Energy prices are projected to soar this winter. You may wonder how you’ll do your holiday shopping and still afford to heat your home. Keeping your gas tank full this winter will also be a challenge. Waiting in traffic, looking for parking spaces, and driving long distances for a single gift are all bad for your wallet and for our air quality. Here are some simple tips for a more economical holiday season:
Make a shopping list
You do it when you buy groceries, so why not do it before you start your holiday shopping? Sit down and think about who you’ll buy gifts for – family members and friends, coworkers, and even your children’s teachers. This will save you the hassle of rushing off to the store at the last minute. If there is someone on your list who’s hard to buy for, don’t sweat it! While you’re shopping for other people on your list, the perfect gift could jump right out at you!
Get crafty
If you enjoy carpentry, knitting, painting, cooking, or other types of crafts, perhaps you should consider making gifts for people this holiday season. Encourage your children to make their holiday gifts, too. If you need some inspiration, visit familycrafts.about.com. Gifts that people can eat, wear, or decorate their homes with are all the more special when made by a loved one.
Buy locally
Shop at craft fairs and stores that sell Maine-made products. Not only will you support local businesses, but you’ll buy quality products that haven’t been shipped across the country (or the world!). You’ll save fuel in your own vehicle – and in the delivery trucks.
Shop online
So you still haven’t found something for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list? Instead of driving far and wide to get the perfect gift, do a little online shopping. Most major retailers sell their merchandise on the Internet, giving you the convenience of a secure checkout and fast delivery. Online gift certificates are also popular. You can print them from your computer and share the ease of online shopping with your friends and family.
Make one big trip
Instead of spending time by yourself sitting in holiday traffic, invite someone to go on a one-stop holiday shopping extravaganza. Not only will you both save gasoline, but you’ll have a great time, too!
Eat at the food court
Stay inside for lunch if you’re shopping at the local mall. Avoid going to a fast-food drive-up window, since the long lines may leave you waiting in your car with your engine idling. Every little bit of gasoline you save this holiday season counts for you and the environment.
This holiday season, spend your money on gifts instead of gas. You’ll have more time to enjoy the festivities – and you’ll be doing a favor for the environment, too.
This column was submitted by Stefany Gregoire, assistant director with the Maine Energy Education Program. In Our Back Yard is a weekly column of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. E-mail your environmental questions to infoDEP@maine.gov or send them to In Our Back Yard, Maine DEP, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.
