How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Breaking Your Budget

The holiday season is officially here — which means cozy nights, festive traditions… and the pressure to spend money on everyone and everything. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with holiday expectations, you’re definitely not alone. A recent national survey found that 65% of Americans say it’s nearly impossible to know how much they can safely spend during the holidays — and two-thirds feel cultural pressure to buy gifts even when they can’t afford to.

In this episode, we break down what intentional holiday spending actually looks like and how you can enjoy the season without blowing your budget or feeling guilty.

🌟 Key Takeaway #1: Why We Overspend This Time of Year

The mix of generosity, comparison, guilt, and marketing overload can make it hard to set boundaries around spending. We talk about why emotional spending peaks during December, how social media fuels the pressure to buy the “perfect” gifts, and why so many people end up with a “holiday hangover” in January when the credit card bills hit.

The good news? There’s a more mindful way to approach it — and it feels a lot better.

🌟 Key Takeaway #2: What Intentional Holiday Spending With a Budget Looks Like

Instead of starting with a shopping list, start with your values. Ask yourself: What do I actually want the holidays to feel like?

From there, reverse-engineer your spending plan:

• Set an overall budget you can genuinely afford

• Divide it into categories like gifts, food, travel, décor, and events

• Remember hidden costs like wrapping paper, shipping fees, outfits, or holiday cards

The goal: make a plan that supports the season you want — not one that adds stress.

🌟 Key Takeaway #3: Rethinking What “Gifting” Really Means

Thoughtful gifts don’t have to cost a lot. We share budget-friendly (and meaningful!) alternatives like:

• Hosting a cookie-baking night

• Writing handwritten letters

• Creating a cozy movie night with hot cocoa

• Making DIY gifts or printing favorite photos

• Offering experience gifts like babysitting, cooking dinner, or going on a winter walk

We also share personal traditions — like Meghan asking her parents for sleepovers for her daughter instead of gifts, and Maddie doing holiday dinners with friends instead of exchanging presents. It’s permission to make gifting less about price tags and more about connection.

🌟 Key Takeaway #4: Practical Tips to Avoid Impulse Spending

If your holiday spending usually snowballs, try these Your Money Style tools:

• Make a detailed list and stick to it

• Include not just gifts but things like food, parties, wrapping supplies, and traditions

• Use the 24-hour rule before online purchases

• Track your spending as you go, even in the Notes app

• Unsubscribe or mute marketing emails for the season

• Reframe “spending less” as “spending with purpose”

We also cover how to set healthy boundaries around gift exchanges, price limits, and traditions that no longer fit your budget or values.

🌟 Key Takeaway #5: A Simple Reset Plan for the New Year

If you overspend this year, it’s okay. Truly. Most people do. Here’s a quick two-step reset Meghan shares:

1. Review what you loved vs. what you overspent on → Meghan shares her tradition of tracking what food was actually eaten on Christmas day so next year’s budget feels easier (and more accurate!).

2. Start a holiday sinking fund for next year → Set aside a small amount each month so the season feels lighter and less stressful.

🎄 Bonus Segment: Holiday Money Confessions

We each share a “worth it” and “not worth it” holiday purchase — including:

• Meghan’s “worth it”: buying gifts for three local kiddos from a community giving tree

• Meghan’s “not worth it”: the stress + cost of photo Christmas cards this year

• Maddie’s confession: being a Dec 23rd last-minute shopper 😅

A fun, relatable way to end the episode!

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