How To Be A Minimalist And Handle Money Stress This Holiday Season

The holiday season is supposed to be full of joy as the year comes to a close. With all the gatherings, gift-giving, crowded shopping, and the increase in spending, the holidays can end up being one of the most stressful months of the year. So much time, effort, and money is spent trying to pick out the perfect gift for your loved ones. It can be overwhelming and stressful, especially on your finances. 

If you’re feeling the money stress of the holiday season, minimalism is a way of living that can ease your financial burdens and allow you to enjoy the holidays by focusing on what’s truly important: Spending quality time with your loved ones. With minimalism, you live, spend, and plan with intention with few material possessions and find inner peace. During the holidays, learning to spend less and reduce stress is more important than ever. By following these minimalistic tips, you can better manage your money and get through the holiday season stress-free.

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Be Mindful About Gift Giving – Give gifts that your friends and family will love, appreciate, and actually use. Buying gifts that are meaningful and will be appreciated will help guarantee that your money is spent on a gift they will use for a long time and not just sit in a drawer collecting dust. Other meaningful ideas to save and spend mindfully could be to focus on gifting experiences rather than things such as a play, concert, or even movie tickets.

Set a Realistic Budget for Gifts – Too often, holiday gift-giving can get a little out of hand when it comes to spending. Especially with the rise in inflation, getting your loved ones everything on their list might not be attainable. Review your holiday budget and set a realistic goal for all your close friends and family that you plan on purchasing for, and stick to it. 

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Minimize Decorations – There’s nothing like putting up holiday décor to get you in the spirit, but decorations can be pricey. Try to minimize the number of decorations you put up this year and only decorate with what you have. If you want to spend a little to add more festive touches, you can visit the dollar store or shop sales to purchase your decorations without breaking the bank. Or get the whole family involved and make it a fun family activity. Cut out snowflake decorations or string a popcorn banner while listening to holiday music. 

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Practice Mindful Planning – You can expect events and gatherings with friends, family, and colleagues every holiday. While many events may be catered, you often have to spend some of your money when you attend a holiday event. Not to mention you’re also giving up a lot of your free time, which can lead to overcrowding your schedule and ending up feeling overwhelmed and further increasing your stress. Manage your time carefully and choose events that are meaningful to you. With each event, plan a small budget and stick with it when you go out. 

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Only Give Gifts to Those Closest to You – During the holidays, your list of people you need to buy gifts for might seem lengthy and can cause you to overspend on your holiday budget. Instead of buying gifts for everyone you know, stick to your immediate family and your dearest friends. It might seem like a challenge but inform others that you might usually exchange gifts with every year around you that you want to opt out of gift giving this year. This way, they don’t buy you a gift, and you don’t feel guilty for not purchasing one for them too. You can instead choose to spend time with them, invite them over for coffee and Christmas cookies or do anything that includes them. 

Change Up the Meal Plan for Affordable Holiday Feasts – The holiday feasts can end up being a large portion of your holiday budget, and sometimes you may end up needing to host a few meals for family or friends. Plan your meal around sales instead of choosing your recipes and then shopping for ingredients after. You can save more by shopping smart and shopping in several grocery store locations to ensure you get the best deals. 

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Another alternative to your holiday feasts this year could be to host a potluck. Plan and organize for your friends and family to bring one dish and beverage. This way, you aren’t spending too much on a feast, and you relieve some of the burdens of spending a lot of time in the kitchen.