Help, It’s The Holiday and Money is Limited

Over the years the financial burden of the holidays would create excessive stress during a

season intended to be full of joy, connection, and generosity. For many years when my now

adult children were younger I would feel high anxiety or stress about the holidays in our

attempts to grant our family and friends holiday wishes. Like many parents, my desire to grant

their Christmas list was created out of our own memories of childhood holidays whether we

received an abundance of gifts or very few and for some not receiving any toys or gifts at all.

Mixing the two, holiday expectations with financial obligations, can take a toll on one's emotional

well-being. I found the key during the holidays to reduce my financial stress was to create and

follow a comprehensive budget.

Creating a holiday budget allowed me to know where my money was going and that decreased

stress. When creating my holiday budget I’ve found it important to include food, travel, and

parties as well as presents. No plan is perfect but with a more conscious approach to my

spending, I felt more in control.

Gift-giving I also found to be overwhelming to put it lightly, it would be a source of intense

uneasiness. What does she want? What will he use? What do I get for the person who has

everything or can afford anything? What won’t be a waste of money? Will it arrive on time? And

then there is the fear of gift-giving imbalance. What if one person gets more? What if the gift I

give is of less monetary value than the one I receive? The pressure to measure up or impress

would make the holiday gift exchange feel like a competition, but I learned it doesn’t have to be

at all. I simply began to ask the person what they would like, I’ve found many family and friends

will just tell me what they’d like to receive and I’ve been surprised by some of their answers. It’s

been things I would have never imagined purchasing, and one year a niece that lives in another

state said she’d prefer a gift certificate to spend quality time with just me rather than a material

item. I either find out what they truly desire or found out that they would rather be surprised.

Regardless, I was able to get quality information, and the more details I got the less I had to

guess and stress and possibly spend.

I hope my attempt to share what has helped me reduce some of the financial stressors that the

holidays can bring will help others look at whys to reduce the stressors of their holiday. May you have a healthy and happy Holiday Season

Lady Leo

Healing Every Day (Group Admin)

If you would like help this season with working through the holidays as a survivor, click the link below.

Alchemist Call

30

Book Now