How (and Why) We Stopped Putting Christmas on a Credit Card

When Nick and I first got married, we were like so many young couples—excited to start our own family traditions but not quite sure how to manage all the financial pieces that came with them. We didn’t travel to see family even though most of mine lived out of state because early on we decided that we would never leave our house on Christmas Day. That’s one tradition we’ve kept from the very beginning, and it’s still one of my favorites. But even with that boundary in place, the financial side of the holidays still managed to get out of hand.

In those early years, we put Christmas on credit cards more than once. We’d make the minimum payments, tell ourselves that next year would be different, and then repeat the same pattern. Before we knew it, between those holiday expenses, a few house repairs, and me trying to keep a very pink direct sales business afloat, our credit card debt had ballooned to a point that felt impossible to handle.

Something had to change.

That was the year we decided to take a completely different approach. We started planning ahead—and I mean really ahead. Instead of waiting until November to think about Christmas, I started planning in the summer. The first year I did that, it changed everything. Spreading out the expenses gave us breathing room for the first time in years, and it ended up being the first Christmas I truly enjoyed with our kids.

We still did fun things like matching pajamas (which I’ll admit, I love), but we stopped saying yes to every single event and gift exchange that came our way. The endless parties, work events, and friend gatherings had started to feel like chaos instead of celebration. What we really wanted was a Christmas that was calm, meaningful, and centered on Christ—not one that left us stressed and stretched thin.

Planning ahead also meant looking at the calendar early so that nothing caught us off guard. Because of Nick’s job as a police officer, his schedule was constantly changing. His department required officers to put in their time-off requests in September for the entire following year, so I had to start asking family members in August when they wanted to celebrate Christmas. That extra layer of planning helped us build margin not just in our finances, but in our time too.

We also found simple ways to make a little extra cash. I would gather up the kids’ old toys and clothes they had outgrown and sell them, and Nick would sometimes pick up an extra overtime shift or two. It wasn’t always much, but it gave us momentum. There was something really satisfying about knowing we were paying for Christmas in cash instead of swiping a card and hoping to figure it out later.

One of the most important lessons we learned through all of it was how to teach our kids contentment. We were intentional about the Christmas lists we gave to grandparents and about the gifts we chose to give ourselves. Instead of filling the space under the tree with expensive items that would be forgotten in a few weeks, we started focusing more on experiences and gifts that carried meaning.

Over time, all those small changes added up. The chaos quieted. The guilt disappeared. And January no longer arrived with a credit card hangover.

Now, years later, our holidays are full of peace, not pressure. We still enjoy the matching pajamas, the cozy mornings at home, and the joy of giving—but we do it all knowing that every part of it has been planned for and paid for.

If you’ve ever started a new year weighed down by your Christmas spending, just know that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can take back control and create a season that feels calm, joyful, and true to what really matters. It starts with one simple choice—to plan ahead and be intentional. Trust me, the peace that follows is worth every bit of effort.

And if you’re curious about where your own holiday spending habits fall, I created a quick Holiday Spender Quiz to help you find out. In just a few minutes, you’ll learn your spender style, what’s keeping you stuck, and the first step to creating a Christmas that fits both your heart and your budget. Take the quiz here.