Scroogenomics
I found this audiobook on spotify: "Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays". The author argues that gift giving is a pretty glaring waste of money and resources, and I have to admit he makes some good points.
It's like this... pretend your loved one spends $100 on a sweater for you for christmas. Maybe you love it, maybe you don't... but on the average, when people are surveyed and our gifts are reviewed, they do not feel like they're getting $100 worth of enjoyment out of the sweater. If they had $100 they'd spend it on something else. The odds of you picking out a fantastic gift for someone else are low.
It's kind of like everybody in America gets into a room and each person throws $1000 into a pile of money in the middle. Some people even go into debt to throw in their cash. Then everyone takes out $600. Then we set the rest on fire.
There are exceptions. Let's say your uncle has been looking for this ONE comic book for 30 years and you find it in a comic store for $5, then you're a hero! You have a chance at gift giving that is worth MORE than what you pay. But these events are rare.
I realize this book is cynical as heck, but I kind of like it because my family has really limited what we buy each other these days. Christmas has turned to a few toys that the kids love, and consumables for the adults... a basket of fancy salsa and locally roasted coffee and chocolate covered almonds.
At the end, the author's favorite idea is that we give charity gifts in each other's honor. Give some place that will maximize your gift... if your $100 funds a micro loan for some family to start up a farm or something, it becomes more. I don't know if we'll all go that way forever, but it's not a bad idea.