Anyone else get anxiety about all the end of year expenses?

[Anonymous]

Christmas isn't a big issue for us, but January is when we start paying for camps and the combination can be tight.

[Anonymous]

When you say "christmas expenses" are you concerned about gifts or travel? Both are optional if you are stressed. Gifts can be cheap, you don't have to buy big ticket items for the holidays. Travel depends. I'd not travel unless it's obligatory family visit, and can only be done when kids have sufficient time off during school break. Even then, unless it's visiting elderly/sick family that may not make it till summer break, there is nothing obligatory about family holiday travel either. Your family will understand if you don't have money for 4-5 airplane tickets (and especially hotel if they cannot accommodate you) during busy travel season.

If you have anxiety about end of year, likely, you are financially strained and cannot afford what you could last year. It's hardly uncommon. Don't feel bad about having to adjust. And don't think it's permanent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems end of year expenses are unique to each person.

Other than Christmas gifts, which we don’t go crazy with, my end of year expenses aren’t really different than any other month.

I am curious what your end of year expenses aren’t outside of holidays.

Charitable giving, in addition to holiday presents and holiday travel, followed by paying for summer camps, it all adds up. We do small charitable giving throughout the year, but give major gifts at end of year.

[Anonymous]

For us it's a combination of:
- Christmas (spouse tends to go overboard)
- End of year appreciation gifts (teachers, coaches, housecleaners, etc)
- Deposits for summer camps
- Car insurance comes due in early January - I keep meaning to change the billing cycle but forget every year

We can afford everything and plan for it and it still is just a very expensive month of outflows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes and I can easily afford it. Still stresses me out. Probably because my parents always worried about money.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You Need A Budget.

https://www.ynab.com/

This is the answer to your anxieties. I have spending categories at up for absolutely everything, including "Christmas" to which I allocate $200 every month. When December rolls around each year, I have $2400 waiting for me to spend.

Highly recommend!

We’ve been using YNAB for 7.5 years now and I can’t remember or imagine doing life without it now. Even if you’re just using it as an expense tracker it’s such a valuable tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems end of year expenses are unique to each person.

Other than Christmas gifts, which we don’t go crazy with, my end of year expenses aren’t really different than any other month.

I am curious what your end of year expenses aren’t outside of holidays.

Charitable giving, in addition to holiday presents and holiday travel, followed by paying for summer camps, it all adds up. We do small charitable giving throughout the year, but give major gifts at end of year.

So, just change your charitable giving calendar to June…unless you include tipping the help as charitable giving.

Summer camps meaning sleep away camps? That’s a personal decision…hard to feel sympathy for someone deciding to spend on that vs day camps that have deadlines all over the calendar.

[Anonymous]

Not about money. But I'm really stressed about decorating and getting everything done.

We just had our floors sanded and restained so our house is a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Yes, OP I find it stressful. I try to budget carefully but there are still surprises. Inflation has taken over so much of our discretionary income that any surprise is worrisome.

[Anonymous]

I used to because I never knew what to expect. Once we hit the social security limit, I used that extra to be sure I was covered but it still made me anxious.
Then I added up a couple of years of how much it actually was on average and just considered a part of our yearly budget. I didn’t actually change anything, but just thinking of it as a normal part of the year’s spending helped me feel less stressed

[Anonymous]

No, but it sounds like you need a plan and to stick to it.