{"id":350048,"date":"2025-12-15T12:29:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T12:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/350048\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T12:29:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T12:29:27","slug":"feeling-holiday-money-stress-experts-urge-mindful-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/350048\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeling holiday money stress? Experts urge mindful spending"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts<\/a>, parties, and travel this holiday season?<\/p>\n

The job market is tough, student loan and credit card debt are rising, and prices for many items remain high due to inflation. If you\u2019re feeling financially strained, know that you\u2019re not the only one feeling that way, said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist and host of the Mind Money Balance podcast.<\/p>\n

To avoid putting additional pressure on your finances, use the the holidays as a time to be extra-mindful of how you spend. Remember that spending money isn\u2019t the only way to show your love to your friends and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe add on all of the years of nostalgia and pressure that we put on the holidays to meet some sort of picture-perfect version,\u201d Bryan-Podvin said.<\/p>\n

From setting a budget to creating your own traditions, here are expert recommendations to avoid financial stress this holiday season:<\/p>\n

Start with a budget<\/p>\n

What is marketed as \u201cthe most wonderful time of the year\u201d can quickly become stressful, Jennifer Seitz, director of education at family finance app Greenlight, said. Setting a budget can help you avoid overspending on gifts, decorations, or any other holiday expenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe sure to include your travel, your shipping, your seasonal tipping, knowing what you plan to spend in each category and then having a cap in place can make it easier to avoid debt in January,\u201d Seitz said.<\/p>\n

While having a budget is the first step, sticking to it is equally essential.<\/p>\n

Bryan-Podvin also recommended that you include your regular debt payments in your holiday budget. That way, you avoid falling behind or acquiring more debt.<\/p>\n

Shop around for best deals<\/p>\n

When you’re doing your holiday gift shopping, look for sales, coupons or other holiday discounts so you can reduce your overall costs, said Trae Bodge, a shopping expert.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always looking for maybe a coupon code so I can save a certain percentage off, or I can earn cash back, or I can get a free shipping offer. I really believe in those tools and use them every single time I shop,” Bodge said.<\/p>\n

Bodge also recommends you try finding deals with browser extensions such as PayPal Honey and Rakuten.<\/p>\n

What matters most to you?<\/p>\n

The holidays are the season of giving, but spending too much money and energy can have adverse effects on your mental health. Deciding what you care about most can help you avoid financial stress.<\/p>\n

Bryan-Podvin recommends that you write down your holiday expenses: travel, celebrations, gifts, etc. Then ask yourself if buying or participating in all of those activities and costs feels good.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat helps you prioritize what are the things that are most important to you this holiday season,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

While many people equate how much they spend on gifts or how many events they attend with how much they care for their loved ones, that is not the best way to approach the holiday season if you\u2019re financially strained.<\/p>\n

Don’t be afraid to say no<\/p>\n

Between work parties, family functions and gatherings with friends, the holiday season can quickly become overwhelming both emotionally and financially. If you’re feeling stressed, don’t be afraid to place a boundary and say no to an event or a gift exchange.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people who you say a boundary to are going to understand and (some) are going to be relieved,\u201d Bryan-Podvin said.<\/p>\n

Being open about your money can be difficult, but sharing if you are struggling with debt or other financial issues can help family and friends understand that they should prioritize low-cost gifts or activities.<\/p>\n

Create your own traditions<\/p>\n

In recent years, Seitz has noticed a shift away from spending money on goods and more of a focus on creating meaningful experiences with family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really important for families to create alternative forms of joy that aren\u2019t necessarily tied to buying. Kids often remember those memories and those traditions, most of all,\u201d Seitz said.<\/p>\n

New ways of celebrating don\u2019t have to include a greater expense, they can be as simple as organizing a pancake-making morning with the entire family, playing a new board game, or doing a homemade gift exchange.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n


\n The Daily Sabah Newsletter \n <\/p>\n


\n Keep up to date with what\u2019s happening in Turkey,
\n it\u2019s region and the world. \n <\/p>\n


\n
\n SIGN ME UP \n <\/p>\n


\n You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
\n This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts, parties, and travel this holiday season?…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350049,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[28,1142,21369,147,530,174485,2427],"class_list":{"0":"post-350048","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-gifts","10":"tag-holidays","11":"tag-personal-finance","12":"tag-personalfinance","13":"tag-spending-plans","14":"tag-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}