If you are here for practical tips on How to Reduce Christmas Money Stress, I’m so glad! I’ve had more years of Christmas money stress than I care to admit. But I’ve discovered that feeling guilty or bad about it doesn’t help. It doesn’t change anything. So I did a little homework to find PRACTICAL ways to reduce Christmas money stress. That way, starting right now in October, 75 days before Christmas, we can make choices and changes that will help us stress less and enjoy the holiday season more!

Top 3 tips to Reduce Christmas Money Stress

Here are my top 3 favorite stress-reduction tips to help reduce Christmas money stress now and as we head into the holiday season!

1. Set up a Holiday Budget.

Of course, we have to start this list with the sage advice from The Balance to create your holiday budget. It’s October, so feel free to add spending categories in your budget for Halloween and Thanksgiving expenses, not just Christmas! And if there’s a New Year’s party in the works, add that in, too! The more we think and plan ahead, the more we can reduce that Christmas money stress.

2. Avoid too many commitments

As usual, the Dave Ramsey team has more practical tips to help us reduce Christmas money stress. This tip is worth its weight in GOLD! If we say no and avoid too many commitments, we’ll cut down on stress and unnecessary spending on parties and gifts that we really can’t afford (or don’t want to deal with!)

3. Schedule a break

I’ll say this one again, emphasis on SCHEDULE a break. This Woman’s Day article is full of other great tips, but let’s focus on this one. If we don’t schedule a break, we’ll get to Christmas Eve more tangled up than Christmas tree lights! Not a “beautiful sight” and we won’t be ” happy tonight,” like the Christmas song says. That’s the opposite of what we want! Let’s figure it out now. Guard that scheduled break, especially as we get closer to Christmas (or your favorite holiday of choice!)  I mean, pull out your Google cal and talk it through with your family. I already know my daughter has a gymnastics meet on December 8th. So we are looking at weekends before and after to make sure we have some SCHEDULED down time (that won’t be used for last minute shopping because, if we complete the Christmas Challenge, that will already be DONE!)

Is that all I need?

Does that sound too easy? Don’t underestimate the power of a budget, a relaxed schedule and a rested, happy mom! I can smell the peppermint mocha already … and I don’t see myself gulping it down in a frazzled frenzy. I’m relaxed, not stressed and enjoying a Christmas playlist on Spotify. Ahhhhhhhhh … Christmas.

That’s the idea! Are you in? Share in the comments how you see yourself this holiday season, less stressed and more content!

Laughing thru life,

Coppelia