As soon as the unwrapping is complete and the feast devoured, we have Boxing Day to look forward to. Boxing Day was initially created for the servants of the rich. The wealthy would box up items they no longer wanted and gift them to their servants. Of course, this isn’t the case anymore, but we can still use Boxing Day as a way to improve our mental state and possibly even earn some money. These ten ideas will give you plenty of things to do on the day after Christmas, so you can avoid going out and shopping for more items you probably don’t need.
1. Use it to Rest
One of the best things you can do for yourself is rest on Boxing Day. Spend the day at home enjoying your immediate family or soaking up some much-needed alone. This is a great time to reconnect with yourself by enjoying self-care products, reading, catching up on shows you’ve been meaning to watch, and anything else that makes you happy. This will give you the perfect chance to unwind from all that the holiday season brought, which is so important. If you take Boxing Day to rest, it will help prevent you from needing a mental health day in the near future.
2. Donate
If you want to get in the spirit of the original meaning of Boxing Day, then today is a great day to box up some items that you’d like to donate. You might start with going through your holiday supplies to donate the items that you never seem to use. Sorting through clothing, old toys, and other items that you might just have lying around the house can also help you quickly declutter. Once you have everything together then find a good place to donate it. There are usually many options in a community, but if you’re struggling to find a place then contact a local church to see if they will take the items or steer you toward someone that will. Getting rid of unwanted items will help your home feel more comfortable and can help boost your mental health.
3. Regift
A lot of people think that regifting isn’t appropriate and doesn’t show appreciation for the person that purchased something for you. This isn’t necessarily the case though. We live in a world of overabundance and waste is pretty commonplace. Instead of holding onto items that you may not use, or may already have, then regifting is a thoughtful alternative. This helps keep items from hitting the landfills, like so many donated items do. This also prevents you from wasting money on a gift that you may already have in your possession. All around, regifting doesn’t have to be as negative as it is made out to be, especially as we witness our planet changing in such drastic ways.
4. Sell Items
If you’d like to recover a bit from the financial strain of the holiday season, then selling items is a great way to go. Although the market might not be high for items directly after the holidays, it still might be a great time to plan which items you’d like to sell and shop around to see how much they are worth. However, holiday-themed items might sell at a low price if you’re simply hoping to move items from the home while earning a small amount of money. There are many places to sell items as well, so make sure you shop around to see which will work best for your needs.
5. Eat Leftovers
With the holidays over, the best thing you can do is enjoy all of the leftovers you have. A lot of people want to take a break from the home by eating out, but sticking to the leftovers will help you to save money. Not only will it keep you from spending more, but it will also prevent wasting which is a big waste of money. On top of that, you can always transform your leftovers into something else if you choose to. This will allow you to make sure the food was eaten to save money while still bringing more flavor to your dishes. There are lots of recipes that work around leftovers, so you can easily find a dish that will suit you when you grow tired of the same flavors.
6. Exchange Gifts
Chances are, you or your family members received some gifts that aren’t your cup of tea, or perhaps you already have one in your possession. There is even the off chance that items you ordered some time ago may not have arrived in working condition. No matter what the reason, if you find yourself not wanting your gifts and you have the ability to return them, then Boxing Day is a great time to do so. In this day and age, exchanging gifts can be done in many different ways. You can head to the store with a gift receipt in hand and do it the old-fashioned way. However, if you ordered the gift online then it may mean spending the day putting in for a return, boxing the item up, and taking it to a shipping facility. No matter the manner, this will allow you to remove items you don’t want in the home to exchange for items you do want. This will save you time and energy as you won’t have to keep reminding yourself to do so before the deadline.
7. Say No to Shopping
Retailers will definitely try to pull you in on Boxing Day with enticing sales to help rid their stock of holiday items. If you want to save time, money, and energy you should avoid doing this if at all possible. Stores will be packed with people wanting to take advantage of these sales, which will mean long lines and feeling exhausted from dealing with so many people urgently shopping. Plus, if you hold off for a few days then most of the items on offer will be on the clearance rack at an even lower price. Shopping the day after Christmas might also harm your already stretched budget, so make sure to pay attention to finances.
8. Go Over the Budget
With the holiday season almost over, Boxing Day is the perfect time to go over your finances. You can spend the day budgeting, so you can pay off any debt you may have incurred during the holiday season. You can also take this time to start setting goals for the upcoming year or to budget in the things your family will be doing such as extracurricular activities or potential vacations. This will help save you time in the New Year while allowing you to quickly adjust to your new spending limits before 2023 even arrives.
9. Share Leftovers
Let’s face it, a lot of the time we can’t finish all of the leftovers in the refrigerator. In fact, after a couple of days of eating them, they tend to get a little boring. In order to reduce the number of leftovers you have in your refrigerator, you may consider sharing them. You can make plates for family members that may not have had the ability to make a lot of food for Christmas. You can also do the same for friends. Most places will not allow you to give away leftovers to the needy, so make sure you are careful when it comes to the laws of your community. By giving to those you know, you won’t have to worry about this and you’ll be showing the giving spirit even after Christmas has passed.
10. Take down decorations
Although the decorations are beautiful, Boxing Day offers the perfect opportunity to take everything down. If you have the day off, this can help you move out of Christmas mode and into New Year mode. Clearing the decorations on this day can help save you time in the future, as things tend to quickly get busy after the holiday season is over. Putting away the decorations is also a great way to save electricity because you won’t be tempted to keep turning your décor on. On top of that, it can help prevent you from wanting to purchase more décor, as you’ll have to pull out your storage containers to put these items away.
Boxing Day is the perfect holiday to help set yourself up for relaxation and financial strength. These ten ideas will help improve your mental health while allowing you to feel more secure in your budget. Best of all, they will help you unwind from all of the holiday chaos, so you can recharge and prepare yourself for a successful 2023.
