So it’s that time of year again! We’re all shopping for Christmas gifts and festive holiday spending. Wouldn’t it be nice to do your Christmas shopping guilt free this year? If you’re nodding your head yes to the promise of a stress free holiday, then we have a treat for you in this article.
Is anyone else already experiencing the holiday season / Christmas shopping guilt?
Whether it’s the sense of urgency to make this year the best Christmas yet, even bigger and better than last year, or to make up for lost time or the pang of regret after seeing the bill stack up through the end of the holiday season, we can all experience some spending guilt when Christmas shopping.
But do not fret!
We’re going to make this the year that you spend guilt free this holiday season!
The reason for that… well aside from making the holidays more enjoyable and less stressful, it’s also the perfect time to confront our feelings of guilt with money.
In this article we’re going to dive into why we feel guilty spending money especially at the holiday season, how to overcome that sense of guilt, and tactical steps to keep your holiday spending guilt free without dampening the season.
Why We Feel Guilty Spending Money
Before we get too far though let’s talk about why spending guilt is such a real thing.
We generally feel guilty because we think we did something wrong, that hurt our other goals, or that doesn’t align with our values.
This can be especially true at the holidays when we spend so much more than we normally do, and even more so when we think we need to make the season better than last year.
How To Overcome Money Guilt For The Holidays
It’s not as difficult as it might feel!
Spending for the holidays, especially on others, brings most of us joy. We just need to lean into that feeling.
With a little planning this holiday season and some reframing around what’s right and wrong when it comes to your money, we can make this a guilt free holiday.
Because you shouldn’t feel guilty for making the season special.
Instead let’s talk through ways to manage and reframe our holiday spending for a guilt free spending on Christmas.
Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a commission on any purchases you make through the links on this page. See our full disclaimer for additional details.
6 Practical Steps to Guilt Free Holiday Spending
1. Start Early
Starting your holiday shopping early doesn’t just help guarantee you get what you want before everything is picked over or sold out. It’s actually great for your spending too.
The earlier in the season you start holiday shopping the more spread out your spending is so there’s not just one big sum on December 25th that you owe.
And because these days so many stores offer 90 day return policies starting November 1st, you don’t have to worry about finding something better later. You can simply return or exchange items that you’ve changed your mind on.
Some sales start as early as October and are in full swing by November making early shopping even better, which brings us to the next tip!
2. Shop the Sales
The holiday season, at least in the US, is the time to buy. Leading up to Christmas, we often see the lowest prices of the year. So if you time it right and shop the sales, you can save a lot of money.
Each year the sales seem to get a bit earlier, but generally the best sales still seem to fall around Black Friday / Cyber Monday.
And best of all, most stores have the same deals online as in person making it super easy to shop the deals.
3. Set a Present Ceiling
There are many ways to do this… you can set an amount for each person you’re shopping for that you’re not going to go over. This is actually what I do every year!
But it’s important to set this amount before you start your holiday shopping.
Or you can pull an amount that makes sense for holiday spending into a separate account that you draw from for all things holiday.
Or each time you go shopping you can use a prepaid card with a loaded amount to keep you within the allotted present ceiling.
If you’re doing a family gathering like white elephant or secret Santa, then agree on a ceiling so everyone spends about the same amount!
4. Focus on the Experience
“It’s the thought that counts!”
We’ve all heard it, and I believe it’s true. But the thought should be focused on the experience.
Getting something that costs more doesn’t necessarily make it a better gift. Having a shared experience, something sentimental, or that they can use or enjoy on repeat for a long time.
These are just a few ideas of gifts that let the experience last. And best of all, they don’t need to cost more. They just need to be thoughtful!
5. Pay Over Time
So back in the day this was called layaway. You had to go to the store, set aside what you wanted, and the cashier would ring it up and set it in the back until it was all paid for. Only then could you take it home.
Fast forward to today where many stores accept the pay over time model.
With dedicated apps like Affirm and Afterpay you can choose the timing and number of payments that works for you. They front the money to the store so you get to take the item home, wrap and gift it.
Then you pay them over time so you get to spread out your spending even further!
6. Get Cashback
Well I’m a firm believer if you’re already spending the money anyway, then you should get something for it, if you can.
That’s where cashback, rewards, and points programs come in.
There’s so many options for these programs these days. I’ve opted into every free rewards program at every store I shop at. Because it’s free to join, I might as well try for their rewards.
Third parties like Rakuten offer you cashback just for buying the things you’re already shopping for. You can even add a plugin to your internet browser to make earning cashback so easy!
Credit cards, if you use them, often have their own cashback, rewards, or points programs that you can also take advantage of.
This way you’re stacking benefits with your payment method and the store you’re shopping at!
But stay responsible and only put on credit cards what you can pay off each month.
Bringing It Together
You should feel good about your holiday spending, not guilty or like it’s costing you your other dreams and goals.
So take a few minutes today and create your holiday spending plan.
Choose which tips you’re going to use this holiday season to keep your spending on track and get ready to have the best holiday yet!
Let us know which tips your using this Christmas shopping season on Instagram or TikTok!