A Gift Guide from an Anticapitalist
Gift giving advice from someone who doesn't celebrate gift giving holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanza? Seems sus, no? Stick with me, it will make sense... and it's really not all that groundbreaking either, but here are a few of my thoughts:
I tend to be one of those folks who buys a gift for someone when I see something they'd love within my budget, and only if it is from a small maker or small, local business (or i make it, but this isn't that post). This often includes things I find while traveling or thrifting, like the coffee beans from the local spot on the coast, or a pair of vintage cocktail glasses. You can literally always feel good about buying a gift this way, instead of ending up with the guilt of last minute purchases from big box stores, that will likely just end up in a landfill. It could also be fun to practice this throughout the year, and just save the purchases in a specific place for the holiday season if that's better for you!
I know that not everyone is like me, lots of us still enjoy the holiday season, including the gift-giving and shopping. For those folks, I invite you to do a few things this year to avoid the big names (esp. AMAZON, Temu, Shein, etc.) and support individuals in your community. One of the best things you can do is SUPPORT THE FOLKS YOU KNOW who are already creating incredible things! Support your neighbor down the street that bakes specialty dog treats, or the local photographer who created a cute desk calendar from recycled paper. If you can help it, avoid buying any new clothing or home goods this year! Loads of this stuff can be thrifted and in my experience, has been better quality than buying something new from Amazon or other similar low-quality options. I promise if you do the tiniest bit of asking around and searching in your area, you will find loads of creative folks making useful and beautiful things!
For anyone who got this far and is maybe feeling some feelings... I have a gentle question: If you prioritize the convenience of online shopping and big name shops over supporting small, who is that benefiting? Just think on it a bit, maybe even have a conversation with your loved ones about setting some gift giving expectations. It's 2025, we can collectively pull our consumer heads out of the metaphorical sand and try a little harder, I think.
With that, here are some of my favorite small businesses that I've been supporting lately! Please follow them on socials, give them some love even if you don't make a purchase!
Brick & Mortar : Supporting Local in Portland Oregon
For Folks on a Tight Budget
This is usually me! Just FYI! I don't believe in shaming people for their financial status, period. So, I wanted to include just a handful of gift ideas that I've used myself in the past when money was a little scarce.
THRIFT BASKETS: Like a gift basket, but everything is thrifted. You can even thrift the damn basket, it's genius. Fill that baby up with tchotchkes for your bestie, or cute kitchen accessories for your pal's housewarming. Think of any fun or silly theme that would make the recipient smile!
FRAMED PORTRAIT: Thrift a picture frame and add your favorite image of you and the recipient, or a photo of a special location, etc!
HOST A GIFT SWAP: This is similar to white elephant or other gift swapping games, but instead of a price point guideline, all the gifts are RE-gifted items you have around your home already. That unopened kitchen mixer you got for your wedding, the sweater mom got you that you didn't have the heart to say was a little too big, take a look through your closets and see what you can find! (i especially love this idea bc you'll often see folks who are so delighted by an item you weren't getting any joy out of anymore, very fun to give new life to things)
This last idea was gifted to me once, and I thought it was great!
FOR THE BAKER: Thrift vintage cookie tins/jars, and then fill them up with your own handmade baked treats, candies, or whatever you're good at making!
I hope you enjoyed these ideas! Thanks for listening to another ramble my friends.
