When the Holiday Spending Hangover Hits: What to do when the bill arrives.

The magic is over. Santa came and left the presents under the tree. The kids were amazed by all the wonderful things they got. Mom and Dad are proud of the success of the season.

As January begins, we hear a ding, and a text message says the minimum payment on our credit card is $350. Thoughts of what we did ring through our minds. This has caught us off guard, and now what? What do we do? How do we proceed, as that is double the normal bill?

If you are walking through this right now, you, my friend, are not alone. Many people are in the same boat as you. I’ve been there before, and it can be a joy crusher. Those bright packages under the tree in December lost their magic. January has crushed the joy that was felt just weeks ago.

So what is the holiday hangover? We just spent the last two weeks throwing out our routines, our emotions were bigger, and we have an executive functioning backlog. Everything seems to get pushed to the side, then we have to play “catch-up’ in January.

If you're like me, that means running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I’m going through the pile of mail to see what bills we have. I’m updating the budget and having a pity party. Realizing that my “New year, new me” meant signing up for trial subscriptions that I forgot to cancel.

Why does this hit us so hard? Several reasons, actually. We let the dopamine drive the past two weeks; we followed it wherever it took us. Along with that, we may have people pleased by not holding our boundaries. Structure was thrown out the window, which led to downtime and could lead to more spending.

Then rolls in the first work week of January, and it feels like we have been hit by a Mack truck. Which makes sense, especially when dealing with money, as money is emotional. And shaming ourselves isn’t going to help either. It’s time to acknowledge what happened and make a game plan for moving forward.

Quick Wins to Regain Control

• Get the facts in one place

  • Review: bank accounts, credit cards, receipts

  • Identify the real numbers, not the imagined fear.

• Prioritize the essentials

  • What must be paid this week?

  • What can wait?

  • Remove unnecessary autopays

• Set on “money reset” habit

  • 10 minutes, same day/time each week

  • Pick ONE system to stick with (not all systems)

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Support is here. You can schedule a discovery call, and we can devise a plan to help move the needle.

Remember, we are looking for progress, not perfection. Your future self is thanking you.