Episode 456: How to Manage Holiday Money Anxiety

In this week’s solo episode, I’m diving into something many of us feel, but don’t always say out loud holiday money anxiety. This season can be full of joy, nostalgia, and family connection, but it can also bring up guilt, pressure, overspending, and emotional triggers that hit our wallets hard. So today, I’m sharing honest reflections on the expectations we carry, the emotional weight of holiday giving, and how I personally navigate the overwhelm of gifting, family obligations, and wanting to “do enough” without draining my finances or my energy.

I walk you through practical strategies for shifting your mindset, breaking old patterns, and giving yourself permission to rethink how you show up this season.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Guilt-free gifting: How to focus on intention instead of price tags, and ways to simplify gifts especially for kids who may value the moment more than the item itself.
• Setting family & personal boundaries: What to say when you want to keep things simple, stick to a budget, or opt out without shame.
• Overspending triggers: Why boredom, stress, nostalgia, and scarcity mindset push us to buy more and how to create friction to avoid impulse purchases.
• Reframing the season: How to shift from “stuff” to connection, small rituals, meaning, and presence.
• Planning ahead for next year: Using what you spent this season to set realistic expectations and savings goals for the future.

Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

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