How to really support local and small this Christmas.
*updated in 2023.
Every year I set myself a challenge to try and do most of my Christmas shopping as locally as possible. It can be time consuming and a fair bit harder than running around a shopping centre for a few hours, but it’s far far more rewarding - for reasons I have outlined throughout this article.
Before I get started, I know that what I’m about to suggest may mean that you might either end up spending more or getting less - or both those things. I am 100% aware that shopping online and buying from overseas companies can mean big savings at a difficult time of year. My motive for writing this article is simply to share some of my tips to hopefully inspire you to ‘shop outside the square’ this year.
That said, I believe that supporting your local and small business economy can mean you get better quality, special gifts that have the added bonus of helping local families have a good Christmas too. I also know that you can spend less money by being more mindful and so I’ve started with some cost saving tips and I’ve scattered them throughout the article too.
What I would love is that you get to the end of this article and add more suggestions into the comments - the more ideas, the merrier I think.
Ways to save money but still support local.
I’m just going to kick off by talking about expectations. I’ve always found this to be the thing that brings me unstuck around this time of year.
What do people expect from me? What do they think is an appropriate gift? Do my family and friends see the value in the same things that I do?
By setting expectations and working out early who you are expected to buy gifts for, you should be able to cut down on the added stress of last minute purchases and going over your budget.
In addition to your own situation, please be mindful of the circumstances of your family and friends. If you know someone has had a bad year, then you be the one to suggest not doing gifts this year and maybe swapping that for a day trip to the beach instead. Time with friends and family is more valuable and rewarding than gifts anyway.
Some other great ways to help reduce the spend include:
Organise a Kris Kringle and set a budget so that everyone receives one great, thoughtful gift instead of multiples.
Agree to just get gifts for the kids and the adults can enjoy good food, wine and the joy of watching the kids open their presents.
Consider experiences as gifts - memories last a lifetime.
Tell everyone your plan to support local - do it in a general Facebook post so it’s communicated but also hopefully inspiring to others.
Set a budget and keep track of it.
Menu plan with your family so everyone knows what to bring.
Don’t leave things to the last minute
Ways to support local with your Christmas feasting.
This is my favourite part of the season - the food. I’ve grown up in a family that prioritises good food and I’m fortunate to live in one of the best food bowls in Australia. It’s easy for me, but I want to make it easy for you to support local farmers and producers from wherever you are.
Here are some places you can go to buy local food:
Farmers markets
Food hubs and collectives
Local greengrocers
Local butchers
Farmgate stores
Most of the places listed above will allow you to preorder special items so you don’t miss out. Things like hams, turkey, puddings, berries and cherries and any other speciality items that can be hard to source the week before Christmas. Also when you buy really fresh produce it lasts much much longer and tastes better so it’s going to get eaten, not wasted.
If you can’t get to any of those places then check out some of the fantastic online services available. 2020 has been a great year for innovation in this space. I’ve listed a few relevant to Victoria but you might like to do some research yourself if you are from another state or country.
Ways to support local with general gifts.
The first thing I’d do is go for a long walk or take a drive around your town and region. Stop into small towns and browse the side streets for shops and galleries and get onto Instagram and search by ‘place’. Armed with your list of who you are buying for, you should be able to find a stack of great gifts.
Shopping from small towns, regional areas and bushfire or flood-affected communities is a lot easier these days thanks to the creation of online shopping portals focused on those things.
Check out:
Garden-related gifts that support local and save money.
Something for the garden is a great option for someone who has everything. Don’t head to your local hardware chain to pick up gifts for a gardener, try a local nursery, farmers market, or arts and craft market for good quality plants. If you’ve got a green thumb, you can buy them early while they are small and spend a little more on a lovely locally-made pot instead. You can then nurture the plant so it’s nice and healthy and much bigger by the time Christmas rolls around. It’s incredible how quickly a seedling or tube will take off in Spring.
A great gift for a child could be as simple as a big wide pot that you plant strawberry seedlings in. By Christmas it will be covered in fruit and flowers and they will have their very own strawberry patch that will last for months. Then, if looked after, will grow fruit the next year too. Stick a few hidden fairies and sparkly things or dinosaurs in there for little hands to find.
Garden art can be a wonderful gift and again, with a little bit of research, you can find something special that’s handmade right here in Australia or even in your local region. We have some fantastic sculptors and makers right here in Gippsland so I like to keep an eye out at www.creativegippsland.com.au or www.creativeharvest.org.au
Ways to support local with experiences.
I think this is my favourite thing to gift, especially to our kids. With so much separation over those pandemic lockdown years, I am pledging to spend more time doing things with my extended family. The best thing about this is that you can support local, spend time with people you love AND have a stack of fun yourself. Maybe right now you’re not sure what time or date you can hang out together, so one way to get around that is to buy vouchers. Vouchers provide income to small businesses, they make great gifts and they represent a ‘promise’.
One of the places I will go to research experiences is www.visitgippsland.com.au but you will have a local tourism body representing local experiences. The possibilities are endless but if budget is an issue then consider meeting somewhere for a walk or a ride and then shouting lunch at a nearby café or restaurant or ordering a picnic hamper to take along with you.
I feel like I’m always talking about food, but gifting food experiences can be really lovely. Two things I’ve done myself and am happy to recommend are the supported online sourdough classes with www.realbreadbygeorgie.com.au and cooking classes at the wonderful www.stringandsalt.com.au
Ways to support local wine, beer, cider and spirits.
Don’t add that Chilean Chardonnay to your trolley just yet…
If you’re going to drink this Christmas, that’s another great way to support small and local. First thing to do though, is not go into your supermarket bottle shop. Seek out and find an independent bottle shop near you. There will be one you probably just haven’t noticed it before.
My local is the Press Cellars in Warragul. It’s family-owned and they are great supporters of other local businesses. What I love about shopping there is that they are helpful and knowledgeable and remarkably good at recommending labels. You’re more likely to find local wine, beer and spirits in an independent and you may even be able to try before you buy if they do tastings in-store. Because I’m located in Gippsland, I’m going to recommend a few of my local drops below, as we are fortunate to be in a particularly good region for all things booze. You can often buy online or at the cellar door too and you might find some savings if you go direct.
And if you’re not drinking but want something special and non-alcoholic, check out the family-owned Mornington-based www.etchsparkling.com.au
Ways to support local with big brands.
My kids LOVE Lego and they love books and we have a growing collection of board games. None are made around here of course, so here’s what I do.
Our local Toyworld is owned by a local family so I shop there for my Lego and games. Yes it would be cheaper online or at a big chain store BUT if you keep an eye out for sales throughout the year you can usually pick up what you need at a cheaper price OR you can counteract paying full price for your Lego by making savings elsewhere.
That little bit extra that you pay - that’s the margin that the store owners have to put there to make a profit. Instead of begrudging it, embrace it and take advantage of the fact that you don’t have to wait, you aren’t generating all the waste that buying online generates and you can often get free or super cheap gift wrapping. Same goes for books. I love gifting books and I love supporting our local bookstores because they really do it tough when it comes to online comparisons. A gorgeously wrapped book with an exchange card makes a brilliant gift for any age.
Ways to support local without spending a cent.
Of course you can’t buy everything BUT you can offer moral support to local businesses simply by recommending them, sharing their social media posts, writing reviews when you’ve purchased from them, commenting on their posts and generally helping them to reach a greater audience through you. This costs you nothing but time.
If you’ve got some time, please comment below with some of the businesses you are supporting this year or head over to my social media channels and feel free to give yourself or any small, local business a plug in my comments.
Thanks for making it this far and please let me know how you go this year. I reckon you’ll be feeling extra joy this Christmas if you know your dollars are making a real difference.
If you have anything left over, please consider donating to a local charity. Our food relief charities in particular are overwhelmed this year already and I’m sure they could do with any little bit of support you can offer.
Merry Christmas lovely people!
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❤️ Hi I’m Erika ✌️ I’m a marketing specialist with a BA in Media & Comms, Masters of Marketing, Certificate in CX (Customer Experience) and over 25 years marketing experience. I’m well placed to help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming world of marketing and social media. I work with you one-on-one or create fun and action-oriented workshops and webinars for groups, organisations and businesses. Book a free discovery call with me or simply email me to get the conversation started.
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