Christmas is here! How are you celebrating the holidays this year?

In this episode Gwen and J give an update on their lives and receive some comments and thoughts from different listeners on giving gifts at Christmas. We hear gift ideas to reduce consumerism, bring more experiences, recycle old gifts and save money when buying.

You'll love the amazing ideas some people send us.

We also chat about...

Gwen getting a job in Washington and moving
J's 3 life updates
Gift ideas to give more experiences than things
How to recycle old gifts
Hacking the holiday work schedule
Saving money on presents

Enjoy this chat with Gwen and J, and please subscribe to us in iTunes if you enjoyed it!

Show notes and links from today's episode

MarketWatch's article on Gwen
Episode: How to Create Passive Income from Etsy Digital Products
Instant Pot on Amazon
Ebates
Honey

Key takeaways from the chat between Gwen and J
1 - There are huge benefits to living in a city
Gwen has been living with her parents for the past 2 months and realises how much she misses the city - she will soon be moving to Washington and be starting a new job. She's very much looking forward to it because big cities offer many more opportunities to try new things, meet new people and save on transport. Gwen and J agree that cities are also great since everything is walking distance, and you're more likely to do something that's 10 min away walking than 10 min away by car.
2 - You don't have to gift 'stuff' this Christmas
James tells us he prefers gifting consumables such as wine, food and similar items, since this means the person will enjoy the present and not be amassing more 'stuff'. Jenny also recommends gifting infused liqueur and something simple such as fudge also works great. Joanne prefers gifting activities instead of things; last Christmas she organised a crazy outfits contest! Rachel likes exchanging restaurant deals with her friends. Other gift saving ideas include buying presents on Cyber Monday using cashback deals, contributing money to a 529 or showing younger family members how awesome it is to work in tech! There are amazing gift ideas out there, just need to a bit creative ?.
3 - Working during the holidays isn't the worst thing ever
A listener sends in a suggestion that working during the holidays isn't the worst thing ever; you'll probably get double pay (which is sometimes worth it), and since the office is completely empty it's a great time to focus and get a lot of work done. You're better off taking the holiday when you really need it at a different time of the year - and also when prices will be cheaper and places won't be as crowded!
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