This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Come out of this holiday season on top!
The Holidays Always Start Well But End Badly
During the holidays, people start off happy. At the end of the holidays, people revert to their old and unhappy selves, except one thing is different: they’re more broke than before the holidays commenced.
Don’t end up broke after the holidays and leave your doorstep with a large debt bill. Avoid all the bullsh*t.
Family Gifts: Though they’re you’re family, you still don’t have to buy gifts. I know, shocker. And never allow people to guilt trip you into buying them; I promise they will be okay if they don’t receive a gift from you.
Work Gifts: Let me be the one to tell you, you don’t owe your colleagues a damn thing.
Secrets Santa: Instead of buying a gift for all the secret Santa parties you get invited to or signed up for, find something new and unused at your home and regift that mf.
Buy yourself something: This goes both ways because some people take this out of context and end up going on a shopping spree and spending more than they should. The goal is to look at your desires and think about what you genuinely desire. If you can afford it, buy it. And please stop waiting for Christmas to get your desires fulfilled by others.
Advertisements: If you’re one to watch a lot more tv during the holidays, you can best believe the advertisements will be flooding. Best to buy those tv subscriptions that eliminate commercials, so you can bypass the extra temptation you weren’t planning to fulfill.
Social media: Everyone and their enemies will post the cool stuff they received from their significant others, friends, colleagues, or mysterious gifters online. Don’t get jealous. Don’t hate. But better yet, don’t even look. Do you really care about what someone else got? If you do, you need to get a life.
Sales: You know that sales are fake, right? Think of a sale as something reverting to its original price or worth (though it’s still probably worth a lot less). Avoid the sales, and don’t fall for them. Trust. You will be able to find another legendary sale (an even better one) at a future date.
Dating. If you just started dating someone, it’s not the time to impress unless you genuinely want to and can afford it. Don’t try to put on a show because you feel pressure to do so, though. Your date will be okay if they don’t get their whole Christmas wish list from their significant other of three months.
Splurging. “You deserve to feel special” vibes are flooding the globe around this time. But if you splurge too much, your pockets and bank accounts won’t feel so special afterward.
Relinquish your boundaries. #1, #2, & #9 coincide perfectly with this one. If you’re not careful, you’ll get gifts for everyone and their cousin; you might also splurge too much on yourself.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.