Stick with a non-thing - Wiki Thing

Why stick with a non-thing?

Shopping has become not only a central activity in modern life, it's become central in our interactions with others. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, plus many other days that have been created for various things - these are all occasions where finding the right gift can become more important than the occasion itself. Of course it's nice to give gifts, but many of us have so many things already, we don't really need extra stuff to clutter up our homes and lives with. And then there's the environmental impact. Physical products use up valuable resources and are responsible for carbon emissions during their manufacture, distribution and disposal. Based on a range of data, we've calculated that the carbon embedded within an average product is approximately 9.73 kg per item. See here for the methodology behind this figure.

It's much nicer (and much easier on the environment) to give meaningful gifts that involve spending time with someone, or offering something they really need, like babysitting for them so they can have a night off, or giving them a massage. Or even treating yourself to a pampering session or a trip to the theatre - all of these things create the kind of memories and positive experiences that you don't get with buying new gadgets.