The Gift Economy: A Radical Response to Scarcity and Fear

How gratitude, enoughness, and reciprocity can reshape your finances, your community, and your sense of security

As the holidays approach, gift-giving takes center stage. It’s easy to dismiss the season as another chapter in the relentless cycle of consumerism—Black Friday sales, the rush for the latest gadgets, and the subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure to spend more than you should. But there’s something deeper, something more radical, beneath the surface of a gift.

I’ve been reflecting on this while reading The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a book gifted to me by my friend Evan. In it, Kimmerer explores the concept of the gift economy—a way of relating to the world based on gratitude, reciprocity, and abundance. It’s a vision that runs counter to the scarcity mindset baked into so many of our financial lives and broader economic systems.

It’s also deeply relevant as we face an uncertain future. I’ve had clients, friends, and family cautiously ask, “What do we do to prepare for when Trump takes office again?” Whether they’re worried about inflation from new tariffs, economic collapse, or something darker, these questions reflect a real fear: How do I secure my future in a world that feels increasingly unstable?

The usual answers—tweaking your investment portfolio, hoarding gold, or finding ways to "win" in the system—feel inadequate. They’re rooted in isolation, competition, and a zero-sum vision of the world. But what if the real antidote to scarcity and fear lies elsewhere? What if true security lies not in how much you have, but in how much you can give and how deeply you’re connected to others?

Scarcity Is a Story We Tell Ourselves

In The Serviceberry, Kimmerer points out that scarcity is often an invention—a failure to recognize the abundance already present in our world. She writes, “The relationships nurtured by gift-thinking diminish our sense of scarcity and want. In that climate of sufficiency, our hunger for more abates, and we take only what we need in respect for the generosity of the giver.”

It’s a beautiful sentiment, but it also points to something practical. In my work as a financial planner, I see how scarcity drives many of us to overwork, over-accumulate, and under-give. We think we’ll feel secure once we’ve saved a little more, earned a little more, or built a bigger buffer. But that day rarely comes—because “more” is never enough.

The truth is, if your goal for wealth or income is always more, you’ll never feel like you have enough. You’ll always feel behind. And when you feel like you’re operating from a place of scarcity, the idea of giving—whether it’s money, time, or energy—feels impossible.

But what if you paused to ask: How much is enough?

For most people, it’s not as much as they think. Once you’ve defined “enough”—enough income to live your values, enough savings to feel secure—you can stop chasing the next dollar and start investing your time and resources into what matters: your relationships, your community, and the world you want to live in.

Security Doesn’t Come from Isolation

When people fear societal collapse—whether from political instability, climate change, or economic crises—the instinct is often to retreat. To hoard resources, build walls, and isolate themselves. You hear stories of people buying rural property to wait out some imagined apocalypse, but here’s the thing: that vision of security is an illusion.

Even in extreme scenarios, no amount of gold bars or stockpiled food will save you if you’re alone. The real antidote to catastrophe isn’t isolation—it’s connection.

Think about it: In a world where systems break down, your real security comes from:

• Knowing your neighbors and being part of a community where people look out for each other.

• Building skills that benefit others—like growing food, fixing things, or sharing first aid knowledge.

• Giving generously, not just out of altruism, but out of an expanded sense of self-interest—because in a culture of reciprocity, your abundance becomes someone else’s safety net, and theirs becomes yours.

There’s a story in The Serviceberry about a culture where, when one person has too much meat, they “store it in their brother’s belly.” Instead of hoarding it for themselves, they give it away. This might sound quaint, but it’s also a powerful recognition of interdependence. What benefits your community ultimately benefits you.

Gratitude as a Radical Act

So how do you start embracing abundance when the world feels scarce? How do you shift from a hoarding mindset to a mindset of reciprocity and enoughness?

Start with gratitude.

Kimmerer writes that gratitude “puts the brakes on hyper-consumption.” When you truly appreciate what you have, the hunger for more begins to abate. I notice this even in small moments—like when I stop to think about the labor and natural resources that went into my food. From the farmers who grew it, to the animals and insects that nurtured it, to the workers who transported and prepared it.

When I pause to appreciate that, I find myself eating slower. I stop wanting more than I need. That same shift can happen with money and material possessions. When you consider the work, resources, and relationships that went into what you own, you want less. And you’re freer to give more.

The Gift Economy Starts Now

In this season of gift-giving, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that gifts are just transactions. But true gifts—ones given without expectation of return—are acts of reciprocity. They strengthen relationships, remind us of our abundance, and create security that no stockpile of wealth ever could.

If you’re feeling anxious about the future, consider this: the greatest security you can create doesn’t come from hoarding or isolation. It comes from building a network of people who care about you, from skills that make you useful to others, and from a mindset of abundance that frees you to give generously.

This is the heart of the gift economy: recognizing that what you have—your resources, your skills, your time—can be shared. And in doing so, you make the world a little safer, a little more joyful, for yourself and those around you.

So yes, it’s wise to have a few practical things on hand: drinking water, some non-perishable food, maybe even a generator (if the scenario you’re planning for involves fuel). But the bigger story—the richer story—is about expanding your realm of concern beyond yourself and your nuclear family. It’s about fostering reciprocity and connection, not out of fear, but out of an understanding that we’re all in this together.

And here’s the secret: living this way brings not just safety, but joy and satisfaction—both now and later. That’s a gift worth giving.

Final Thought

As you navigate the uncertainties of the coming year, resist the urge to retreat. Build connections. Cultivate gratitude. Define “enough” for yourself. Because the greatest gift you can give—to yourself, your community, and the world—is to live in a way that fosters reciprocity and abundance.

This holiday season, let the gift economy start with you.