2025 Holiday Letter
The holidays are right around the corner! Isn’t it interesting that just 4-5 days of actual holidays turns into 4 months of ‘holidays’? It is a season full of high expectations. It's also a season that can put a strain on your finances if you're not careful. The pressure to buy gifts, decorate your home, and host gatherings can lead to overspending and financial stress.
We want to encourage you to think differently this season. If you're planning on going into debt or using your emergency fund to pay for the holidays, it is time to rethink what it means to you to celebrate. It's hard to resist the pressure from everyone around us who seem so happy about buying gifts and having a great time with their families (even if they are struggling financially). When we focus on what other people are doing instead of our own values, we miss out on the opportunity to create a meaningful holiday experience that doesn't involve debt or financial stress.
However, by aligning your holiday spending with your Family Vision, you can create a meaningful and financially responsible holiday season that reflects what truly matters to you and your loved ones. Take an honest look at the family culture around the holidays and have an open conversation to create a holiday season that everyone can cherish. Start by asking yourself these questions:
Is what we are doing truly reflecting our family values?
Is our spending (or not spending) going to serve our family and others?
Why do we celebrate?
How do we want to celebrate?
What do we want generosity to look like?
Use this holiday season to connect with your family and reinforce the values that matter most to you. Remember that going into debt or draining your savings is not going to help you make progress toward your goals.
By reflecting on your Family Vision and making intentional spending choices, you can create a holiday season that is not only financially responsible but also deeply meaningful for you and your loved ones. Embracing these values-centered practices can lead to a more joyful and fulfilling holiday experience for your family. Consequently, this can also set the tone for the coming year.
-Your BCS Financial Literacy Team
Dino, Tina, Katie, Matias, Beka, and Andy
What alternatives are out there to celebrate the holidays debt-free?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Set a limit on how much you’ll spend on the holiday season (including food, decorations, gifts to your immediate family, gifts to your great uncle twice removed, etc.).
Split up the costs between October through January (not January through June).
Be creative with items you can find at BCS…make, bake or preserve something (jam, cocoa kits, seasoning blends, spiced nuts, flavored butters, dried fruit) for neighbors, sock away little items to use for stocking stuffers, etc.
Draw names for gift giving (especially for large families, events, etc.).
Just say no to that 15th Christmas party where you’ll all be exchanging $20 gifts.
Use a four-gift framework in your home: one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read.
Instead of gifts, make a family memory; take a small trip, rent a beach house with the rest of the family and bring food with you (hint, hint). Often one big expense, when shared, ends up being less than the sum of the endless small expenses that keep cropping up.
It’s good to be gently honest, and connecting your holiday choices with your values may be just the inspiration your friends and family members need to hear as well – granted, this is a hard one. “We’re changing the way we show generosity.” “That’s not what our family is choosing to spend money on these days.” “I have $41,800 in debt.” “This year is lean for us.”
Make something meaningful; create a card, write a special letter, sew, knit, etc.
Give a time gift: reading together, babysitting coupons, helping with a project, etc.
Create you own advent calendar with daily activities or adventures
Sell stuff to cover this year’s expenses.
Those unused gift cards you have been saving up? Use them to cover the cost of gifts you were planning to buy.
Think about this: It’s not about giving what I never got, but teaching what I was never taught. Was there anything that brought you joy as a kid during this season?
Involve the kids and have them do some of the planning
Fill in the blank: ___________________________
