September 18, 2026
Greetings!
If you are like me, every January, I open my credit card statement from December and wince! Gifts, travel, that one dinner out that got fancier than planned. It always adds up to more than I meant to spend, and by the time the bill lands, the holidays are already over and all that's left is the number. I used to think that was just what December cost. Turns out I was planning at the wrong time of year.
Last year I did this trick my friend told me about and it worked. I'm talking about a holiday sinking fund. It's just a separate savings account, nothing fancy, where I drop a small amount in every week between now and December. Fifteen or twenty dollars, whatever I can spare, moved automatically so I don't have to think about it. By the time the holidays actually arrive, the money is already sitting there waiting, no credit card interest, no January hangover, no dipping into money set aside for something else.
There's something almost calming about watching that balance tick up a little each week instead of scrambling for it all at once in December. It's turned holiday spending from a source of dread into something I'm actually a little excited about.
Be Well,
Anisa
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Why A Holiday Sinking Fund Matters
Photo: Me at the kitchen table dropping a handful of cash into a jar labeled "Holiday Fund," starting early so December doesn't cost me a dime I don't already have.
How To Do It
1. Guess a number, even a rough one.
Think about gifts, travel, food, and any holiday extras, and land on a total that feels realistic for you. It doesn't need to be exact, you can adjust it later.
2. Open a separate savings account.
Keep it apart from your regular checking so the money doesn't blend in and quietly get spent on something else. Most banks let you open one online in a few minutes with no fee.
Alternative is to just stuff it in a jar or can. The negative you're not earning any interest and it can be tempting to take from it.
3. Divide your total by the weeks you have left.
From mid-September to mid-December is roughly fourteen weeks. A $300 goal comes out to about $21 a week, a $500 goal is closer to $36.
4. Automate a weekly transfer.
Set it and forget it. An automatic transfer means you're not relying on willpower or remembering to move money manually every week.
5. Keep a running gift list as you go.
Jot down who you're buying for and roughly what you'll spend on each person. It keeps your fund realistic and stops the list from growing past your budget.
6. Let it sit until you actually need it.
Treat the account as off limits for anything else. The whole point is that it's already there and already earmarked when the spending starts.
It's A Small Weekly Habit With Big Savings
It's A Small Weekly Habit With Big Savings
Setting aside just $20 a week from now through December adds up to around $280, already covered before a single gift gets bought. Compare that to putting the same amount on a credit card and paying it off over a few months with interest, and you could easily save yourself $30 to $50 just by not carrying a balance.
Got a tip of your own? Reply back to me, I love reading your tips and ideas!
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