What Lessons Should We Learn from the “No-Gifts” Royal Party?
Over the centuries, there are lots of proper “do’s” and “don’ts” that can be learned from the royal family. Whether you love the English throne and all of the rules and regulations that come with it, or you relish in watching the old traditions morph into newer, more with the times rules, then the “no-gifts” royal wedding can teach us a thing or two about change!
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot, it was not only an historical moment, but it was also gateway to change! Here are just a few things that we can take away from the royal wedding’s “no-gifts” policy and how we can implement change in our own lives!
All the Parties
When you, or your friends, become parents, your child (and you, of course) are going to be invited to a LOT of children’s parties. Your group of friends is all having kids, and that means several kid’s presents every year. From your wallet, to your friends’ kids.
If you’re a first time budgeter, you can start to budget all of those presents into your monthly budget. OR, you can set an example with your child and your family. When it comes time for your child’s birthday, you can advertise “no gifts please” on each and every invitation.
By not having gifts to distract all the children, your child won’t end up with a room filled with things, but instead, can focus on something new. Their guests. The party. And even setting goals! This also breaks up the cycle of you buying gift after gift, year after year!
Goal Setting
Something else we can learn from the royal party is that we can do something else with our important gatherings other than get presents. We can set goals, we can accomplish them with the help of our friends and family, and we can change the way we operate simply by saying “no gifts please”!
Here are a few things you can accomplish beyond receiving gifts at your next big gathering:
- Donate. Instead of receiving presents for yourself, your child, or your new spouse, you can collect donations to the charity of your choice. Set a fund raising goal, then instead of gifts, you can ask your guests to donate to a good cause.
- Reduce Waste. More and more, individuals are trying to cut down on their wastefulness. Presents, plastic gifts, and wrapping paper can all add up to a lot of useless waste. Not opting for gifts can help you achieve your goal of trying to add less trash to our planet!
- Focus. Receiving and giving gifts is a time honored way to show someone else that you care about them. This year, however, you can show you care by giving something more valuable. Your time. Your focus. Your love. Using action as a way to spread joy!
By separating yourself from the idea that parties, gatherings, and big events SHOULD include gift giving, then you can clearly start to make a difference. Whether you’re making a difference for yourself, your family, or a close friend, you can start to change expectations surrounding parties.
Lessons
If you want to achieve financial freedom, you have to learn where you can cut costs, where you can save more, and you will learn some harsh lessons along the way. Removing the expectations of gifts can teach us the real reason why we have asked all of our closest friends and family to be with us!
If you have children, then this may be an extremely important life lesson for them, if not for yourself. By asking for donations, or having your guests actively set a goal with your child in lieu of presents, then you are teaching yourself and your family about the importance of ACTION.
For Instance, if your child wants a trampoline, then instead of presents or just GIVING your child a trampoline, your child can actively save up to achieve that goal! Using their chores, their party, and all of your collective resources to earn that trampoline. This instills action, goal setting, working for their achievements, and so much more!
All the Lessons We Can Take Away from the “No-Gifts” Royal Party
There are lots of truly important things we can learn from the royal “no-gifts” party. Whether we want our children to learn about setting and achieving goals, whether we want to reduce senseless waste, or whether we want to save money and break the gift cycle, there are so many things we can start to change! All it takes is action.
