How to Not Overspend this Holiday Season

With advertisements and the reach of influencers at an all-time high, it’s hard not to go overboard on Black Friday. Today I’m sharing my system to reduce impulse buying and not overspend this holiday season. 

Social media is a beautiful beast. While I love the community sharing aspect, if your IG feed looks anything like mine it is chock-full of sales advertisements. Not to mention sponsored posts, trending reels, and every influencer’s fully and immaculately decorated home.

It’s easy to let budgeting slide when the sale seems so good and the promise is a beautiful home and happy kids. But come January are you really going to need what you’re currently being sold? 

Let’s live intentionally and not let the FOMO pressure of everyone’s biggest sale of the year drive our giving. It’s taken a lot of discipline and living with the consequences of poor choices in the past to find a system that worked for me. These are the things I’m doing this Holiday season to make sure we don’t unnecessarily overspend and in turn over clutter our home. 

The plans of the diligent lead to profit

    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

-Proverbs 21:5

1. Set a budget

It seems simple but deciding how much you want to spend over the next 6 weeks is going to make a huge impact on your buying habits. It puts you in charge of your hard-earned money. 

We like to give every dollar a name (Thanks, Dave) with the EveryDollar budgeting app. 

2. Take stock of your space

Walk around your house and see what you have room for. I’d love to get my kids a play kitchen, power wheels, and a fort but with seven people in 1,700 square feet those things would end up being more a burden than a blessing. Being realistic here and sharing your vision of home with family members is one way to cut back on excess this holiday. 

3. Tell someone

Accountability is huge here! I’m the gift shopper in our house but bringing my husband on board with the budgeting has made all the difference in resisting overspending. Purpose together where your money is going to go and plan to check in periodically throughout the month to make sure you’re staying on track.

4. Make a list

Once you’ve set your budget and taken stock of your space it’s time to make that wish list! I like to start with anything and everything I can think of and then narrow it down after that. From here you can start the process of buying as things go on sale. Again, putting the power back in your own hands and wallet. 

The whole point of the Holidays is to celebrate, share, and receive gifts in the name of Christ. These can be storebought, homemade, or unconventional. You have permission to think small here. It’s not about the gift itself but the attitude behind it. 

Trying to keep up with the status quo of what society and marketers say Christmas should be won’t bring lasting happiness. Emptying savings accounts, going into debt, and buying just because it’s on sale leave us with less come January. I want my heart posture to be one of generosity and peace, not fear.

Decide what’s enough and ask yourself these questions.

• How can I be generous and live within my means? 
• Does this thing add to the peace and sanctity of my home? 
• Is this given out of the joy of my heart? 
• Will this make the recipient smile? 

If the answer is yes then it doesn’t matter how big it is or how much it was. 

A generous person will prosper;

   whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

-Proverbs 11:25