Donations, De-Stuffing and Guarantees

Old lights  - nice and bright

New lights - a bit subdued even though bigger

As part of year-end planning, I had a conversation with my financial adviser and my tax adviser. Seeing that written looks pretentious. I don't have tons of money. However I decided long ago that I wouldn't have any if left to my own devices. I wasn't a spendthrift and saved regularly, but wasn't interested in investing the way others in my family were, and banks were not the places where funds left on deposit would grow significantly. And since I wasn't the kind of risk taker who would tackle starting a business, there seemed to be wisdom in having someone advise me on how to manage my money. It was a good decision. But back to the conversation...

Part of the conversation was trying to guestimate what I will owe in taxes and if there is anything that can be done between now and the end of the year - let me be quick to say, legally - to minimize those taxes. As a result of that conversation I began a serious round of collecting items to donate. I do this other times during the year, and truthfully have not been as ruthless in weeding things out as I should be. I have (I think we all have) too much stuff. So on the hunt I went.

While doing this I happened to be checking email and saw something from The Triple Pundit (I think) about swapping out incandescent Christmas lights for LED lights. There was a monetary incentive to do this and I knew they would use less energy and be cooler on the tree, thus less risky as the tree dried out over the holidays. While clearing out my old lights didn't fall into the category of a donation, it would still accomplish the second goal of de-stuffing my home.

The Christmas lights I've been using on my tree are very dear to me. They were used when I was growing up and seeing them in the box and on the tree reminds me of my father, my mother, my childhood, my home, well, you get the idea. They are a part of me. I didn't want to turn loose of them. Yet, intellectually, I knew it was the right thing to do. Or was it?

That question arose after I made the trip to the store to do the swap. I'd screwed up the gumption to trade five strands of my lights for five strands of LED lights. In perusing the too-many choices (don't get me started, that's another issue) I saw that lights carried a range of guarantees for how long they should be expected to last. The guarantees ranged from one year to seven years. Huh!? The lights I was giving up had lasted more than 50 years and were still going strong. This screamed planned obsolesence!

I suppose the argument is that technology is changing so fast that it doesn't make sense to make things that last a long time. But at what cost? What is lost in this mentality is the pride of workmanship that made it possible to hand down Great Grandma's sewing machine or Uncle Harry's roll top desk. They were made to work. To look good. And to outlast their owners. Now, not so much. Maybe today's humans feel threatened by things that outlast them. I don't know. But I do know that I still value things that will outlast me. I don't need the newest and shiniest things to be happy or feel successful. And I think Christmas lights that are still working after 50+ years are to be celebrated.

So did I swap out the lights? Some, not all. I'm not a total Luddite. I know the benefits of LED lights are real. At the same time I know the value of long-lasting products, like fond memories, are real too. Both need to be kept and handed down.