a range of locations across the UK and is priced at £49.99. See link for full details.
Horse Riding Experience
Suitable for all ages and abilities, this one hour Horse Riding Experience would make a unique clutter free Christmas gift for any member of the family. Full details on the website.
Brewery Experience for Two
Priced at just £20 for two, this brewery tour and tasting session for two is fantastic value for money. The brewery is located in Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire. This gift could form part of a weekend away, or be used alone as an affordable clutter free option. Full details can be found at this link.
“DIY” Experience Clutter Free Christmas Gift Ideas
If you are working with a smaller budget, you can still give a clutter free gift in the form of a gift voucher. Of course, you might think of all gift vouchers being a clutter free gift, but that very much depends on what they get spent on.
For this guide, I’ve tried to focus on gift vouchers that don’t lead to much (or anything) being brought into the house. Here’s my favourite ideas:
A trip to the movies
How about a cinema voucher for 2, presented with a bag of popcorn? You can buy cinema vouchers at up to 40% off with KidsPass. Simply choose your cinema, purchase the tickets (you don’t need to specify a film or date) and they are valid for 12 months.
If you’re not a Kids Pass member, you can still buy full price cinema vouchers for your chosen venue.
Vouchers for a show or gig
Music or comedy fans will appreciate a ticket for their favourite act, or get them a general gift voucher for a site such as Ticketmaster so they can choose their own.
If you’re working with a smaller budget, even getting a voucher that would give the recipient money off rather than covering the whole show is still a great gift option.
Beauty Treatments
Give a loved one a beauty treatment experience in the comfort of their own home with a BlowLTD gift voucher, or check with local salons in your area if they sell gift vouchers.
Pub or Restaurant Voucher
A voucher for a meal for a favourite restaurant or pub is always a popular choice, and even if it’s just an amount to cover part of the meal such as £20, it would still make a thoughtful gift.
The Dining Out gift card has a variety of pub and restaurant options, or check local eateries to see if they offer gift vouchers.
Other gift voucher ideas
Gift vouchers are a great clutter free gift option, and although sometimes they can be thought of as a bit of a cop-out present, they are usually very well received especially if you have thought of the recipient’s likes and dislikes carefully.
As I’ve mentioned above, I’ve tried to think of gift voucher ideas that don’t lead to things being brought into the house. Here’s some of my favourite gift voucher ideas for clutter free purchases:
A coffee shop voucher for their favourite shop – you could team it with a reusable travel mug (not strictly 100% clutter free, but a useful gift!)
A takeaway voucher – For a night at home, treat friends or family to money off Just Eat or Deliveroo.
A gaming voucher for money off a game from XBox Live, Playstation Store or Nintendo eShop.
An Apple gift card for all things Apple including app purchases, iTunes, as well as physical Apple products.
A Google Play voucher for all Android apps, games and more.
A Kindle eReader is the ultimate clutter free gift, and for those who already own one, an Amazon voucher to buy a book of their choice is a great and affordable option.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions to a service also make a great clutter free gift. Whether you offer a month, 3 months or an annual description means it is a flexible option for all budgets.
Ideas for clutter free Christmas gift subscriptions:
Disney Plus – For all the latest Disney films and TV shows, including Star Wars and Marvel.
Amazon Prime – Get free delivery on all Prime eligible items, as well as access to Prime Video and Prime Reading
Kindle Unlimited – Download and read selected titles for free on a Kindle or Kindle app.
Audible – For those who prefer audiobooks, Audible is a great option to access thousands of books.
Spotify – Stream unlimited music ad free.
XBox Game Pass – Get unlimited access to over 100 high quality games with an XBox Game Pass.
Playstation Plus – As a PlayStation®Plus member, gamers can play select content, join friends in multiplayer games, and enjoy other special features. You can also automatically back up saved data for games to online storage.
Nintendo Switch Online – A Nintendo Switch Online subscription gives gamers exclusive extra content as well as enabling online play.
For kids aged 4-9 a letter subscription to Banjo Robinson would make a fantastic clutter free gift! Use my code REF-9e3Q to get 30% off!
Garden plants and fresh flowers
Plants and flowers are a great gift idea, and outdoor plants can provide years of lasting enjoyment without clutter. A keen gardener might even prefer a bulb or seed kit.
A bouquet of fresh flowers is also something a bit different for Christmas, but would make a thoughtful gift.
Kindle or eReader
My Kindle Paperwhite is probably my favourite ever clutter free Christmas gift. Although the device itself is still a “thing”, the amount of clutter it reduces is incredible. As someone who once packed 8 novels into my suitcase for a 2 week holiday, you can imagine how much of a game changer it was just for travel!
I know some people love to have a house filled with physical books, but the amount of books I read (which is roughly one a week), I would not like to physically keep in the house, especially as most of them are titles I am unlikely to go back and reread.
I still have a bookcase filled with the books from my younger years I wanted to keep, and if I read a book on Kindle that I feel I must have a physical copy of, there’s nothing to stop me buying it.
Will you buy any Clutter Free Christmas Gifts this year?
I hope this post has given you some good ideas for clutter free Christmas gifts. I would love to know if you have any other suggestions. Leave a comment and share with the community.
About the Author
Melissa is a working parent who left behind a senior management salary for a better work/life balance. Following her own money saving and money making strategies she was able to clear debt and live a life she loves. Blogging, selling digital products on Etsy and selling preloved items on eBay are her favourite side hustles. Read her story here.
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Love these ideas! Vouchers are always a go to gift for me x
Thanks, yes I love recieving them also as I usualy wait for a sale to make the most of them!