I don’t enjoy gift giving or receiving much. Here’s why — 9 times out of 10 I don’t want the present. And I’m not alone — you are likely the same.

If I acquire a gift for you and pay $10, you hope to receive more than $10 of value from that gift. Perhaps that gift is something you can use, or an experience you’ll remember, or maybe it’s something that is practical. I think of food, vacations, meals together, or a practical tool you might use day-over-day. It’s thought that the value of the gift is not the immediate surprise experienced upon opening the gift, but it’s the value experienced the next day and days after.

Here’s the thing — most gifts are gifts of that nature. In fact, I don’t know what you want or need unless I ask you to reveal that information to me. I’m flying blind trying to get you a present you will find useful. Let’s say I buy you a present you never wanted or will never use, the $10 I spend is now worth much less; approaching zero. Economics would call that a dead weight loss. I am better off not spending $10 on a gift, and perhaps asking to spend time with you and enjoy a conversation and a coffee.

For me, I don’t like gifts because I prefer a simple and minimalistic life. I am fortunate enough to have enough food to eat, clothes to wear, books to read, and music to play that excess ends up as waste. And why waste when there are others who have need? And, I’m the kind of person that prefers to a pleasant conversation over a meal or a coffee.

The greatest gift I believe I can give, is the gift of my energy and my presence — time. Time is what I truly own, and it’s all I can truly give. And it’s the gift once given, I can never get repaid; the arrow of time points forward.

I realize my idea may run against the mainstream. I’m always okay with that. I do hope they resonate a little bit and cause you to at least wonder if you value your time the way I value mine.

Post inspired by Elaine Schwartz’s newsletter on gift giving.