When my son’s eyes light up as he opens a Christmas present, I delight in his happiness.  But thrifty, green living has shown me a whole new way to look at indulging him.  For example, on my son’s birthday we were able to buy him a far more toys than usual because we opted for garage sale gifts.  He felt spoiled, we saved money, and we embraced the “reuse” part of the green cycle instead of buying new.  

But beyond the material stuff, I keep thinking of all the secondary rewards my son gets from our thrifty green lifestyle–especially during the holiday season.

  • Less money stress.  We are spoiling him by eliminating financial arguments and tension because we spend less and are more financially secure.  We can enjoy the season without feeling pressured to be spending more money than we have. 
  • Organic treats.  Roscoe gets to try all sorts of locally grown fruits and vegetables—some of which I’m having for the first time at 35!  Hopefully they’ll help him develop healthy eating habits.  We’re already finding ways to fit rutabagas into our Christmas dinner menu.
  • More family time.  Budget friendly, eco-friendly living has allowed us to cut back on our hours at work and enjoy every moment together.  In this photo we’re just hanging out in the backyard together–which is one of our main sources of entertainment these days.  When we’re all there together, Roscoe is thrilled!
  • A college savings fund.  I think my son won’t feel the least bit neglected for getting reused toys and a bit less stuff, considering that the extra savings will help us save for his college tuition.
  • A cleaner environment.  Roscoe’s corner of the landfill will be drastically reduced thanks to our efforts.  Since his generation is going to have to deal with global warming, it’s nice to know that our efforts will help.

Instead of putting loads of toys on credit cards that are filled to the brink, there is a grassroots movement of American families opting to buy less, buy used, and spoil their children for years to come.  How do you spoil your child with thrifty green living throughout the year and during the holiday season?