Money and the holiday season often go hand-in-hand, and with it comes the stress.
Martha Adams, who is a certified financial planner and educator, joined Annette Hamm on Morning Live to discuss how to create a stress-free holiday budget that goes beyond the numbers.
She recommended visualizing how Christmastime would look if you were enjoying it.
“The first place is starting and continuing from a positive place,” Adams said. “We can feel a lot of guilt and obligation around the holidays that can be seen in examples like ‘I feel obligated to buy this for this person or spend at least this amount on that person,’”
Adams said it is important to communicate a realistic budget and your expectations with loved ones to avoid conflict and disappointment.
Another way to create a stress-free holiday budget is gifting experiences instead of material things.
For example, a family tradition for Adams is to go to the movies and spend time with one another.
Adams also advised completing your Christmas shopping earlier to avoid panic-buying and overspending.
“There are a lot of local businesses that could benefit from our support this year,” she said. “Whether it’s local businesses, small businesses or Christmas markets, there are a lot of opportunities to support local and shop early all at the same time.”
