My Used Christmas

Last year when I told people I was having a Used Christmas, I was on my own. This year, I’m hearing, “Us too – it’s awesome, isn’t it?” and “I’m more than happy to save the packaging and have stuff already assembled” and also, “Why would I buy new if I can get something in great shape for a fraction of the original price?”

Why indeed.

Yes, my friends, it is year TWO of My Used Christmas in our home and it’s once again been a total blast collecting fabulous toys, games, books, movies and much more for my twin girls to find under the tree.

And yes, like last year, I’ve done a price comparison to show you just how much I saved by going this route. But what I REALLY want to talk about, is how this is saving so much more than just money. It’s also about participating in community and making connections. There is a lot more to this “used culture” than saving dollars.

Save this Christmas

I present to you, if you will, a checklist of what a used Christmas can save you:

1. The energy it takes to manufacture yet another toy
2. The packaging it takes to preserve said toy and keep it pristine for sale
3. The stress of weaving your way through crowded malls and toy shops
4. The need to open up the item and pull out all the individually wrapped pieces to ASSEMBLE the item
5. The time spent in line waiting to PAY for all the above
6. The toy/book/game/video that may have ended up in a landfill instead of being reused and loved again by your kids
7. The tension of waiting for the Visa bill to come and knowing you spent WAY too much again this year
8. The slightly icky feeling that this time of year is all about excess and that more excess is the last thing we need
9. Your sanity, your sense of what’s right, your happiness. You’ve done something good for everyone and it feels FABULOUS

Christmas is about community

Another checklist, if it pleases, of what a used Christmas could possibly have to do with community and connection:

1. You meet people, local people, every time you buy something used. Often, you end up buying again from that person and you develop a relationship, with trust
2. You often connect with people who live close to you. (There’s a nice little eco component to this too)
3. You are giving money directly to someone who can then use it for something they need, instead of helping a large corporation profit from inflated prices
4. You are keeping things out of your local landfill
5. It feels really cool to love something with a history of also being loved by others
6. If posting and buying on Used.ca, you feel good knowing you are supporting a Canadian-owned, operated and loved company!
7. It’s just more personal. Period

Anyone else incorporating used into their Christmas preparations this year?