Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, your favorite day of the week!🤑

As you wrestle with how soon after Thanksgiving to put up your Christmas tree, keep in mind that all the holiday celebrations ahead come with real costs that can add up quickly. Between hosting supplies, food, decorations, and travel, reigning in the money spent on celebrations can challenge even the most budget-conscious families.

A recent survey (see the Money Stat below) provides a glimpse of the "cost of celebration." However, for parents and mentors, that price tag offers more than just sticker shock; it opens a door to meaningful conversations. Let's get into how to involve young people in the planning, budgeting, and decision-making that shapes the holiday season and their financial futures.

Money Stat

$890

Thanksgiving. Christmas. Hanukkah. Kwanzaa. New Year's Eve. Consumer spending over the holidays that fall between November 1 and December 31 is expected to average out to $890 per person, according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation. The figure is the second highest in the holiday survey's 23-year history.

People told the NRF they planned to spend most of that money, $628, on gifts. The rest was slated for seasonal items like decorations, cards, candy, and food. Fifty-five percent of consumers said they plan to shop online for holiday purchases. But grocery and department stores were also popular choices.

What are the Top 3 gifts consumers expect to give? Half said clothing or accessories, 43% said gift cards, and 32% are headed to the toy aisle. Retailers are just hoping more people keep whatever they receive. A recent survey on the return rates of merchandise said retailers expect 17% of holiday sales to boomerang back. Sometimes the season of giving is also the season of, "Yeah...no thanks."

Get in the Zone

Money skill: How to budget for all seasonal expenses, not just gifts

Why it matters: When young people can see the bigger picture — that celebrations come with multiple layers of costs — it will help them learn essential skills like planning ahead, prioritizing, and making tradeoffs. Budgeting for holiday expenses also prepares them for real-life events that surface later on, where costs are rarely limited to a single purchase.

Try this: Invite your kids or teens to help you divide your total celebration budget into key categories. They can brainstorm with you the expenses that are associated with each category and that need to be reflected in your budget. Ask them what they'd prioritize if they were in charge, and give them some real input on which activities or items you spend money on.

🎁 Gifts — Talk with your young people about who to include on the gift list. If gifts go to teachers, service providers, or others who aren't family and friends, be sure your budget accounts for that, plus wrapping supplies or shipping for out-of-town gifts.

✈️ Travel — Plane tickets and gas are easy-to-remember holiday travel expenses, but hotel stays should also be factored in, along with vehicle maintenance if you're planning to drive a long distance.

🍲Food and entertainment — With food prices climbing, it's critical to pin down costs. Don't underestimate hosting expenses, or even bringing your signature dish to a potluck.

✨ Decorations — Think now about those glittery 2026 eyeglasses you'll want to buy for New Year's Eve. Budgeting for decor and accessories ahead of time keeps the fun affordable. Bonus: Ask your family to help make a few DIY decorations as a way to save cash and make the season more personal.

🫶 Charity — Many people forget to include their end-of-the-year donations in their budget, but you don't have to be one of them. Use this opportunity to talk with your child about causes that matter to you and the impact your family's gift could make.

Once you're done budgeting together, your child will see that "holiday fun" stems from concrete financial decisions. And more importantly, they'll shift from passive participants to active planners of meaningful, budget-friendly holiday experiences.

Loose Change

🏈 Super Bowl luxury packages are a reminder that when it comes to celebrating, some sports fans take "go big, or go home" to a whole new level.

💒 For some couples, a wedding budget can stretch as far as their imagination. Check out this list of some of the most costly nuptials ever celebrated.

🎆 Abu Dhabi is known for hosting celebrations on what seems like an unlimited budget. A luxury hotel there still holds a Guinness World Record set in 2010 for the most expensively decorated Christmas tree. And to ring in 2025, the city put on a show that featured 50 minutes of fireworks and a display of 6,000 drones. It was spectacular enough to smash six Guinness World Records.

In this season of Thanksgiving, I'm so grateful for you, my subscribers! If you know someone who cares about youth financial literacy, share this newsletter with them. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, please subscribe ​here​.

'Til next time,

Audrey
​Founder/Certified Financial Education Instructor​
The FinLit Zone

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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