How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Derailing Your Retirement
Before the Rush | Part 4 of 4
Here's something I hear every January without fail.
"We definitely overdid it this year."
Sometimes it's about gifts. Sometimes it's travel. Sometimes it's the combination of everything hitting at once. And every year the people who say it most are the ones who went into the holiday season without a plan.
The Problem Is Not What You Think
Most people assume the issue is discipline. That they just need more willpower to spend less.
But in my experience the problem is almost never willpower. It's the absence of a number.
When you don't have a specific budget in mind going into the holidays, every spending decision gets made in the moment. And in-the-moment holiday decisions are made under a unique combination of generosity, family pressure, and the genuine joy of giving. That's not a recipe for restraint.
The people who come through the holiday season without financial regret aren't the ones with the most self-control. They're the ones who had something in mind prior to October. Every gift and every trip felt like a choice they made rather than something that happened to them.
What a Holiday Budget Actually Looks Like
It doesn't have to be complicated. What are you spending on gifts total across everyone on your list? What are you spending on travel? What are you spending on hosting? Add those three numbers together. That's your holiday number. Now you can give generously within it without the January regret.
The Retirement Angle
For people who are retired or close to it, holiday spending isn't just a budget question. It's a withdrawal question. Every dollar spent on gifts or travel in December is a dollar that came out of an account designed to last decades.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't spend it. It means you should spend it intentionally. These are the go-go years. The holidays are one of the best times to use them. The goal isn't to spend less. The goal is to spend in a way that feels like a choice and not something that happened to you.
What We See at The 611 Group
The clients who enjoy the holidays most aren't the most frugal ones. They're the ones with the clearest picture of what they can afford to give. When you know your number, the generosity feels intentional. And that makes all the difference in how it feels when January arrives.
A Final Thought
The holidays are coming whether you plan for them or not. September, right now, before the first decoration goes up and the first gift gets ordered, is the perfect time to figure out your number.
If you'd like help thinking through what a realistic holiday budget looks like within your overall retirement plan, we're here for that conversation.
Willie Schuette
The 611 Group Wealth Advisors