h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As someone who's been rampantly anti-consumer Christmas for a while now, I've decided to try something new this year. I got the idea out of Big Issue magazine. Basically through organisations such as www.thetithingtree.org.au or www.tear.org.au (there's heaps of similar sites) you can, instead of purchasing a gift for someone who probably really has all they need anyway, purchase, in their name, a gift for people in developing nations, such as a goat, or a medical kit, or a school pack. I made up a wish list from items in a couple of these catalogues, and sent my friends and family an e-mail (impersonal, yes, but quick, given that christmas is only one week away! - it's that last minute shopping thing ) explaining what I was doing, and why, and asking them to choose the gift that they would have me give. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, everyone loves the idea, and it's so much more satisfying!

Of course I'm not suggesting no-one buy anyone pressies anymore - but it's a great way to think about spending some of your chrissie budget. And I love the idea of giving someone a goat.

that sounds marvelous!