One of the first indications that the Christmas season is truly starting is when the first catalogs start arriving in the mail. Everything from toys to clothes to electronics to car accessories to some truly strange collections of novelties and gadgets, all available by mail, telephone or Internet for convenient purchase.
Reading through each catalog, it is inevitable that I’ll find some gadget that I never knew existed, but suddenly have to have. Too many of these things wind up under the tree, where they provide a few days of entertainment before being relegated to a closet and forgotten. Even worse, after the holidays have passed, the gift list can easily become a shopping list, leading to spent gift money and more stuff in the closet.
So this year I’ve decided to break out of the cycle and throw out the catalogs unread. If I didn’t need it before, I don’t need it now.
This may result in a short and boring gift list, but it guarantees I will use what I get, and there won’t be so many worthless electronic doodads vying for my money when January rolls around. As Thoreau said, “Simplify, simplify!”
So who’s with me?