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StitcherIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere we go. But when the ‘spirit of giving’ looks more like a corporate marketing campaign, it’s time to talk. Today, Jen and Jill reacts to the most over-the-top holiday hauls on social media, breaking down why they’re so addicting, and showing you how to deinfluence your own holiday spending before it snowballs.
Overgifting isn’t generous, it’s overconsumption masked as generosity.
Why Your Christmas Keeps Getting More Expensive Every Year 🎁
Jen and Jill don’t deny that Christmas is a whimsical and lovely season, but if we’re being rational, the spending has gone way too far. One perfect example is the Ralph Lauren Christmas trend with that ideal red-and-green classic aesthetic with all the fancy ornaments. Jen points out that the real problem starts when people try to “be better,” but it’s really social media making you feel insecure about what you already have.
Then there are the “burr baskets” that began as simple essentials and somehow turned into luxury hampers, overflowing stocking stuffers, and matching Christmas pajamas. Jen and Jill remind us that these trends push you to buy things you never planned to buy and sometimes even for people you wouldn’t normally shop for.
🎄Christmas, But Make It Intentional
If you’re someone who loves giving gifts as a sign of love like Jill, what she does to stay aligned with her values is deciding who she’s gifting and how much she’s willing to spend on each person. She prefers gifts that are thoughtful, useful, and consumable or an activity. So she gets creative with how she shows her love through gifting.
Meanwhile, Jen highlights the importance of setting boundaries to avoid overconsuming. She reminds us that family and people are everything, not the polished version of those moments on social media. Small purchases, décor, sale finds add up fast. So it’s important to make sure you truly love something before you buy it, and if you feel like you love everything, take a moment to reflect on what love really means to you.
What’s your personal Christmas style?
Jill’s Christmas style is minimalist! With some ribbon and green garland, there are things she can do. While Jen wants to go for a more nostalgic feeling by collecting ornaments from travels.
Bill of The Week
Thanks Jessie for sharing your bill about our monthly money challenge – saved on the 12 monthly challenges
Thanks so Much for Listening!
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Buy this book if you can, borrow if you can’t.
The cognitive dissonance of getting this from the library! This book deserves the $25 purchase price, but after reading I’m proud of myself for following its own advice by borrowing it from the library. Well done Jill & Jen for balancing sound financial advice with self-care mindfulness. BWYLWGB feels like it was written by a friend, for a friend. Can’t wait for the sequel, which I promise to buy outright! IOU $25 🙂
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