Too Soon for Christmas talk? Not if you want a debt-free holiday.
4 months to go and still time to break the holiday debt cycle that will steal your 2026.
Last year, a client told me her Christmas season always went like this:
December: “Let's make it magical!”
January: “Why did I do that to myself… again?”
She wasn't going overboard with extravagant gifts. Just the normal holiday things: presents for the kids, food for the family gatherings, a few decorations that “somehow” ended up in the cart at Target. But without a plan, it all went on her credit card.
And while December was full of joy, January was full of regret and payments.
So last year, we flipped the script. In August, she figured out her Christmas number, divided it by four, and set that amount aside each month. We trimmed her spending where we could and she hustled a little extra when needed, even doing some DoorDash runs to make her savings goal.
By the time December came, she had every dollar ready. This time, she enjoyed the holidays without the little voice in the back of her head worrying about the bill.
In January, she said, “This is the first time I've started the year without a holiday hangover.”
You can do the same. Here's how:
Decide your total holiday budget, including gifts, travel, food, and decorations.
Divide it by 4 and set that amount aside each month until December.
Keep it in a separate savings account so it's ready when you need it.
Hit reply and share with me your savings plan.
You still have time to make this Christmas your first debt-free one. If you need help, book a free discovery call here and let's see how I can help.
Disclaimer: I am an educator, not your personal financial advisor. Please make sure to do your own research before moving forward with any actions discussed in this blog post.
Know that all investments involve some form of risk and there is no guarantee that you will be successful in making, saving, or investing money; nor is there any guarantee that you won't experience any loss when investing. Always remember to make smart decisions and do your own research!