It is time to start thinking about those little packages wrapped up in ribbons and finished with a bow, the ones that will go under the tree or given out over the entire Christmas season.They must look beautiful of course but what is inside really is what counts. Will you choose to create your own gifts (which often end up far more expensive than you originally intend), buy online or go into town to choose gifts for your friends and loved ones?
If you do go to town please remember that you have the power and the choice of where to spend your money. I know that you know that already but have you really thought about it before? You can go into the big shops and you will need to for some of the specific items you wish to purchase. But please don’t forget those little shops, the markets and the independent shops which will sell things that you hadn’t even thought of! Shop local and support the real people in the community, it really makes a huge difference.
If you are shopping online you have so much available to you and you can find gifts for every budget but as well as getting the perfect gift you could make a real person do a happy dance! Yes, this is an actual thing amongst us crazy small businesses, when we make a sale we do a happy dance! Sites like Conscious Crafties which sell handmade gifts created by people who are gaining independence from a multitude of life’s setbacks or Etsy which is full of people just like you and me who are supporting their families from home offices or earning a little extra to put gifts under their own trees. Shopping from small businesses and directly from artists is a wonderful way to show your support to people who are carving out a career for themselves.
Money is power and no matter how much or how little you have, you have spending power, even I have a little too. So use your power wisely create something with your own two hands, buy handmade and support local this Christmas and all of 2019.
Love Samantha x
By Samantha Webb 