Do Christmas DEBT-FREE!

Embrace the festive season minus the money stress with these smart tips

- Katherine Davison

It's the season of giving – which is all well and good, but if you come out the other side of Christmas suffering from a raging financial hangover, then it's not a whole lot of fun.

Yet, it's easy to get carried away come December with family to feed and presents to buy – but that's even before factoring in the tree and tinsel.

But financial adviser Helen Baker, the author of Money for Life: How to Build Financial Security from Firm Foundations, says that there are smart strategies you can use to avoid kicking off 2026 feeling financially stressed. And it needn't take the sparkle out of the festive season, either.

DON'T BUDGE ON THE BUDGET

“The easiest way to blow your budget is not to have one,” Baker tells WHO. “Your spending adds up, and it's only later that you realise how much your holiday shopping has actually cost you.”