Let’s Talk About Holiday Spending…Right Now

Yes, I know the calendar says it’s only Halloween. But this is the perfect time that you and I have a serious chat about your spending budget for the upcoming holiday season.

Not overspending is always important. But even more so right now. The economic fallout from the pandemic is fierce, and as I write this, Washington has not stepped up with more help for the millions of households that have suffered a job loss.

At the same time, I know that for many of you with children are thinking you really want to make this Christmas or Chanukah special, because you know your kids have borne the weight of so much during the pandemic.

I understand the emotion behind that thinking. I get that all you want is to make your family happy.

But I need you to step back and think this through before all the crazy holiday advertising descends upon all of us.

What you need, and what your children need, is to be a family that stands in its truth. To find ways to celebrate that do not require spending money that is very tight right now.

Charging gifts on credit cards that you will not be able to repay is in no way good parenting. How can making your financial life even more unstable be something you want for yourself and your family?

Between the wrenching loss of so many lives to the coronavirus this year, and my own health scare, I have been reminded forcefully that People First is what matters. It’s who we love, and who loves us back that matters. It’s our relationships that bring us happiness and meaning that are the gifts.

Please do not overspend. Please do not feel bad if you can’t afford to spend as much this year as you have in the past. Owning that truth will be its own amazing gift. Life is so very messy right now. Being clear on who you are and what matters amid the turmoil that is our world right now, is an act of grace.