A caller with a Christmas budgeting dilemma left “The Ramsey Show” hosts Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze more confused than concerned over his family's holiday spending traditions that have grown out of control.
Overspending In The Name Of Tradition
The caller, Dale, explained that he and his wife, who've been married for 15 years, earn a healthy $210,000 annually, but that she comes from a family with deeply rooted holiday traditions, some of which have become financially excessive.
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“We each get a book from Santa, like a children’s Christmas book,” he said. “And there’s about 12 of us.” That alone costs them around $360, as each book is roughly $30. “We look at them for like 20 seconds and then they just go away,” he admitted.
But that's only the beginning. Dale said they also do elaborate stockings, spending up to $1,200. Add gifts on top of that, and the total climbs to over $6,000. Ramsey was stunned: “I don’t understand why these adults are getting children’s books? Once you’re 40, you don’t really need a children’s book.”
The tradition includes the wife’s father, sister, nieces, and even a great-grandchild. The books come with a handwritten note from “Santa.” Ramsey asked why this mattered so much. Dale replied, “My wife was really big on her grandparents. She has fond memories of Christmas at their house … she just wants to continue those traditions.”
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Ramsey and Cruze agreed the deeper issue wasn't the cost, it was the couple's lack of budgeting discipline. Ramsey pointed out that the total spending was only about 1.5% of their annual income, saying, “This is not that big a deal,” he said, but the lack of planning and communication around it was.
Ramsey suggested they could simplify their gift-giving and still keep the holiday meaningful. “We draw names,” he shared, describing how his own family of 16 has adjusted to avoid overspending and gift fatigue. “Everybody buying every adult something got out of hand and it just was dumb.”
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Holiday Budgeting Advice
No holiday gift should come at the expense of your peace of mind. If your relationship hinges on what you buy someone for Christmas, that says more about the relationship than the gift. That’s why Ramsey once suggested setting a realistic plan when you're calm and sticking with it.
His bottom line: make a plan and don't overspend. That's what budgeting is all about.
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