Family & Finances:

I had this thought last week while opening the 1,000 Amazon packages that were delivered to my house - “I don’t want to just survive the holidays anymore, I want to thrive during them.”

I used to love the holiday season. When you’re a kid, the holidays are wonderful. Presents, parties, limited responsibilities. It’s all great. Then you become a full-fledged adult. Now the holidays are expensive, overbooked, and stressful as hell. If you throw in work obligations, juggling families, in-laws, children, and the overall feeling of “pressure” - suddenly the holidays lose their magic.

It’s not fair. Parents, and all adults, deserve to enjoy the “magic”, too. I know, I know, this season can be a reallyyy complicated time for folks. I’m not a therapist or miracle worker. I won’t be able to fix your trauma or drunk uncle. Still, I think you absolutely deserve all the good things associated with this season.

So I’m taking the holidays back! I’m done feeling guilty! I’m done with the pressure to make it perfect for my loved ones (lol yeah right).

Here’s what I’m doing to get that magic back and thrive during the holidays again:

1. Find one thing you really enjoy this time of year and do it often.

   I love classic Christmas movies so I’ve been putting one on every night at 8pm after my daughter goes to sleep and it’s been GLORIOUS. Also, that new Lindsay Lohan Netflix movie is pretty good.

2. Buy something for yourself.

   This year I wanted a Zima Dental Pod. No, I’m not kidding. I need it.

3. Keep it all in perspective.

   There are people going through some real things right now. I’m counting my blessings. The annoyances of the holiday season mean nothing in the grand scheme. I have a warm home, a great family, and friends I can vent to - nothing else matters.

4. Don’t be surprised by people.

   You know what relatives are going to bring up politics. You know what relatives are going to interrogate you on personal matters. You know what relatives are going to be obnoxious. Stop being surprised by their actions and words. They aren’t going to change. The only thing you can do is change how you’re going to react to them.

5. It’s not about the day…

   I’m not celebrating Christmas on December 25th with my side of the family. Instead, I’m seeing my mom’s relatives on the 22nd. My dad’s side is on the 28th. At first, this made me feel terrible and sad. Then my mom and I realized how much easier our lives would be if we allowed ourselves to celebrate holidays on the days that worked for us and not necessarily on the actual date. LIFE CHANGING. THANKS MOM!

6. Say no.

   You are allowed. You don’t have to give a detailed explanation. Free yourself with three little words - “No, thank you!”

I’ll be the first to admit I’ll very likely stumble my way through this list. But I’m going to try my best because, damnit, I deserve it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject!! What do you do to keep the magic alive and thrive during the holidays??

Five Financial Things You Should Know:

1. The S&P 500 is up more than 25% YTD (as of Dec 16).

2. The national average price of a home is over $400k now.

3. The real median household income reached $80k this year.

4. A high yield savings account is a great place to build an emergency fund.

5. Catie’s favorite personal finance podcast is the Money for Couples show hosted by Ramit Sethi.

One Thing You Can Do To Improve Your Finances Today:

1. Take inventory of all of your accounts (everything you own AND everything you owe). Calculate your net worth. This will serve as your “starting line” as we start the new year off right!

Don’t forget to have a sense/cents of humor this holiday season. Please help me spread the word about Cents of Humor - I’ll be starting a referral program soon, too!

-Catie