The Morality of Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Lots of people make fun of those of us who typically wait until Christmas Eve before hitting the mall. (Uuggh, the thought of it turns my stomach.) But it’s last minute shoppers like me who have the moral high ground.

What kind of person, I ask you, buys something for someone else – something the other person wants or even needs – and then stows it away in a closet for days, weeks, even MONTHS instead of giving it to that person? Isn’t the value of the gift increased by it timeliness? Example, giving parents a high chair is a fine gift – but not when their youngest child is already 8 years old. In this day and age, when almost everything contains at least some tech that is starting to become obsolete the minute it leaves the shelf (or more accurately, the plant where it was made), the value of the gift can be expected to diminish rapidly. The latest gadget in October may have its title usurped by December. At the very least, it’s price may have dropped.

The more thoughtful gift is the one given when it is most valuable. Therefore, if you buy a gift for someone in October, give it to them in October. “But,” you protest, “that means I have to buy something else for Christmas.” Poor baby! Is the gift about your own convenience or is about wanting to improve the life of the recipient? If the latter, then the greatest improvement possible ought to be the goal. If your primary concern is your own convenience then sure, stash to gift – but look up, not down, to those of us who place the interests of the recipient of the gift above the trifle of convenience.

Merry Christmas!