Hey everyone, welcome back to episode 962 of Money Girl. I appreciate you downloading the show.

I'm Laura Adams, an award-winning author, on-camera spokesperson, money speaker, and founder of

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the money stack at laura d.ad.com or you can leave me a voice

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finance Friday. That's our weekly Q&A bonus edition of the show.

Now that we're in the final quarter of the year, can you believe it?

It's time to start thinking about the holidays.

Don't kill me, but it is time.

No matter what you do or don't celebrate, the holidays are supposed to be filled with joy and anticipation for the new year.

But they can also wreak havoc on your finances if you're not careful.

Americans spent a record $994 billion on holiday retail sales in November and December,

2024.

And according to the National Retail Federation, this breaks down to an

average of approximately $902 per person on holiday-related items like gifts, food, and decorations.

And unfortunately, the debt Americans took out to finance their holiday purchases in 2024 averaged $1,181 per person.

So apparently it is all too easy to get swept up in consumerism and overspend this time of year.

So that's what this podcast is about.

We're going to review strategies to avoid holiday debt,

avoiding that hangover as you ring in the new year. Some tips and upfront planning can really

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