October 30, 2025 • 17 mins
The holidays should feel warm and human, not like a budgeting panic. We sat down with Casey Messer to unpack how to enjoy a generous, memorable season without waking up to a January bill spiral. From setting a clear, per-person budget to automating weekly transfers into a dedicated holiday fund, we walk through practical steps that calm the mind and protect your money.
We start with planning that works even if you’re late to the party: build a simple list, put numbers beside names, and track what you’ve already bought with photos or a quick spreadsheet. Then we move into smarter tools—goal-based budgeting, category alerts, and transaction tags—so you see spending in real time instead of guessing. Casey shares why experiences often beat piles of gifts, how a well-run Secret Santa creates intention, and where traditions like matching pajamas can be fun without the annual cost creep.
Money stress often rises as the calendar fills, so we reset the mindset too. Define what the season means to you and let that guide choices about events, hosting, and gifts. If you’ve already overspent, skip the shame spiral and try a no-spend January while you set up next year’s plan. We also cover the hidden costs between now and December—groceries, travel, and parties—and how to stagger purchases to avoid last-minute premiums. With Centric’s mobile app, you can connect accounts, set budgets, tag holiday spending, and get nudges that help you stay on track.
Ready to trade excess for meaning and build a holiday that actually fits your life? Press play, save your favorites, and share this episode with a friend who needs a calm, clear plan. If you found value, follow Live Better, rate the show, and leave a quick review to help others find us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kelli Green (00:00):
Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of
the Live Better Podcast.
Today we are all talking aboutthings that are related to
money, mindset, and making lifea little more centric.
I'm your host, Kelli Green, andtoday we're diving into one of
the biggest questions this timeof year.
How can I still have an amazingChristmas without draining my
wallet?
So the countdown's on.
(00:21):
We've got less than seven weeksuntil Christmas, and whether
you're a budgeting pro or stillrecovering from last year's
holiday hangover, this episodeis packed with simple, smart,
and even fun ways to save beforeSanta makes his rounds.
We'll be joined with CaseyMesser, our all-around trainer
and all the and guru on all waysof money-saving hacks.
Right.
(00:42):
So welcome to the Live BetterPodcast, Casey.
You are no stranger to ourpodcast.
What is this?
Probably a third, fourth time,maybe more that you've joined
us.
So love it.
We're glad to have you here.
So for our listeners who maybethis is the first time they've
tuned in to the Live BetterPodcast, tell them a little bit
about yourself and what you dohere at Centric.
Casey Messer (01:01):
So I do training here at Centric.
Get to work with our new staffand our seasoned staff just to
um help them grow and learn moreas things come on board as we
implement new things.
So I get to work with staff onall sorts of different things.
Um The Credit Union for about10 years.
I also worked in marketing andbusiness development, and I feel
like that really helped withthe financial planning side of
things.
Um, really digging in there andlearning some things gets me
(01:25):
really excited to talk aboutwhat we're going to talk about
today.
Um yeah, it's just a little bitabout me.
Kelli Green (01:30):
And you've been a little bit, you've been in many
different departments here atthe credit union.
And one of the fun things thatwe get to work on together is
really continued education withour financial counselors, which
is so incredibly important.
Um, financial education is theheartbeat of our credit union.
Um, it is really important thatour members have knowledge
right at their fingertips.
So just like you guys listeningto our podcast, we also have
(01:53):
helpful tips that are on ourYouTube page as well.
So it's a great, great way toconnect.
So it's kind of an excitingtime, but sometimes financially
it could be a dreaded time.
So kind of tell me a littlebit, are you a Planted October
elf or a last minute ChristmasEve shopper kind of person?
Casey Messer (02:10):
Well, I like to be a Plan in October elf, but I
have two kiddos.
And so sometimes that lookslike I plan in October, maybe
buy a few things early on, butthen there's a lot of last
minute shopping as well.
Kelli Green (02:21):
So there's nothing wrong with that.
Yeah.
So where do you find and thatthat is, you know, what which
piece of that, which side ofthat puzzle do you think maybe
makes you feel more at ease?
Oh, definitely planning ahead.
Casey Messer (02:33):
So when I find things I've already purchased,
it it kind of gives me that likepiece of like a breath of fresh
air.
Like, oh, I've already gottensome of this done.
Um, so if I can do more ofthat, that makes me happier in
the holidays.
Kelli Green (02:43):
So do you keep up with like a spreadsheet of gifts
that you're buying, or whatdoes that kind of look like?
Do you just keep a mental note?
How does that work?
Casey Messer (02:50):
So um it's really funny that that question is
brought up.
Um I will take pictures of whatI have bought so I know and I
can go back to my phone and say,okay, these are the things I
bought.
Um but planning beforehand,yes, I've got to make a list
where I will just go crazy.
Kelli Green (03:04):
Yeah, same.
So that I'm like I'm in themiddle of this where it's, you
know, you want to be a plantedOctober elf or a last minute
Christmas shopper.
Well, so over the summer,during like a really big sale,
you know, that a lot of usprobably know, um, but we, you
know, get emails about it allthe time.
But there is a sp specific daythat many people will um
probably be familiar with, PrimeDay.
(03:26):
Um, I happen to see a fewthings that my daughter, so
they're preteens and teenagers,and you know, they're all about
skincare.
Well, so I'm, you know, like tobuy clean products for them,
non-toxic as much as we possiblycan, and they happen to have
their skincare on sale.
So I have made a spreadsheetbecause I'm afraid it's very
(03:47):
atypical of me to be, you know,shopping in the summertime,
essentially, you know, to startputting some things back along
the way just so the expenseisn't so much in one particular
month or so.
But I'm really afraid that Imay forget.
So I'm gonna have to go in.
I made an Excel spreadsheet,but I'm still gonna have to go
back in and double check myselfbecause I'm like, I don't want
(04:07):
to overspend.
That's my biggest fear of kindof you know spacing it out over
multiple months.
So anyway, I think there's it'sgood for whomever, as long as
you have a plan, I think, andyou have an idea of how much you
want to spend, that's the mostimportant part.
Casey Messer (04:23):
And I'll say too, you know, not not necessarily
starting this in October, but asyou move forward, making a list
and putting a number byeverybody's name so you can see
the total.
Yes.
And so that kind of goes liketo the beginning of the year
planning if you want to look atit that way.
Um, but it also gives you anidea of like how much you have
to save every month to reachthat total.
And if that seems a little offfor you, well then you have to
(04:44):
take a step back and say, okay,well, I can't spend, you know,
$300 on every single person Iknow that's pretty extreme, but
um, you really do have to lookat it that way as an overall.
Kelli Green (04:54):
Well, and we are sitting right now just under
eight weeks until Christmas,which seems so wild.
Um, and when, you know, rightnow, when this podcast airs this
week, you know, we willliterally be just under eight
weeks.
And it's wild to think aboutit, but I think there's pl still
plenty of time if we're mindfuland we think about more so of
(05:17):
the experience versus just, youknow, the number of gifts and so
forth.
I think a lot of times some ofthe greatest gifts that I've
ever received were reallythoughtful and kind of right on
time, you know, specific to whatI really desired and wanted.
It wasn't necessarily thequantity of gifts that I
received, but it was more oflike the thought behind it.
Yeah.
I don't know if you can relateto that too.
Okay.
(05:38):
So kind of thinking about thistoo in this vein.
So, what's the funniest or mostextra thing you've ever spent
money on during the holidays?
And it could be for yourself orfor someone else.
Casey Messer (05:47):
I know I'm not alone in this, but I would say
matching pajamas, even includingour dog.
Yeah.
So um, those are just fun forme, especially like my husband.
You know, we we find some funprint and we're all wearing it.
I don't know, it's just fun.
Kelli Green (06:00):
So do you do this every year or like are you guys
set on this is your gonna getit?
Casey Messer (06:04):
It's getting really expensive.
I feel like old navy pajamaslike was the way to go, and now
it's like getting moreexpensive.
So I don't know.
We have we rewear, so we'llfind something to kind of go
together and it coordinates andit's fun, but yeah, we try to do
it every single year.
Kelli Green (06:18):
I love it.
Oh, guilty.
It's charged.
We've been doing that since ourgirls were born.
Um, and it's just funny, but Inever thought about it.
I mean, growing up, you know,we just looked a mess when we're
opening up our picture, openingup our presents, you know, the
pictures looking back over theyears, it never really was a
thing.
You know, we didn't care, butsupposedly, you know, I guess
we've given in, we've beeninfluenced to do things a little
(06:40):
differently.
Okay, so if you had to describeyour holiday spending style in
one emoji, what would it be?
Casey Messer (06:47):
Oh gosh.
Um, I would say there's acouple of different things that
come to mind, but the littlemoney stack with the wings is
probably what I feel like.
And I try to make that, youknow, I try to get better every
year, but I do feel like it'sit's costly, but um, it's fun
too.
So I would I would definitelysay like the little shopping,
little shopping bags uh alsocomes to buy.
Kelli Green (07:08):
So we need them.
I'm with you.
Mine definitely just fliesright out, you know, and it's
just at the very end, wheneverwe do this every single year, we
always say, you know, we'regoing to do much better than we
did last year.
Like this was silly for us todo this much.
And if I could give any advice,when your kids are small and
they don't really understand,you know, like the cost of
(07:30):
gifts, the value of a dollar,don't worry about meme brands,
you know, don't worry abouttrying to buy, you know, filling
up your living room or whathave you with these toys and
creating that experience.
Because here's the thingwhenever you start, you have to
continue or else there's goingto be a major, like, whoa,
what's happening?
What's going on?
kind of thing.
(07:50):
So take it from me.
I would have done things alittle differently, to be honest
with you, um, if, you know, wehad to go back because, and
someone told me that, they gaveme that advice, but of course, I
was just like, oh no, you know,I want to make their first
Christmas, you know, their veryfirst few Christmases, you know,
just all they can dream of andmore.
And I feel like I've kind ofgotten beyond that.
So I'm really thinking aboutwhat is the meaning of giving
(08:14):
and why that's important, youknow, what values are we setting
for our families?
I don't know.
Are you do you kind of feel thesame way?
Casey Messer (08:20):
I do, yeah.
There's already been, I mean,my little girl will be five um
this month, and then my littleboy is six.
So yeah, we've had those fewChristmases where I'm like,
okay, these are like their firstcouple where like you can just
see that their eyes light up andyou want to make it everything
that it can be.
Um, but definitely it's veryeasy to go overboard with that.
And and then you look back andyou say, Okay, why they they
(08:41):
didn't need they didn't need allof that, you know.
Kelli Green (08:44):
Sure didn't.
Because they look at it andthey gravitate to one thing or
the box that it came in.
Yes.
And that's a real story.
I mean, I know we hear peopletalk about that a lot, but it's
true.
Yeah, it's very true.
It's so true.
Yeah.
Okay, so let's kind of talkabout some new things that are
out and about.
We've had this available to ourmembers since the first part of
2025, but we have some reallyunique budgeting tools that are
(09:07):
right at our members'fingertips, and it's completely
free to use.
So kind of share with us howmembers can really use our
budgeting tools or reallysavings challenges to plan for
thoughtful giving.
Casey Messer (09:19):
Yeah, I would say um setting up just an automatic
transfer, even starting now, um,even if it's $25 a week,
whatever you can do, and thenyou can add to that outside of
the automatic transfer, butusing that tool alone will help
you because you don't realizelike how fast it will add up.
Yes.
Um, so that's a huge thing.
Um, and then the budgetingtools to be able to just set up
(09:39):
a budget um or a goal, I shouldsay, um, with our text alerts,
it's gonna tell you, you know,Kelly, you've reached this and
none of your goal that'spercent, and it's really nice.
Um, you know, it's nice to getthat alert to say, okay, I'm
actually reaching or headingtowards my goal.
Yes.
And so obviously we're on afast track right now.
And so you you want to to makethat as quick as possible.
(10:00):
But um, anything that you cando right now to help yourself on
an automatic state uh sepoy isgoing to be helpful for this,
right?
Kelli Green (10:07):
I agree, I love it.
One to your point about thenotices.
So yesterday I got a noticethat said, you reached 80% of
your grocery budget.
And I thought, thank you, Lord,that we are this close to the
end of the month because it'sjust gone by so quickly.
Um it just seems like towardsthe end of the year, like that
final quarter, there's so manymore expenses than what you
(10:30):
typically see throughout theyear.
So anyway, just something tothink about there too, you know,
especially when we're I knowtoday we're talking about
Christmas gifts, but we stillhave Thanksgiving in the middle
of that.
So if your primary goal orprimary responsibly, you know,
responsible for your um hugemeal, you may want to think
about some different ways thatyou could kind of save for that
(10:51):
as well, you know, and maybe buyahead too.
So, okay, so we know that theholidays can be stressful.
So, what's your advice forkeeping a peaceful mindset when
money feels really tight?
Casey Messer (11:01):
Oh, I would just say to focus on or try to under
or understand really whatChristmas is about to you or
what the holiday season isabout.
Um, you know, money can bestressful when we're talking
about spending and buying forpeople.
Uh, we talked about creatingexperiences over those gifts,
right?
And so trying to focus on thatand um for me it's family, you
(11:22):
know, what can I do with myfamily during this time to make
it even more special um insteadof running around stressing
about, you know, have I savedenough money for bad things?
How am I gonna do all this thatI want to do for them?
Um, think about different waysthat you can do that and just
kind of sit in that and let thatbe your peace.
Um, because if not, it will,it'll just take the joy right
out of it.
Kelli Green (11:42):
And it's it can easily happen too.
I love the way you said that.
So you think about too, youknow, as far as how can someone
recover if they do overspend,you know, without feeling guilty
or giving up on their goals,what is what is really something
that you think they might beable to do if they do tend to
have an overspendingpersonality, or if they say, Oh,
well, I'm listening to this, Ialready have overspend.
(12:03):
So what do we do?
Casey Messer (12:04):
Yeah, well, I've been there, so I totally
understand and I can say thiswithout, you know, just don't
beat yourself up about it.
Um, you can do something like ano spin January.
You know, try and take like thenext month off of all the
things, right?
How can you really cut back fora month or two to just kind of
reset and then plan ahead, likeright then and there.
Go ahead and start planning forthe next Christmas because you
know the feeling, and it's notgoing to be more powerful than
(12:28):
right then to go ahead and plan.
Kelli Green (12:30):
I love it.
And it's okay.
We've all made those mistakesbefore we've overspent, but you
just think Christmas is on thesame day every year.
You know, our um our DaveRamsey financial counselor,
Kelly Brantley, that's what shealways says, is that Christmas
is on the same day every year.
So that's really to ouradvantage.
You think, okay, we know howmany weeks we have to save and
(12:53):
what are some ways in which thatwe can do that.
And I genuinely believe, youknow, if you just have a moment
where you just slow your slowyour roll a little bit, but then
also thinking about it too isthat you can go ahead and start
putting some money back.
Yeah.
And you have to sometimes justsay no, just to go get beyond
that, you know.
And so lots of things.
(13:13):
I tell my girls this, you know,if we say yes to something,
something's gonna happen, we'regonna have to say no to
something else, whether that'swith our money or our time.
So you just have to kind ofthink about it and put it into
perspective.
Okay, so this is super funny.
I love this, and I just want tokind of wrap us up with some
holiday cheer here, put a littlejoy in your day.
But what's your favoritemoney-saving motto for the
holidays?
Casey Messer (13:34):
Oh, I would say, and this kind of wraps up what
we've talked about, but it'sprobably not about the spending,
it's more about the meaning.
Um, and so I've really tried tohold on to that the last couple
of years.
Kelli Green (13:45):
I'm gonna take it.
I'm gonna do my best to hold onto that too.
Okay, so finish the sentencefor us.
Okay.
The best gift you can giveyourself this Christmas is going
back to what you said, I wouldsay peace of mind.
Yeah.
Maybe a nap.
I love it.
Yes, absolutely.
Do that.
Okay, here's some rapid firethings for you.
Okay, so eggnog or hot cocoa,hot chocolate.
(14:05):
Oh, I would say eggnog.
Oh, nice.
Okay.
What about the budget app orold school envelope system?
I would say the budget app, um,envelopes.
Casey Messer (14:15):
Yeah, I don't know if I can keep up with that.
No.
I feel like I, yeah.
Kelli Green (14:19):
I'm not a cash girl.
I don't want I never have cash.
Casey Messer (14:22):
Yeah, I would say, yeah, our centric app.
Kelli Green (14:24):
A lot older.
That's right.
Okay, Secret Santa are no giftsat all.
Casey Messer (14:28):
Oh, I think Secret Santa, just because I don't
know, it's fun.
It is and and maybe it's less,right?
That I'm gonna buy foreverybody.
Kelli Green (14:36):
One of the greatest memories I've ever had with our
girls, and they'll tell youthis they're to this day.
I think it's just becausethey're they were a little bit
older when we did this, sothat's uh kind of like a core
memory for them.
But we did Secret Santa amongstus.
And you know, they had abudget.
You know, this is how much youcan spend, and here's the time
frame of when you can purchase.
So we all, you know, metdressed up in these fun little
(14:57):
things and went shopping and wewent to the same store, we had
the same time frame, we had tobe checked out around the, you
know, within a certain you know,time frame, and um you had to
buy something and be intentionalabout the person that you
bought that you were buying for.
So that was really fun.
We were kind of that's a secretSanta, but we kind of threw it
in there as like, hey, you havea time limit, yeah, and this is
(15:18):
the deal.
So it was a lot of fun.
That's fine.
Okay, and finally, is SantaBanked eccentric?
What do you think he'd lovemost about it?
Casey Messer (15:26):
I would say automatic savings.
Oh, right.
I would think that would be thebest thing.
I think uh if you think Santaand all the L's he has to buy
for diamonds to play in ourlives, yes.
Um, that's just the biggesttool I think would that would be
helpful.
Kelli Green (15:40):
I love it.
I think that's exactly right.
And you can do all those thingsand more right here with
Centric.
Our new Centric mobile app isreally the greatest.
I love it.
I think it's a great way foryou to connect any and all
accounts that you may have atother financial institutions,
but it's also a great way foryou to set your goals and set
your budgets, and you can set itfor anything.
(16:00):
Like we were talking aboutearlier.
Our grocery budget is critical,you know, to have a name for
that.
Um, and it's wonderful that ifyou name it, a lot of times it
becomes a priority.
Yeah.
Casey Messer (16:10):
Well, and two, we didn't talk about this, but
tagging your transactions is sadto be able to go back and say
this is how much I've alreadyspent on holiday spending or on
the gifts.
Um, you can break it down asmuch as you want to, I guess, on
those tags.
That's that's really helpfuland insightful to see.
Kelli Green (16:25):
Yes, and it adds it up for you automatically.
I love it.
It's a wonderful way to dothat.
To find out more informationabout our mobile app, you can
visit us online atmycentric.org.
And Casey, as always, it's apleasure.
Thanks for joining us.
Thanks so much.
What a great conversation.
And big thanks today to CaseyMesser for joining us and
reminding us that saving for theholidays doesn't have to be
(16:46):
stressful or boring.
Remember, a little planninggoes a long way, whether it's
setting up a centric savingsaccount or using our budgeting
tools, joining one of oursavings challenges, or anything
else.
We're here to help you reachyour goals and keep your holiday
merry and bright.
If you enjoyed today's episode,make sure to follow Live Better
wherever you listen.
(17:06):
Centric is federally insured bythe NCUA.
Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of
the Live Better Podcast.
Today we are all talking aboutthings that are related to
money, mindset, and making lifea little more centric.
I'm your host, Kelli Green, andtoday we're diving into one of
the biggest questions this timeof year.
How can I still have an amazingChristmas without draining my
wallet?
So the countdown's on.
(00:21):
We've got less than seven weeksuntil Christmas, and whether
you're a budgeting pro or stillrecovering from last year's
holiday hangover, this episodeis packed with simple, smart,
and even fun ways to save beforeSanta makes his rounds.
We'll be joined with CaseyMesser, our all-around trainer
and all the and guru on all waysof money-saving hacks.
Right.
(00:42):
So welcome to the Live BetterPodcast, Casey.
You are no stranger to ourpodcast.
What is this?
Probably a third, fourth time,maybe more that you've joined
us.
So love it.
We're glad to have you here.
So for our listeners who maybethis is the first time they've
tuned in to the Live BetterPodcast, tell them a little bit
about yourself and what you dohere at Centric.
Casey Messer (01:01):
So I do training here at Centric.
Get to work with our new staffand our seasoned staff just to
um help them grow and learn moreas things come on board as we
implement new things.
So I get to work with staff onall sorts of different things.
Um The Credit Union for about10 years.
I also worked in marketing andbusiness development, and I feel
like that really helped withthe financial planning side of
things.
Um, really digging in there andlearning some things gets me
(01:25):
really excited to talk aboutwhat we're going to talk about
today.
Um yeah, it's just a little bitabout me.
Kelli Green (01:30):
And you've been a little bit, you've been in many
different departments here atthe credit union.
And one of the fun things thatwe get to work on together is
really continued education withour financial counselors, which
is so incredibly important.
Um, financial education is theheartbeat of our credit union.
Um, it is really important thatour members have knowledge
right at their fingertips.
So just like you guys listeningto our podcast, we also have
(01:53):
helpful tips that are on ourYouTube page as well.
So it's a great, great way toconnect.
So it's kind of an excitingtime, but sometimes financially
it could be a dreaded time.
So kind of tell me a littlebit, are you a Planted October
elf or a last minute ChristmasEve shopper kind of person?
Casey Messer (02:10):
Well, I like to be a Plan in October elf, but I
have two kiddos.
And so sometimes that lookslike I plan in October, maybe
buy a few things early on, butthen there's a lot of last
minute shopping as well.
Kelli Green (02:21):
So there's nothing wrong with that.
Yeah.
So where do you find and thatthat is, you know, what which
piece of that, which side ofthat puzzle do you think maybe
makes you feel more at ease?
Oh, definitely planning ahead.
Casey Messer (02:33):
So when I find things I've already purchased,
it it kind of gives me that likepiece of like a breath of fresh
air.
Like, oh, I've already gottensome of this done.
Um, so if I can do more ofthat, that makes me happier in
the holidays.
Kelli Green (02:43):
So do you keep up with like a spreadsheet of gifts
that you're buying, or whatdoes that kind of look like?
Do you just keep a mental note?
How does that work?
Casey Messer (02:50):
So um it's really funny that that question is
brought up.
Um I will take pictures of whatI have bought so I know and I
can go back to my phone and say,okay, these are the things I
bought.
Um but planning beforehand,yes, I've got to make a list
where I will just go crazy.
Kelli Green (03:04):
Yeah, same.
So that I'm like I'm in themiddle of this where it's, you
know, you want to be a plantedOctober elf or a last minute
Christmas shopper.
Well, so over the summer,during like a really big sale,
you know, that a lot of usprobably know, um, but we, you
know, get emails about it allthe time.
But there is a sp specific daythat many people will um
probably be familiar with, PrimeDay.
(03:26):
Um, I happen to see a fewthings that my daughter, so
they're preteens and teenagers,and you know, they're all about
skincare.
Well, so I'm, you know, like tobuy clean products for them,
non-toxic as much as we possiblycan, and they happen to have
their skincare on sale.
So I have made a spreadsheetbecause I'm afraid it's very
(03:47):
atypical of me to be, you know,shopping in the summertime,
essentially, you know, to startputting some things back along
the way just so the expenseisn't so much in one particular
month or so.
But I'm really afraid that Imay forget.
So I'm gonna have to go in.
I made an Excel spreadsheet,but I'm still gonna have to go
back in and double check myselfbecause I'm like, I don't want
(04:07):
to overspend.
That's my biggest fear of kindof you know spacing it out over
multiple months.
So anyway, I think there's it'sgood for whomever, as long as
you have a plan, I think, andyou have an idea of how much you
want to spend, that's the mostimportant part.
Casey Messer (04:23):
And I'll say too, you know, not not necessarily
starting this in October, but asyou move forward, making a list
and putting a number byeverybody's name so you can see
the total.
Yes.
And so that kind of goes liketo the beginning of the year
planning if you want to look atit that way.
Um, but it also gives you anidea of like how much you have
to save every month to reachthat total.
And if that seems a little offfor you, well then you have to
(04:44):
take a step back and say, okay,well, I can't spend, you know,
$300 on every single person Iknow that's pretty extreme, but
um, you really do have to lookat it that way as an overall.
Kelli Green (04:54):
Well, and we are sitting right now just under
eight weeks until Christmas,which seems so wild.
Um, and when, you know, rightnow, when this podcast airs this
week, you know, we willliterally be just under eight
weeks.
And it's wild to think aboutit, but I think there's pl still
plenty of time if we're mindfuland we think about more so of
(05:17):
the experience versus just, youknow, the number of gifts and so
forth.
I think a lot of times some ofthe greatest gifts that I've
ever received were reallythoughtful and kind of right on
time, you know, specific to whatI really desired and wanted.
It wasn't necessarily thequantity of gifts that I
received, but it was more oflike the thought behind it.
Yeah.
I don't know if you can relateto that too.
Okay.
(05:38):
So kind of thinking about thistoo in this vein.
So, what's the funniest or mostextra thing you've ever spent
money on during the holidays?
And it could be for yourself orfor someone else.
Casey Messer (05:47):
I know I'm not alone in this, but I would say
matching pajamas, even includingour dog.
Yeah.
So um, those are just fun forme, especially like my husband.
You know, we we find some funprint and we're all wearing it.
I don't know, it's just fun.
Kelli Green (06:00):
So do you do this every year or like are you guys
set on this is your gonna getit?
Casey Messer (06:04):
It's getting really expensive.
I feel like old navy pajamaslike was the way to go, and now
it's like getting moreexpensive.
So I don't know.
We have we rewear, so we'llfind something to kind of go
together and it coordinates andit's fun, but yeah, we try to do
it every single year.
Kelli Green (06:18):
I love it.
Oh, guilty.
It's charged.
We've been doing that since ourgirls were born.
Um, and it's just funny, but Inever thought about it.
I mean, growing up, you know,we just looked a mess when we're
opening up our picture, openingup our presents, you know, the
pictures looking back over theyears, it never really was a
thing.
You know, we didn't care, butsupposedly, you know, I guess
we've given in, we've beeninfluenced to do things a little
(06:40):
differently.
Okay, so if you had to describeyour holiday spending style in
one emoji, what would it be?
Casey Messer (06:47):
Oh gosh.
Um, I would say there's acouple of different things that
come to mind, but the littlemoney stack with the wings is
probably what I feel like.
And I try to make that, youknow, I try to get better every
year, but I do feel like it'sit's costly, but um, it's fun
too.
So I would I would definitelysay like the little shopping,
little shopping bags uh alsocomes to buy.
Kelli Green (07:08):
So we need them.
I'm with you.
Mine definitely just fliesright out, you know, and it's
just at the very end, wheneverwe do this every single year, we
always say, you know, we'regoing to do much better than we
did last year.
Like this was silly for us todo this much.
And if I could give any advice,when your kids are small and
they don't really understand,you know, like the cost of
(07:30):
gifts, the value of a dollar,don't worry about meme brands,
you know, don't worry abouttrying to buy, you know, filling
up your living room or whathave you with these toys and
creating that experience.
Because here's the thingwhenever you start, you have to
continue or else there's goingto be a major, like, whoa,
what's happening?
What's going on?
kind of thing.
(07:50):
So take it from me.
I would have done things alittle differently, to be honest
with you, um, if, you know, wehad to go back because, and
someone told me that, they gaveme that advice, but of course, I
was just like, oh no, you know,I want to make their first
Christmas, you know, their veryfirst few Christmases, you know,
just all they can dream of andmore.
And I feel like I've kind ofgotten beyond that.
So I'm really thinking aboutwhat is the meaning of giving
(08:14):
and why that's important, youknow, what values are we setting
for our families?
I don't know.
Are you do you kind of feel thesame way?
Casey Messer (08:20):
I do, yeah.
There's already been, I mean,my little girl will be five um
this month, and then my littleboy is six.
So yeah, we've had those fewChristmases where I'm like,
okay, these are like their firstcouple where like you can just
see that their eyes light up andyou want to make it everything
that it can be.
Um, but definitely it's veryeasy to go overboard with that.
And and then you look back andyou say, Okay, why they they
(08:41):
didn't need they didn't need allof that, you know.
Kelli Green (08:44):
Sure didn't.
Because they look at it andthey gravitate to one thing or
the box that it came in.
Yes.
And that's a real story.
I mean, I know we hear peopletalk about that a lot, but it's
true.
Yeah, it's very true.
It's so true.
Yeah.
Okay, so let's kind of talkabout some new things that are
out and about.
We've had this available to ourmembers since the first part of
2025, but we have some reallyunique budgeting tools that are
(09:07):
right at our members'fingertips, and it's completely
free to use.
So kind of share with us howmembers can really use our
budgeting tools or reallysavings challenges to plan for
thoughtful giving.
Casey Messer (09:19):
Yeah, I would say um setting up just an automatic
transfer, even starting now, um,even if it's $25 a week,
whatever you can do, and thenyou can add to that outside of
the automatic transfer, butusing that tool alone will help
you because you don't realizelike how fast it will add up.
Yes.
Um, so that's a huge thing.
Um, and then the budgetingtools to be able to just set up
(09:39):
a budget um or a goal, I shouldsay, um, with our text alerts,
it's gonna tell you, you know,Kelly, you've reached this and
none of your goal that'spercent, and it's really nice.
Um, you know, it's nice to getthat alert to say, okay, I'm
actually reaching or headingtowards my goal.
Yes.
And so obviously we're on afast track right now.
And so you you want to to makethat as quick as possible.
(10:00):
But um, anything that you cando right now to help yourself on
an automatic state uh sepoy isgoing to be helpful for this,
right?
Kelli Green (10:07):
I agree, I love it.
One to your point about thenotices.
So yesterday I got a noticethat said, you reached 80% of
your grocery budget.
And I thought, thank you, Lord,that we are this close to the
end of the month because it'sjust gone by so quickly.
Um it just seems like towardsthe end of the year, like that
final quarter, there's so manymore expenses than what you
(10:30):
typically see throughout theyear.
So anyway, just something tothink about there too, you know,
especially when we're I knowtoday we're talking about
Christmas gifts, but we stillhave Thanksgiving in the middle
of that.
So if your primary goal orprimary responsibly, you know,
responsible for your um hugemeal, you may want to think
about some different ways thatyou could kind of save for that
(10:51):
as well, you know, and maybe buyahead too.
So, okay, so we know that theholidays can be stressful.
So, what's your advice forkeeping a peaceful mindset when
money feels really tight?
Casey Messer (11:01):
Oh, I would just say to focus on or try to under
or understand really whatChristmas is about to you or
what the holiday season isabout.
Um, you know, money can bestressful when we're talking
about spending and buying forpeople.
Uh, we talked about creatingexperiences over those gifts,
right?
And so trying to focus on thatand um for me it's family, you
(11:22):
know, what can I do with myfamily during this time to make
it even more special um insteadof running around stressing
about, you know, have I savedenough money for bad things?
How am I gonna do all this thatI want to do for them?
Um, think about different waysthat you can do that and just
kind of sit in that and let thatbe your peace.
Um, because if not, it will,it'll just take the joy right
out of it.
Kelli Green (11:42):
And it's it can easily happen too.
I love the way you said that.
So you think about too, youknow, as far as how can someone
recover if they do overspend,you know, without feeling guilty
or giving up on their goals,what is what is really something
that you think they might beable to do if they do tend to
have an overspendingpersonality, or if they say, Oh,
well, I'm listening to this, Ialready have overspend.
(12:03):
So what do we do?
Casey Messer (12:04):
Yeah, well, I've been there, so I totally
understand and I can say thiswithout, you know, just don't
beat yourself up about it.
Um, you can do something like ano spin January.
You know, try and take like thenext month off of all the
things, right?
How can you really cut back fora month or two to just kind of
reset and then plan ahead, likeright then and there.
Go ahead and start planning forthe next Christmas because you
know the feeling, and it's notgoing to be more powerful than
(12:28):
right then to go ahead and plan.
Kelli Green (12:30):
I love it.
And it's okay.
We've all made those mistakesbefore we've overspent, but you
just think Christmas is on thesame day every year.
You know, our um our DaveRamsey financial counselor,
Kelly Brantley, that's what shealways says, is that Christmas
is on the same day every year.
So that's really to ouradvantage.
You think, okay, we know howmany weeks we have to save and
(12:53):
what are some ways in which thatwe can do that.
And I genuinely believe, youknow, if you just have a moment
where you just slow your slowyour roll a little bit, but then
also thinking about it too isthat you can go ahead and start
putting some money back.
Yeah.
And you have to sometimes justsay no, just to go get beyond
that, you know.
And so lots of things.
(13:13):
I tell my girls this, you know,if we say yes to something,
something's gonna happen, we'regonna have to say no to
something else, whether that'swith our money or our time.
So you just have to kind ofthink about it and put it into
perspective.
Okay, so this is super funny.
I love this, and I just want tokind of wrap us up with some
holiday cheer here, put a littlejoy in your day.
But what's your favoritemoney-saving motto for the
holidays?
Casey Messer (13:34):
Oh, I would say, and this kind of wraps up what
we've talked about, but it'sprobably not about the spending,
it's more about the meaning.
Um, and so I've really tried tohold on to that the last couple
of years.
Kelli Green (13:45):
I'm gonna take it.
I'm gonna do my best to hold onto that too.
Okay, so finish the sentencefor us.
Okay.
The best gift you can giveyourself this Christmas is going
back to what you said, I wouldsay peace of mind.
Yeah.
Maybe a nap.
I love it.
Yes, absolutely.
Do that.
Okay, here's some rapid firethings for you.
Okay, so eggnog or hot cocoa,hot chocolate.
(14:05):
Oh, I would say eggnog.
Oh, nice.
Okay.
What about the budget app orold school envelope system?
I would say the budget app, um,envelopes.
Casey Messer (14:15):
Yeah, I don't know if I can keep up with that.
No.
I feel like I, yeah.
Kelli Green (14:19):
I'm not a cash girl.
I don't want I never have cash.
Casey Messer (14:22):
Yeah, I would say, yeah, our centric app.
Kelli Green (14:24):
A lot older.
That's right.
Okay, Secret Santa are no giftsat all.
Casey Messer (14:28):
Oh, I think Secret Santa, just because I don't
know, it's fun.
It is and and maybe it's less,right?
That I'm gonna buy foreverybody.
Kelli Green (14:36):
One of the greatest memories I've ever had with our
girls, and they'll tell youthis they're to this day.
I think it's just becausethey're they were a little bit
older when we did this, sothat's uh kind of like a core
memory for them.
But we did Secret Santa amongstus.
And you know, they had abudget.
You know, this is how much youcan spend, and here's the time
frame of when you can purchase.
So we all, you know, metdressed up in these fun little
(14:57):
things and went shopping and wewent to the same store, we had
the same time frame, we had tobe checked out around the, you
know, within a certain you know,time frame, and um you had to
buy something and be intentionalabout the person that you
bought that you were buying for.
So that was really fun.
We were kind of that's a secretSanta, but we kind of threw it
in there as like, hey, you havea time limit, yeah, and this is
(15:18):
the deal.
So it was a lot of fun.
That's fine.
Okay, and finally, is SantaBanked eccentric?
What do you think he'd lovemost about it?
Casey Messer (15:26):
I would say automatic savings.
Oh, right.
I would think that would be thebest thing.
I think uh if you think Santaand all the L's he has to buy
for diamonds to play in ourlives, yes.
Um, that's just the biggesttool I think would that would be
helpful.
Kelli Green (15:40):
I love it.
I think that's exactly right.
And you can do all those thingsand more right here with
Centric.
Our new Centric mobile app isreally the greatest.
I love it.
I think it's a great way foryou to connect any and all
accounts that you may have atother financial institutions,
but it's also a great way foryou to set your goals and set
your budgets, and you can set itfor anything.
(16:00):
Like we were talking aboutearlier.
Our grocery budget is critical,you know, to have a name for
that.
Um, and it's wonderful that ifyou name it, a lot of times it
becomes a priority.
Yeah.
Casey Messer (16:10):
Well, and two, we didn't talk about this, but
tagging your transactions is sadto be able to go back and say
this is how much I've alreadyspent on holiday spending or on
the gifts.
Um, you can break it down asmuch as you want to, I guess, on
those tags.
That's that's really helpfuland insightful to see.
Kelli Green (16:25):
Yes, and it adds it up for you automatically.
I love it.
It's a wonderful way to dothat.
To find out more informationabout our mobile app, you can
visit us online atmycentric.org.
And Casey, as always, it's apleasure.
Thanks for joining us.
Thanks so much.
What a great conversation.
And big thanks today to CaseyMesser for joining us and
reminding us that saving for theholidays doesn't have to be
(16:46):
stressful or boring.
Remember, a little planninggoes a long way, whether it's
setting up a centric savingsaccount or using our budgeting
tools, joining one of oursavings challenges, or anything
else.
We're here to help you reachyour goals and keep your holiday
merry and bright.
If you enjoyed today's episode,make sure to follow Live Better
wherever you listen.
(17:06):
Centric is federally insured bythe NCUA.
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