Christmas has a way of creeping up on us, and with it, a surprising amount of pressure.
Pressure to spend.
Pressure to socialise.
Pressure to create the perfect day.
Yet, for many people, the days after Christmas don’t feel calm or joyful. Instead, they’re marked by anxiety, guilt, and the uncomfortable realisation that December’s spending has followed us into January.
This isn’t really about Christmas itself. It’s about our relationship with money, and the expectations we place on ourselves.
When One Day Creates Twelve Months of Stress
Over time, Christmas has become financially concentrated into a single moment. Presents, food, travel, parties, and social obligations are often paid for in a short window, even though the consequences can last all year.
The result?
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Credit cards to clear
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Overdrafts to manage
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A sense of starting the New Year already behind
This “financial hangover” can quietly erode wellbeing. Instead of January feeling like a fresh start, it becomes a period of damage control.
Debt, particularly when driven by emotional spending, can easily spiral. Without a clear plan, yesterday’s overspend becomes tomorrow’s stress, and next year’s problem.
Why Do We Overspend at Christmas?
In my book Money and Meaning, I explore how our experiences, upbringing, and social pressures shape our money behaviour. Christmas is one of the clearest examples of this in action.
We don’t overspend because we’re careless. We overspend because:
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Expectations have grown over time
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Everything genuinely costs more
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There’s pressure not to disappoint
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Spending feels like love, generosity, or belonging
Money decisions are rarely just about numbers. They’re about identity, emotion, and meaning.
A Simple Shift That Can Change Christmas 2026
Without sounding like a grinch, there are practical steps you can take now to remove the stress from future Christmases, starting with honesty.
Sit down and work out what Christmas actually cost this year:
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Food and drink
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Presents
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Travel
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Socialising
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Decorations and extras
Once you have a realistic figure, divide it by 12.
That number is your real monthly Christmas cost.
Ask yourself:
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Could I comfortably set this aside each month?
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If not, what could realistically change next time?
This isn’t about cutting joy, it’s about spreading the cost and removing anxiety.
Budgeting Isn’t Restrictive — It’s Reassuring
One of the biggest misconceptions about budgeting is that it’s restrictive. In reality, a good budget creates freedom.
And importantly, it shouldn’t stop at Christmas.
A simple annual budget should include:
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Housing costs
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Utilities
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Holidays
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Birthdays
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Christmas
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Everyday living
When these predictable costs are planned for, they stop becoming emergencies.
This approach, planning calmly rather than reacting emotionally, is at the heart of financial wellbeing.
A Different Way to Start the New Year
Rather than viewing January as a time to recover from December, it can become a moment of reset.
A chance to:
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Reframe your relationship with money
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Reduce stress and anxiety
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Take control, rather than feel controlled
Starting 2026 with clarity, intention, and a simple plan could genuinely change how the entire year — and future Christmases — feel.
And that, ultimately, is what money should support: not pressure, but peace of mind.
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