Welcome to a new week and a new theme here on the One Minute Retirement Tip! 

This week’s theme is cutting back on Christmas.Sometimes we just do something because that’s what we’ve always done without giving it much thought. Christmas can easily become one of those seasons where we buy the things and do the things because well, that’s what we’ve always done. 

I don’t know about you but it seems like the pressure to spend more and do more every holiday season only grows every year. Christmas music starts playing on the radio just after Halloween, and I start panicking about getting holiday cards out in the mail, arranging for a time when our family friend will come over as Santa for a visit - who is the spitting image of Santa - even in July.

We have to get our Christmas tree and somehow find the time to decorate a gingerbread house, make cookies for our neighbors, buy a present for my kid’s Kindergarten teacher, decorate the house, watch all the movies and see all the lights. 

The problem with all of this is that Christmas has become this hectic and stressful time. And I’m not alone. 69 percent of people are stressed by the feeling of having a “lack of time,” 69% of us are stressed by the financial strain of Christmas, and 51% are stressed out about the “pressure to give or get gifts.”

And nearly half of Americans - 45% - would prefer to skip Christmas all together. Yet, we still do all the things and spend all the money. 

But one of the great blessings of Covid I think, is that it gives all of us a chance to slow down and really re-examine our priorities, how we spend our time, and how we spend our money. This year could be your opportunity to set yourself free from the traditions, activities, and gift-giving that has become overwhelming. 

So this week I’ll be talking about how you can cut back on Christmas, why that’s important, how I’ve been cutting back on Christmas gradually over the last decade and how I intend to do that even more this year, and how to add more meaning and peace to a time of year that’s intended to be joyful and peaceful, not hectic and draining. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

----------

>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast