October 2, 2025 • 12 mins
The holidays shouldn’t leave you with a financial hangover. Too many families overspend in December and end up paying for it well into the new year. In this episode, I’ll share practical steps to create a holiday budget you can actually stick to—so you enjoy the season without relying on credit cards or buy-now-pay-later debt.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why 36% of Americans go into holiday debt—and how to avoid being one of them
- The simple sinking fund method to cover gifts, meals, travel, and traditions
- How to set clear boundaries with family and simplify your gift list
- Creative ways to cash-flow Christmas through decluttering and subscriptions swaps
- Why intentional planning creates peace and margin instead of panic and pressure
Ready to reset your mindset before the holiday chaos hits? Join the free 7-Day Money Mindset Shift Challenge inside the Legacy Builders Network on Facebook. Together we’ll rewire how you think about spending, giving, and financial peace just in time for the season.
Learn more about working with Laura Sexton
. Join the Facebook group Legacy Builders Network.
· Become a master with your money. Learn more here!
· Checkout the resource library here!
Want to ask a question Laura can answer on the podcast? Connect with her here!
Want to receive a live money or career audit? Apply Here
Send an email to Laura@AccelerateYourLegacy.com or send a DM on Instagram @accelerateyourlegacy
Elevate your coaching with daily devotionals and prayers from 'Seasoned with Salt.' Get your copy HERE!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Laura (00:01):
You shouldn't have to clean up a financial mess in
January just because you wantedthe holidays to feel magical in
December.
hello and welcome to money andcareer mastery from overwhelmed
to ownership.
I'm Laura Sexton, your abundanceand legacy coach here to help
you navigate the world of money,debt payoff, and career growth
(00:23):
with confidence and clarity.
In this podcast, we'll tacklethe financial and career
challenges, holding you back,optimize your income and build
the freedom that comes with trueownership.
If you're ready to break freefrom overwhelm, create a budget
that aligns with your values anddesign a legacy that empowers
future generations.
You're in the right place.
(00:46):
Hey, accelerators, just so youknow, my littlest assistant is
with us today, so you may hearsome cooing or screeching in the
background.
I wanted to talk to you aboutdebt-free holidays now in the
beginning of October because Iknow how intense it can be when
we get closer and closer toChristmas, and I really want you
(01:06):
to have a plan.
I want you to have someintention, and I want you to do
well when it comes to holidayseason.
Prep for the holidays has reallyhelped my family enjoy the
holidays without an overspendinghangover.
It has been so incrediblyimportant since we started this
journey in 2016.
(01:30):
To live intentionally.
And in the beginning it wassmall, small, small holidays and
we couldn't go on big trips andwe couldn't do a lot of things
because we were working so hardto pay off$372,347 of debt.
But once that was paid off, whatwe knew we would never do again
(01:51):
is go back into debt.
We as a family have decided thatis never going to be an option
for us.
We cannot, will not stand forthat.
So I will tell you thatsometimes when I'm working with
couples and we start preparingfor Christmas back in June and
July, I do have a Christmas inJuly tracker that I try to give
(02:11):
out to everybody in July becauseI want you to start planning as
soon as possible.
I will on December 26th, put outa post that says, today is the
day to start saving forChristmas.
Okay.
I really want you to spend asmuch time planning ahead so that
you're not spending too muchmoney.
I get a little frustratedsometimes with my clients who
(02:33):
have had this tracker since Julyand we've made a plan.
They come back and they say.
Well, I forgot about this and Iforgot about that, and I forgot
about Jim Bob, and I wassupposed to buy something for
Jim Bob, and I didn't buyanything for Jim Bob, so I had
to buy something for them, and Ihad to put it on a credit card.
No, no more my friends.
(02:53):
We are not doing that.
I want you to make a commitmentto today to give yourself the
peace of mind.
Give yourself a rule that youare going to stick to that says,
I am not going into debt forChristmas.
If you enter the holidayswithout a planned, you will wind
up overspending, you'll wind upstressed out, and you will have
(03:15):
lingering debt well intoJanuary.
About 36% of Americans took onholiday debt last year, and most
of that landed on credit cardswith the average person racking
up, oh my goodness, this numbermakes me sick.
$1,181 in spending that theyjust could not afford.
It's no wonder January feelslike a financial crash.
(03:38):
21% put their payments on buynow, pay later accounts.
I worked with a couple that hadsix of those six buy now pay
later accounts, and they keptgetting them and they couldn't
figure out why they weren'tgetting ahead.
What if this was the year thatyou chose peace and margin and
meaning instead of panic andpressure?
(03:59):
That's what happens when youplan ahead for your holidays.
So why start early?
Why plan intentionally?
Well, you don't need a hugebudget to make the holidays
exactly what you want.
You just need a clear budget.
You need clarity, and you knowhow much I love that.
The holidays you see, they'renot a surprise.
Christmas comes on December 25thevery single year, but most
(04:21):
people treat them like they'rejust shocked when it comes
around, but you can't afford tojust charge it and deal with it
later, especially with therising rates.
In 20 24, 40 2% of holiday debton credit cards had over a 20%
interest rate, and late paymentsare on the rise across the
country.
Now, let me tell you, 20%interest, that sounds great
(04:42):
compared to the interest ratesthat I'm seeing on most of my
clients' credit cards.
26 to 32% is normal right now.
You do not need a 32% intereston your past decisions.
That is a penalty, and I don'twant you paying it, especially
not for Christmas.
It's supposed to be a time ofpeace and joy, not penalty.
(05:03):
So break this down.
Okay.
We're gonna re-engineer yourholiday costs.
We're gonna break it down, breakit down into real categories.
Here are some of the ones that Ican think of, but maybe you can
think of some others.
So, gifts.
We know we're giving out gifts.
We know we're gonna travel.
There are going to be meals,there's decor, there are events,
there are traditions that youdon't wanna miss out on.
(05:24):
Assign a dollar amount to eachof these.
Total it up and divide it by howmany paychecks you have left
before mid-December.
Say mid-December, not the 25th.
You're not gonna be buyingpresents on actual Christmas and
then go ahead and start yoursinking fund.
If you put$50 a week into asinking fund, you will have$600
by December.
That's more than enough money topay for your Christmas.
(05:47):
I have seven people in my familythat I'm spending for for
Christmas.
$600 would be enough if I.
Paired everything down to onlywhat was necessary, only what
felt like it needed to happen.
You know what needs to happen.
I need to make Christmas cookieswith my kids.
I need to make Christmas cookieswith my kids.
(06:08):
That's all I need to do.
That's the only tradition thatI'm just like, I refuse to give
it, give it up.
I like going to see Santa, butyou know, that's expensive.
Why seeing Santa cost moneynowadays?
I don't really understand.
It was free when I was a kid,but okay.
I don't want you to panicbecause this feels impossible.
You're like, no.
(06:28):
Well, my sister Sue, she's gonnaexpect me to buy presents for
all her kids, and we do allthese holiday things and I, I
can't, I can't.
Well, you can do somedecluttering around the house,
make some cash off of some ofyour stuff.
Let me tell you some of thestuff in your house, you don't
need it anymore.
And there are people that arelooking for cheap Christmas
gifts.
(06:48):
I bet they're willing to pay forit.
Get some cash by dec clutteringyour house.
Pause the subscription.
Maybe you don't need to bewatching so much TV'cause you're
trying to make all thesememories in December.
Turn those off, put that moneyback in your budget.
Use what you have, sell what youdon't need anymore and give away
with intention.
Credit card balances in the USreached$1.17 trillion before
(07:12):
holidays even began last year.
It means people were alreadycarrying debt well before they
got started buying gifts, and solet me tell you, they just kept
racking it up.
We are at$1.5 trillion in creditcards, and it feels like that
number is only going up.
Every time I see this number, Iget really sad because I feel
(07:34):
like I'm wasting my breathsometimes.
I feel like there's no waypossible I'm making a difference
in people's lives.
I know that I so desperatelywant to, and if the only person
whose life I touch is yours,you, my dear Accelerator who is
listening to me right now, ifyou're the only life I touch and
you hear me say the credit cardis stealing from your future, it
(07:55):
is not helping you.
It does not make things easierfor you.
I love you enough to be honestand say stupid.
Put it down.
If you are the only life Itouch.
It is worth my time, energy, andmoney to put out this podcast,
and I'm thankful for you.
It is okay for you to simplifyyour gift list, say yes, and say
(08:16):
no.
With purpose.
I would like for you to shifttowards memory, gifts,
experience, family swaps, groupgiving these boundaries.
They're not selfish.
They're very strategic,generosity, and let me tell you.
Oh friend, let me tell you.
There are probably people inyour family that are desperate
for somebody to put up aboundary and too scared to do
(08:38):
it.
Be that friend for them, be thatwonderful loving family member
that just says, Hey, I can'tthis year.
Can we do something different?
Even if you have all the moneyin the world, if you have to buy
900 bazillion presents for allof the cousins I have in one
side of my family, I have ninecousins.
(08:58):
Nine.
We would go to Christmas andthere would be one present under
the tree for all of the cousinsand six parents, and it looked
like we were at Montgomery Wardsand it was just a display in the
window.
It was crazy, and everybody justgot one present.
Can you imagine all of us havingto buy something for everybody?
(09:20):
It would be an insane amount ofmoney spent on a holiday that we
could not afford.
That is why our family decidedthat, the adults would buy a
family present for each of thefamilies involved, and the kids
didn't buy anything for eachother.
Or as we got older, the kidswould draw names out of a hat
and would buy presents for eachother.
My kids, now there's five ofthem, and five of them want to
(09:42):
buy gifts for each other, and Ilove that.
And so what we do is we go tofive Below and they can each buy
a$5 gift for each other, andthey buy some of the most
thoughtful gifts that are justamazing, and they're$5 each.
The kids love the intentionalspending on each other and the
gifts that they receive from athoughtful, loving sibling.
(10:05):
You don't have to get crazy justbecause you've always gotten
crazy at Christmas.
You don't have to give gifts toone up somebody else.
That's not the holiday spiritYou wanna be living in Okay, so
here are your holiday actionsteps.
Write out every holidaycategory, not just the people
you're buying gifts for total.
What you will realistically wantto spend, divide that total
(10:26):
number by the weeks andpaychecks that you have left.
And then choose your savingsmethod.
Be it an envelope, a visualtracker, auto transfer I don't
care what it is.
Pick something and stick withit.
You need this time between nowand Christmas to set the
intention and make it happen foryourself.
(10:47):
Don't let this be anotherstressful January.
Make this a Christmas toremember one that you have in
memories and not in credit cardpayments.
If you're ready to reset yourmindset before the holiday chaos
hits, come join us in the freeFacebook group for the seven Day
Money Mindset Shift Challengestarting on Monday.
(11:08):
We will rewire how you thinkabout spending, giving, and
financial peace just in time forthe most expensive season of the
year.
The link is down in the shownotes and we wanna see you
there.
Come join us inside the LegacyBuilders Network with Laura
Sexton over on Facebook.
Until then, accelerators, youknow what to do.
Go out and make a difference.
(11:29):
thank you for spending time withus today on Money and Career
Mastery from Overwhelm toOwnership.
Remember, your legacy isn't justabout financial freedom.
It's about living with purpose,taking action, and building a
foundation that lasts forgenerations.
Don't just listen, implementwhat you've learned and share it
with someone who could use afinancial or career
breakthrough.
(11:49):
If you found value in today'sepisode, help us grow by rating,
reviewing, and sharing thepodcast.
I'll be back next week with morestrategies to help you master
your money and career.
Until then take ownership ofyour future and build your
legacy with intention.
You shouldn't have to clean up a financial mess in
January just because you wantedthe holidays to feel magical in
December.
hello and welcome to money andcareer mastery from overwhelmed
to ownership.
I'm Laura Sexton, your abundanceand legacy coach here to help
you navigate the world of money,debt payoff, and career growth
(00:23):
with confidence and clarity.
In this podcast, we'll tacklethe financial and career
challenges, holding you back,optimize your income and build
the freedom that comes with trueownership.
If you're ready to break freefrom overwhelm, create a budget
that aligns with your values anddesign a legacy that empowers
future generations.
You're in the right place.
(00:46):
Hey, accelerators, just so youknow, my littlest assistant is
with us today, so you may hearsome cooing or screeching in the
background.
I wanted to talk to you aboutdebt-free holidays now in the
beginning of October because Iknow how intense it can be when
we get closer and closer toChristmas, and I really want you
(01:06):
to have a plan.
I want you to have someintention, and I want you to do
well when it comes to holidayseason.
Prep for the holidays has reallyhelped my family enjoy the
holidays without an overspendinghangover.
It has been so incrediblyimportant since we started this
journey in 2016.
(01:30):
To live intentionally.
And in the beginning it wassmall, small, small holidays and
we couldn't go on big trips andwe couldn't do a lot of things
because we were working so hardto pay off$372,347 of debt.
But once that was paid off, whatwe knew we would never do again
(01:51):
is go back into debt.
We as a family have decided thatis never going to be an option
for us.
We cannot, will not stand forthat.
So I will tell you thatsometimes when I'm working with
couples and we start preparingfor Christmas back in June and
July, I do have a Christmas inJuly tracker that I try to give
(02:11):
out to everybody in July becauseI want you to start planning as
soon as possible.
I will on December 26th, put outa post that says, today is the
day to start saving forChristmas.
Okay.
I really want you to spend asmuch time planning ahead so that
you're not spending too muchmoney.
I get a little frustratedsometimes with my clients who
(02:33):
have had this tracker since Julyand we've made a plan.
They come back and they say.
Well, I forgot about this and Iforgot about that, and I forgot
about Jim Bob, and I wassupposed to buy something for
Jim Bob, and I didn't buyanything for Jim Bob, so I had
to buy something for them, and Ihad to put it on a credit card.
No, no more my friends.
(02:53):
We are not doing that.
I want you to make a commitmentto today to give yourself the
peace of mind.
Give yourself a rule that youare going to stick to that says,
I am not going into debt forChristmas.
If you enter the holidayswithout a planned, you will wind
up overspending, you'll wind upstressed out, and you will have
(03:15):
lingering debt well intoJanuary.
About 36% of Americans took onholiday debt last year, and most
of that landed on credit cardswith the average person racking
up, oh my goodness, this numbermakes me sick.
$1,181 in spending that theyjust could not afford.
It's no wonder January feelslike a financial crash.
(03:38):
21% put their payments on buynow, pay later accounts.
I worked with a couple that hadsix of those six buy now pay
later accounts, and they keptgetting them and they couldn't
figure out why they weren'tgetting ahead.
What if this was the year thatyou chose peace and margin and
meaning instead of panic andpressure?
(03:59):
That's what happens when youplan ahead for your holidays.
So why start early?
Why plan intentionally?
Well, you don't need a hugebudget to make the holidays
exactly what you want.
You just need a clear budget.
You need clarity, and you knowhow much I love that.
The holidays you see, they'renot a surprise.
Christmas comes on December 25thevery single year, but most
(04:21):
people treat them like they'rejust shocked when it comes
around, but you can't afford tojust charge it and deal with it
later, especially with therising rates.
In 20 24, 40 2% of holiday debton credit cards had over a 20%
interest rate, and late paymentsare on the rise across the
country.
Now, let me tell you, 20%interest, that sounds great
(04:42):
compared to the interest ratesthat I'm seeing on most of my
clients' credit cards.
26 to 32% is normal right now.
You do not need a 32% intereston your past decisions.
That is a penalty, and I don'twant you paying it, especially
not for Christmas.
It's supposed to be a time ofpeace and joy, not penalty.
(05:03):
So break this down.
Okay.
We're gonna re-engineer yourholiday costs.
We're gonna break it down, breakit down into real categories.
Here are some of the ones that Ican think of, but maybe you can
think of some others.
So, gifts.
We know we're giving out gifts.
We know we're gonna travel.
There are going to be meals,there's decor, there are events,
there are traditions that youdon't wanna miss out on.
(05:24):
Assign a dollar amount to eachof these.
Total it up and divide it by howmany paychecks you have left
before mid-December.
Say mid-December, not the 25th.
You're not gonna be buyingpresents on actual Christmas and
then go ahead and start yoursinking fund.
If you put$50 a week into asinking fund, you will have$600
by December.
That's more than enough money topay for your Christmas.
(05:47):
I have seven people in my familythat I'm spending for for
Christmas.
$600 would be enough if I.
Paired everything down to onlywhat was necessary, only what
felt like it needed to happen.
You know what needs to happen.
I need to make Christmas cookieswith my kids.
I need to make Christmas cookieswith my kids.
(06:08):
That's all I need to do.
That's the only tradition thatI'm just like, I refuse to give
it, give it up.
I like going to see Santa, butyou know, that's expensive.
Why seeing Santa cost moneynowadays?
I don't really understand.
It was free when I was a kid,but okay.
I don't want you to panicbecause this feels impossible.
You're like, no.
(06:28):
Well, my sister Sue, she's gonnaexpect me to buy presents for
all her kids, and we do allthese holiday things and I, I
can't, I can't.
Well, you can do somedecluttering around the house,
make some cash off of some ofyour stuff.
Let me tell you some of thestuff in your house, you don't
need it anymore.
And there are people that arelooking for cheap Christmas
gifts.
(06:48):
I bet they're willing to pay forit.
Get some cash by dec clutteringyour house.
Pause the subscription.
Maybe you don't need to bewatching so much TV'cause you're
trying to make all thesememories in December.
Turn those off, put that moneyback in your budget.
Use what you have, sell what youdon't need anymore and give away
with intention.
Credit card balances in the USreached$1.17 trillion before
(07:12):
holidays even began last year.
It means people were alreadycarrying debt well before they
got started buying gifts, and solet me tell you, they just kept
racking it up.
We are at$1.5 trillion in creditcards, and it feels like that
number is only going up.
Every time I see this number, Iget really sad because I feel
(07:34):
like I'm wasting my breathsometimes.
I feel like there's no waypossible I'm making a difference
in people's lives.
I know that I so desperatelywant to, and if the only person
whose life I touch is yours,you, my dear Accelerator who is
listening to me right now, ifyou're the only life I touch and
you hear me say the credit cardis stealing from your future, it
(07:55):
is not helping you.
It does not make things easierfor you.
I love you enough to be honestand say stupid.
Put it down.
If you are the only life Itouch.
It is worth my time, energy, andmoney to put out this podcast,
and I'm thankful for you.
It is okay for you to simplifyyour gift list, say yes, and say
(08:16):
no.
With purpose.
I would like for you to shifttowards memory, gifts,
experience, family swaps, groupgiving these boundaries.
They're not selfish.
They're very strategic,generosity, and let me tell you.
Oh friend, let me tell you.
There are probably people inyour family that are desperate
for somebody to put up aboundary and too scared to do
(08:38):
it.
Be that friend for them, be thatwonderful loving family member
that just says, Hey, I can'tthis year.
Can we do something different?
Even if you have all the moneyin the world, if you have to buy
900 bazillion presents for allof the cousins I have in one
side of my family, I have ninecousins.
(08:58):
Nine.
We would go to Christmas andthere would be one present under
the tree for all of the cousinsand six parents, and it looked
like we were at Montgomery Wardsand it was just a display in the
window.
It was crazy, and everybody justgot one present.
Can you imagine all of us havingto buy something for everybody?
(09:20):
It would be an insane amount ofmoney spent on a holiday that we
could not afford.
That is why our family decidedthat, the adults would buy a
family present for each of thefamilies involved, and the kids
didn't buy anything for eachother.
Or as we got older, the kidswould draw names out of a hat
and would buy presents for eachother.
My kids, now there's five ofthem, and five of them want to
(09:42):
buy gifts for each other, and Ilove that.
And so what we do is we go tofive Below and they can each buy
a$5 gift for each other, andthey buy some of the most
thoughtful gifts that are justamazing, and they're$5 each.
The kids love the intentionalspending on each other and the
gifts that they receive from athoughtful, loving sibling.
(10:05):
You don't have to get crazy justbecause you've always gotten
crazy at Christmas.
You don't have to give gifts toone up somebody else.
That's not the holiday spiritYou wanna be living in Okay, so
here are your holiday actionsteps.
Write out every holidaycategory, not just the people
you're buying gifts for total.
What you will realistically wantto spend, divide that total
(10:26):
number by the weeks andpaychecks that you have left.
And then choose your savingsmethod.
Be it an envelope, a visualtracker, auto transfer I don't
care what it is.
Pick something and stick withit.
You need this time between nowand Christmas to set the
intention and make it happen foryourself.
(10:47):
Don't let this be anotherstressful January.
Make this a Christmas toremember one that you have in
memories and not in credit cardpayments.
If you're ready to reset yourmindset before the holiday chaos
hits, come join us in the freeFacebook group for the seven Day
Money Mindset Shift Challengestarting on Monday.
(11:08):
We will rewire how you thinkabout spending, giving, and
financial peace just in time forthe most expensive season of the
year.
The link is down in the shownotes and we wanna see you
there.
Come join us inside the LegacyBuilders Network with Laura
Sexton over on Facebook.
Until then, accelerators, youknow what to do.
Go out and make a difference.
(11:29):
thank you for spending time withus today on Money and Career
Mastery from Overwhelm toOwnership.
Remember, your legacy isn't justabout financial freedom.
It's about living with purpose,taking action, and building a
foundation that lasts forgenerations.
Don't just listen, implementwhat you've learned and share it
with someone who could use afinancial or career
breakthrough.
(11:49):
If you found value in today'sepisode, help us grow by rating,
reviewing, and sharing thepodcast.
I'll be back next week with morestrategies to help you master
your money and career.
Until then take ownership ofyour future and build your
legacy with intention.
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