S4_E8 Why the Holidays Trigger Your Money Stuff (And What To Do About It)

The holiday season has a way of turning the volume up on everything, especially money.

Suddenly you’re spending more time with family than usual, old dynamics are bubbling up, and money starts to feel heavier. Conversations that normally roll off your back hit differently. You might feel judged, defensive, small, resentful, or weirdly emotional about things you thought you’d already dealt with.

That’s because money is never just money - especially in families.

Money is safety. Money is power. Money is love, shame, obligation, history.

And the holidays press every single button.

In this episode, we unpack why family gatherings magnify money stress and how your early money wounds shape the way you react, not just to spending, but to expectations, comparison, and unspoken tension.

You’ll learn how the four core money wounds show up in families during the holidays:

• Scarcity — the hyper-responsible one who feels like money could disappear at any moment • Worth — the status-seeker who spends big to feel enough • Shame — the avoider who hopes money will sort itself out later • Neglect — the one who hands money decisions to others and feels overwhelmed by it all

You’ll start to recognise these patterns not just in yourself but around the table.

Most importantly, this episode isn’t about fixing anyone or starting heavy conversations over Christmas lunch. It’s about awareness. Because when you understand what’s really going on, you stop taking everything personally.

You get to keep your peace.

You’ll walk away with practical ways to regulate your nervous system, set quiet boundaries, and step out of old patterns  so you can move through the holiday season grounded, clear, and fully yourself.

In this episode we dioscuss whyt you are not broken or bad with money, you are responding exactly as you learned to survive.

And once you understand that, you get choice.

If this episode resonates, head to the website to download the Money Mindfulness workbook or take the Money Types quiz (find it on our website at phoebeblamey.com.au and remember: understanding money gives you language, and language gives you power.