Spending with intention and avoiding December’s hidden traps
In Part 1, we explored why December feels different and how recognising those patterns can change the way we make decisions. In Part 2, our advisers focus on the practical side of the season. The simple guardrails that help spending stay intentional, values-led and aligned with the year ahead.
These are not about restriction. They are about clarity.
5. Put guardrails around credit cards and BNPL
December is when flexibility tools like credit cards and buy now pay later (BNPL) are used most heavily. Used thoughtfully, they can smooth cash flow. Used reactively, they can make January harder than it needs to be.
Senior financial advisor, Jeffrey Chien, encourages clients to set boundaries before the festive rush begins. Rather than trying to eliminate spending altogether, he suggests deciding in advance how much debt you are genuinely comfortable carrying into the new year.
He suggests incorporating simple guardrails such as:
- Setting a December credit limit.
- Pausing for 48 hours before larger purchases.
- Reviewing last January’s statement to understand what a repeat would feel like.
By reviewing your numbers early, you will know exactly what to do and what to avoid. That clarity will help you prioritise actions that drive results rather than reacting under pressure later. – Jeffrey Chien, NSW
By reviewing your numbers early, you will know exactly what to do and what to avoid. That clarity will help you prioritise actions that drive results rather than reacting under pressure later. – 6. Watch the invisible categories
When people look back at December spending, it is rarely the presents that surprise them. It is everything around the presents. Extra supermarket trips, last-minute catch-ups, Secret Santa and workplace gifts, teacher thank-yous, school holiday programs, extra fuel and takeaway on tired nights all add up quietly.
Lifestyle creep and irregular expenses are often underestimated. Most people budget for regular everyday expenses like their mortgage or rent, utilities and groceries, but they underestimate small, inconsistent costs such as children’s activities, gifts, seasonal bills and unexpected travel. These additional costs can blow out budgets and impact your ability to follow a consistent savings or investment plan.– A simple and effective exercise is to scroll through last December’s bank statements and highlight every expense you had forgotten about. That list often becomes the most useful guide for planning this year.
7. Swap guilt spending for values-based spending
For many families, December spending is driven as much by emotion as by need. Between school wrap-ups, family gatherings and end-of-year exhaustion, executive advisor Ryan Scherini often sees guilt play a role. Parents working full-time may feel pressure to compensate with spending— for time, for energy, or for the feeling that the year has gone too fast. Ryan, a father of three himself, sees this often with young families.
When parents feel stretched, there can be a tendency to overcompensate at Christmas. My advice is to recognise your core family values. When children look back on their Christmases, it is rarely the gifts they remember. It is the time spent together and the traditions you created. – Stepping back to define what actually matters can quietly change the way money is used in December. For some families, that might mean prioritising shared experiences over more gifts. For others, it could be simplifying celebrations or setting clearer expectations with extended family.
Values-based spending does not mean spending less. It means spending in a way that still feels right long after December ends.
8. Turn December catch-ups into future-you conversations
December is one of the few times many families are physically together and less rushed by everyday routines. For executive advisor Mitchell Burger, VIC, December can be the right moment to step back and look at the bigger picture.
He encourages families to use the holidays to also talk about what the next year or two will realistically look like: school transitions, travel plans, business changes, property decisions or shared financial responsibilities. Milestones that otherwise will sit quietly in the background. These do not need to be formal meetings. Often, a short, calm conversation is enough to align expectations and reduce uncertainty.
December is rarely about one kind of “spending”. It involves dozens of small decisions made with money, time and emotional energy, often under pressure and fatigue. However, once those choices are supported by structure, clear boundaries and a sense of what truly matters, it becomes easier to navigate. Not restrictive. Just more deliberate.
Coming up in Part 3:
In the final article, our advisers focus on future planning. From conversations with ageing parents, to January resets, and how December can quietly set up a calmer, more confident year ahead.
