Before the Ball Drops: The 3 Money Things You Might Do Between Christmas and New Year’s — and Why That’s Okay

Key takeaways

• Holiday spending slips happen — and they don’t mean you’ve failed
• Avoiding your finances for a moment is often fatigue, not irresponsibiity
• “Next year” money intentions still count, even before you make a plan

Behind the festive dinners, adventures with family, and last minute gift shopping looms thoughts of money matters in the back (or front) of your mind. What comes next? Am I spending too much money? What money moves do I need to make before the new year? How am I going to house my inlaws when they all showed up despite saying they wouldn’t be in attendance?

Okay so not every question has to do with money, but if there’s any time of year that invites a constant stream of thoughts, it’s between Christmas and New Year’s.

The year-end scaries hit almost everyone, so know you’re not alone. If you find yourself saying, “that’s me!” take a breath. You’re not doing anything wrong.

Let’s walk through three common money moments that tend to make themselves well-known this week—and why they’re usually more normal than they feel.

You spend a little more than you planned

Last minute shipping costs more than the gift itself, holiday parties require more formalwear than expected, or maybe you need a treat for yourself that’s on a really good sale and after all, why shouldn’t you have it? A cornucopia of emotions runs high this week — relief, joy, excitement, anxiety, exhaustion — amplifying how seriously you worry about your finances.

Cast that guilt aside. Spending money during meaningful moments isn’t the same as being irresponsible. One week doesn’t undo a year, and it certainly doesn’t define your relationship with money. Sometimes, spending is simply part of being present.

You avoid looking at your finances altogether

You don’t open your bank app. You ignore emails. You tell yourself you’ll deal with it in January — and you mean it.

That’s not failure. That’s fatigue. And it’s 100% normal.

Give yourself a break and recognize that this week is not about problem-solving. It’s a decompression zone between everything that just happened and everything that’s about to start. Taking a pause isn’t the same as burying your head in the sand  — it means you’re giving yourself space to regroup. Rest brings clarity and fortifies you for what lies ahead.

You make vague “next year” money promises

Your financial wellness isn’t an overnight process and your plans don’t have to be concrete or complicated. Thoughts like, “I want to feel more confident,” or “I want this to be easier next year financially,” absolutely count.

The end of the year is for noticing patterns, not fixing them — that’s the first real step forward that should not be underestimated. You don’t need a fully formed plan to be moving in the right direction. Thinking counts, and it’s a smart money move to put thought into next steps before jumping in the deep end.

Before the ball drops

Your plate is full enough in the days between Christmas and New Year’s. As the new year approaches, there will be plenty of time to look back more intentionally — to reflect without pressure and without judgment. There’s time. You’re allowed to take it.

For some people, part of that January reset includes thinking ahead about how to recover financially after the holidays. If that’s on your mind, how to use your tax refund to recover from holiday spending offers a few grounded ways to think about next steps.

When the calendar flips and the details start coming into focus, it helps to know you don’t have to figure everything out at once. Support from tools like TurboTax can make it easier to understand what matters, what can wait, and how to take it one step at a time.