My name is Tatasha Bamblet.

I'm a proud First Nations woman and I'm here to acknowledge country t Glenn Young, Ganya, Niana, Kaka yah Ya bin Ahaka, nian Ar gay In Mbini, yakarum jar, Dominyama, Domaghawakaman, damon Imlan Bumba, bang Gadabomba in and now in wakah ghana on yak rum jar Watnadaa.

Hello, beautiful friends, we gather on the lands of the Aboriginal people.

We thank acknowledge and respect the Abiginal people's land that we're gathering on today.

Take pleasure in all the land and respect all that you see.

She's on the Money podcast acknowledges culture, country, community and connections, bringing you the tools, knowledge and resources for you to thrive.

She's on the Money.

She's on the Money.

Hello and welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast that's here to keep your budget merry and bright.

Even when Christmas has other ideas, it.

Always creeps up on us.

Yeah, you know, I feel like, I mean, everyone always says is, but it literally was felt like it feels like.

It wasn't that long ago.

Also, it's crazy same day every year, same day every year, calendars or something.

Oh my, I'm so excited.

Christmas is such an exciting time.

So you know the moment when you check your bank account after Christmas and then think.

Like, okay, where did my money go?

Well, I was a bit too festting.

Yeah, okay, I should have rained in a little bit.

I'm excited with me as a woman who's going to help us figure out why this happens and more importantly, how to stop doing it.

Victoria Divine, Hello, So this is going to be like a little bit of a do as I say, not as I do episode because I love getting a little bit festival.

I love getting a little bit merry, and I think that it's important to top the episode with that because I don't want you thinking that I do frugal Christmas every year.

Because I try, I manifests, and then I just flow out.

I genuinely can't believe that we are recording Christmas episodes.

I am so excited to talk about it though, because I feel like it's really well timed for us to get a little bit more prepared in the lead up to Christmas.

So if you're like, what the hellvy, it's not even December yet, I know, but the shops have had Christmas stuff since August, so I feel like that was the gateway to letting me exactly have a Christmas episode.

Sorry, take it up with corporate, with somebody else.

So this episode isn't about being a grinch or like sucking all the fun out of Christmas, because like, I love Christmas.

I love traditions.

Now that I'm a mum, I think I love it even more.

Like bet, I'm going to have a nearly two year old for Christmas this year.

That's fun.

Last year it was fun, like I dressed him in his little festive outfit, like ripped his paper off, but didn't get it.

I think he now is going to like get the concept of gifting.

I'm just so excited.

But this episode is going to be about, I guess, spotting this sneaky little traps that nudge us into spending a little bit more than we'd actually anticipated or even wanted to, And then once you know them, you can kind of pause and ask, do I want to spend my money here or is it just like this Christmas spending psychology at work?

So this episode is all about spending with intentions.

So that you still get all the joy at Christmas without the financial hangover come January.

Yeah, okay, You've always got our back, don't you.

I just wanted to talk about Christmas.

Thank you for thinking that that was me having your back.

But this is also our FYI to Victoria episodes.

I just I don't want to miss out.

You know you should listen to this when it comes out and be like, Okay, that's actually great advice.

Do you know I can't listen to our episodes?

Oh my god?

Say I hate hearing hearing myself and like I still do for quality checks.

Yeah, I give myself the biggest it.

Oh my god, say I can't do it same.

I'm like, why did I say that?

Even though it's something I can't, I can't.

If I listened back to every single episode, I would be calling our producer Emma and be like rip it down, yeah.

Actually, let that go live.

Actually I would rather bury myself down.

Really, let's call it all off.

Why did you give me a microphone?

Let's stop doing this right now.

Okay, so where should we start?

All right, let's start with Victoria's feeling if missing out?

So feed fomo, so scrolling yourself broke before you even shop.

I've already started saving TikTok's.

Oh no, yep, I've already started saving things on Instagram, Like you jump on TikTok for inspiration or I do.

One of my girlfriends recently was like, oh, I don't have TikTok.

I just know I wouldn't be good at it.

I'm like, you're a better person than I will ever be.

Those people are like, I just don't download it.

Yeah, that's in pressive.

But I jump on TikTok, and I know a lot of you guys also jump on TikTok through the inspiration, and suddenly your thirty dollar budget feels underwhelming next to somebody's seven hundred dollars Christmas hall and you just feel like, oh my god, maybe I shouldn't be getting back a thirty dollar gift.

Maybe I need to bump that up to one hundred dollars because I can't get her enough, Like we start to think that we aren't enough.

And going back on this, it does go back to psychology.

So you know how I said, do as I say, not as I do.

For those of you who might be new to the podcast, before I got into financial advice.

I was in psychology.

I actually have two psych degrees, and I use that a lot to help swindle your bank accounts into a better situation.

But this is a thing called social comparison theory.

So seeing curated gift guides, which there are a lot of this season, I've already started to see like under fifty dollars gift guide, under hundred dollar gift guides fantastic.

But these spark what's called benign envy.

Okay, and benign envy is something that you've probably never spoken about before, but it happens all the time, and it's wanting what other people have.

Studies show that this kind of envy boosts purchase intentions, especially when that person feels relatable to you.

So if you're watching your favorite content creators, we're not just like mindlessly scrolling TikTok and Rando comes up.

But if your favorite content creators are posting things, you're more likely to be.

Like, oh, I want that totally, I love that.

I love that she has that.

I want that.

And just a little interesting fact in influencer research, relatability and credibility both strongly predict by your behavior, which is why I quote normal girl halls influence you so hard, got you so like, don't get me wrong, We're not looking at their influencer hall and going, oh my god, I need to one thousand dollars on the brand new dice and air wrap.

Like maybe we do, because that's how I feel right now.

But it's often the smaller things that you're like, all of these things add up and that feels like a relatable purchase.

But because they feel like normal girls that you're following, they influence you so hard, and you know what, that's why so many businesses spend so much of their marketing budget on influencers.

Yeah, and it's kind of that feeling of like, oh, this person doesn't seem super rich, but they have this super expensive thing.

I why is it not in my budget?

Serve that?

Yeah, I'm going to try and make that in my budget.

It seems like a normal thing to own.

I just I get it.

We work hard back.

Yeah, I think every single person in our community deserves the absolute world.

But if you do not have the budget for it, you just don't, like I cannot, don't give me the ah, but I deserve it.

Oh but I worked really hard this year.

I don't care if you don't have the budget.

It's a no, like it's hard and it hurts and it's not that fun.

But I'm sorry.

Just because you feel like you deserve something doesn't mean that we compromise our budget and future ask for.

That budget does not discriminate.

No, and so what I want you to be doing instead?

My favorite button on TikTok and on Instagram.

I don't know if I should tell you guys this because like some people might get offended, especially like other content creators, my favorite button is mute.

I like muting people, so I'm not on following you.

I really like you, still want the connection with you, but I don't want to see stuff just in case.

Yeah, it's just not my journey, So mute the whole accounts or the people that are big influencers during this period of time.

It's just for now, just for now, and you can maybe find some like budget friendly creators.

Do you know who's a really good budget friendly creator?

Miss Jess Ricci or true she is she actually does some really good stuff and write your gift list before you open your apps, or even better, do you know what I think that your social detox like your social media detox.

Should happen in December.

You're up for December.

Weirdly, you'd probably save a lot of money, you know, you would in an indirect way.

But I get fomo and you get fomo.

We just need to find a deal or a way that we can.

Deal with it.

Okay, Okay, So what's number two?

Okay?

So I've written down the vibe tax.

Okay.

I don't know if these are lame headings.

They probably are, but hopefully you're here because you resonate with my lanman ness spending more because the store feels magical.

Oh my god, this is so relatable.

How many times do you go in and it's just a little something something or a little drink.

They get little they have little trinkets.

Oh my god, I do this, and like I feel like you walk in for like an ornament or something, because like we're Christmas shopping and you're like, I really want to get beck an ornament, and suddenly you're wheeling out with half of kma.

Oh but it's so magical, it's so fun, like they've got all VM.

To perfection, like the fairy lights.

Oh my god, they're playing Mariah Carey.

Oh you got to like, sorry, I'm feeling very festive.

And the decorations they're all styled to look like they're straight up out of Pinterest, and everything just feels like it just needs a little spot in your trolley.

Well, you got to have the fairy lights when you see them up, and you've got to have the tree.

You're not right.

But do you know what this is?

Psychologically speaking?

It's called the halo effect.

Okay, and it's working.

It's it's working, and that's when the environment.

If the environment feels good, we assume the products inside of it are better as well.

Christmas lights, playlists, the smell, Oh my god, how many times have you walked into Peter Alexander and been like, it's intoxicating in here.

It smells like a sweet tree.

Oh I love a sweet tree.

I do.

And then they're like.

Decorated for Christmas, and it kind of flips your brain into holiday mode and then all of a sudden you're feeling.

Like slightly warm, slightly fuzzy, slightly spendy, and then you're like, I can have this vibe at home.

It fills into your shopping choices and we're trying to take the vibes home exactly exactly, Okay, And we don't like hearing this because that's a little bit confronting.

But again, this is why marketing spends so much money on visual merchandising the.

Store so that you spend more.

It's not so Oh, we love our customers so much, we would love them to hear Mariah Carey when we walk Yeah, God, they're trying to get your money.

That makes it sound strategic.

They're manipula.

Doesn't feel as magical like that.

No, you walk in, you'd be like, I feel the manipulation in here exactly.

And when it comes to research, because like I like backing everything up with research, there have been so many studies that show that the Christmas vibe really does change how we spend in so many sneaky ways.

And I've written down a little list from a lot of different places.

So shoppers stay longer in stores that play festive music, and one American department store actually found the average spend jumped thirty percent on the days when they had like live carolers.

In the store.

Oh my god.

Of course, so you're thinking, oh my.

God, maya there's like cute little lives out of the front, Live Love.

Last, Yeah, Yeah, yeah, No, I'm spending yep, yep, that's why they've got them there.

And when firstive music is playing, shoppers more likely to add a little extra just in case items to their baskets, things that they didn't plan on buying.

And then products are actually perceived like they literally tested this.

Products are perceived as higher quality and more gift worthy when they're displayed under Christmas lights and decorations.

That makes sense.

I feel like there are things that I buy and I'm like, I take them home.

I'm like, what the hell am I going to do with this thing?

Yeah?

Right?

Yes, you go onto a website all of a sudden, they've got a Christmas background, there might be some Christmas music.

I just you're getting me because you guys have put a lot of time, energy, and effort into researching what is going to increase your conversion rates?

Do you know what?

I live in this rock and hard place, right, so I don't want my community to have the mickey taken out of them.

I don't want you spending more than you need to.

On the flip side, I am wildly passionate about small business.

Yeah, and I would tell every small business owner.

Yeah, festify your website, like, increase your conversion rate, increase your average customer spend, you know, send them festive emails.

That's such a good idea.

But then on the flip side, I'm like, beck, don't don't fall for this stuff that I'm helping with.

Yeah, yeah, totally.

It's like my love for small business, but then also my love for being like, hey, be a smart consumer, like, just make sure that you're not making impulse decisions.

Yeah, I just work for the devil, I suppose.

So you know what we're going to do instead?

Yes, what diy vibes?

Okay, so make your own magic at home.

Yeah, but it's really nice with a playlist.

And then Christmas treats so that you're not chasing it in shops and stores, you're not trying to go down to the local shopping.

Area and like get your vibes there.

We have that at home.

Yes, and then while your vibes are high, maybe you made a little hot choky at home, we're playing the Mariah Carey Christmas list.

Do you know what we will do?

Actually, yeah, we will put together all of the She's on the Money favorite Christmas songs into a Christmas playlist on our Spotify because I think a lot of people don't know that we actually not only have our podcast on Spotify, but we have a Spotify account with different playlists.

In these playlists is like infesting budgeting saving.

I'm a make a Christmas one, yes, and it will be our favorite songs, some.

Boo Blay, a lot of boo.

Blaze, Like if you don't like Mariah Carey and Boublay steer very clear.

Absolutely we're going to go ham.

But what I want you to do is do that at home.

Write a list, check it twice, check it twice, and keep the vibes at your house so that they don't hijack your budget.

That's so true.

And then actually bake gingerbread cookies so your.

Is so cute and like, I know it sounds so lame, but like goal, I want your baked home goods rather than a present.

Yeah, yeah, I'm exactly the same.

Okay, what's the next on the list?

The payback present?

Oh that sounds so mean.

It does, but like, how many times have you been given a gift and then you felt like you had to like a gift of similar value?

That's so true.

Like, oh, SPEC's birthday, she spent fifty bucks on my present.

I have to get her a present.

Same stuff happens at Christmas, yeap, Like maybe you budgeted thirty bucks for your cousin's Christmas present because you got them in Chris Kringled this year, and then she hands you a luck seventy dollar candle and then the next thing you know, you're scrambling for a seventy dollar outcha because you just want to even the score and make sure that she doesn't think that you think she's worthless.

Yep.

Yeah, is that stupid or is that stupid?

No, it's really hard when people it's nice, but it's like, okay, that's adding to the amount that I've got to spend now.

Yeah, and again back to psychology, it's called the reciprocacy norm.

Yeah.

So it's like this dumb, really dumb social rule that we assume must be return equal value.

Yes, at Christmas, I would say, the urge to keep relationships quote balanced, pushes people to overspend consistently.

I get it.

An interesting fact for you, Beck, Psychologists once tested just how deep the urge to give back goes.

So this was in the nineteen seventies, and I would say it's worse now because social media didn't exist in the nineteen seventies.

But a researcher mailed out hundreds of Christmas cards to complete strangers, like complete strangers, and then his letterbox started filling up with cards in return.

That is so cute.

I think it's cute.

But they were like, oh my god, did I forget that I know this person?

Like we should send one back.

Families literally wrote back, kids drew pictures, people wished him marry Christmas as if they had known him for years.

That is automatic.

Their reciprocacy reflex is if someone gives us something, our brain instantly feels like, oh my god, I owe them something back, even if it makes zero logical sense.

I e.

Some random researcher sent me a Christmas card, debate me to see if I would fall for it, and.

Then they fail for it.

Oh that is something.

This thing's so sweet about that.

It's also kind of cute, Like, I don't know, do good be good?

Send a Christmas card?

They're cute, yeah, with a little candy cane inside.

Oh my god, I know like you.

Used to in grade three when you would do your Christmas cards, and you would take the candy cane.

To the envelope, actually write something in the envelope, though I mean inside the card, because some people do a well written card.

A well written card, andy candy cane is all you need to do this Christmas.

Absolutely.

The other thing that we're going to do instead of this reciprocacy reflex is set a family wide budget.

Or I've talked about this before in our previous Christmas episodes.

We do Chris Kringle in our family, and I think you should too, because when the rules are really clear, the pressure to match disappears.

Yes, exactly, Like it also changes our entire budget.

Like our family is growing, like not just my family, but you know, more nieces and nephews than.

We've had before all of that stuff.

Yeah, we cannot be expected to always bring a present for every uncle and aunt and cousin that's coming to Christmas.

And I don't know about you, but I love having lots of people around at Christmas.

So like, the more the merrier Chris Kringle means that that more than marrier doesn't become more the merrier out of home budget to make sure that everyone coming to my house, has a present totally.

Because regardless, you've only got to buy one present, that's it.

Yeah, And like I have spoken about this before, you can also have like random Christmas rules like we have second hand, handmade or homemade as a rule in one side of our family.

So much fun, totally, No, I really really like this idea.

It's so fun.

Anyway, bech Let's take a really quick break, but friends, stay with us because we're still talking about Christmas and next we're going to be diving into more of the psychology of exactly why we overspend on gifts and just spoiler before we get to the ad break, it has way less to do with them and way more.

To do with you.

Okay, bye, welcome back everyone.

Before the break, VD drops something very very I would say a.

Personal attack, but it was needed.

Yeah, like, it's not it's me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's me saying it's not me, it's you.

Yeah, exactly exactly.

So we were talking about the pressure to match the money people spend on us, and I guess, like, it's really silly.

But what else is there on the list of why we overspend on gifts?

I've written this down as the stress to impress aha, blowing your budget just because you don't want to look like a stingy gowl, which.

Is hard when you are genuinely broke and you.

Just get it.

Like I feel like we're all trying to keep up with the Kardashians, with the Joneses, whatever.

I feel like there's this underlying pressure, and you know what, it's actually crazy because I was thinking about this episode and pulling it all together.

And I used to feel that a lot more when I had no money than now when I am.

I would say very financially comfortable.

So now I'm financially comfortable.

I feel like I don't think that you would think I was stingy if I brought you a ten dollar gift.

Totally.

I think that you would just hopefully assume that you know, I really thought about it, because yeah, it's this dumb psychology right like, deep down I know that you know that I'm not broke.

Yeah, so if I got you a ten dollar gift, I am hoping that the assumption would be that you just assume that was because I am thoughtful and kind and it's the thought that counts.

Yes, January is when I had no money.

If I bought you a ten dollar gift.

In the back of my mind, all I'm thinking of is does beck Noll was worth ten dollars?

Does she think I'm being stingy?

Does she think I didn't spend enough?

Like you get all of these additional layers of doubt, which keeps you in debt, which keeps you in a position where you're not putting your financial future first.

And it's an interesting reflection because I don't feel that about gifts now.

I'm genuinely and this is a privilege, and please don't get me wrong, I'm speaking from immense privilege of having financial freedom.

But don't get me wrong, I also know I created that myself.

Yeah, but it's an interesting conundrum, right, like where you don't have enough and you feel like you don't have enough, and then you feel like you're being stingy because you're restricting your budget because you should be doing that.

Yeah, And to dive a little bit deeper into not me, but more into this concept like you actually have no clue what your partner's mama's into, maybe lack and this is just an example.

Maybe like you've METO twice and you're it's kind of a new you know, you're meeting Jess's parents for the first time.

You're like stress seeing and all you know is that she's like a bit fancy, she likes nice things.

The pressure so you play it safe and you grab what is maybe the fan fansiest bottle of perfume or the fanciest bottle of champagne that you can afford, because you just go, oh, she likes nice things, because at least no one can say it looks cheap yeap.

You don't want to look cheap, do you know exactly?

And this is stupid, I know, but you know what it's called.

It's called self presentation anxiety.

Okay, So, because gifts feel like they're a reflection of you, right, and you know what, the more you care about gifting, the worse this is for you, Like, the more you deeply care about other people, the more you're going to suffer from this.

When you're not sure what to buy, you actually just default the pricey option so that you don't feel like you look thoughtless.

Yeah, it's basically you overspending to safe face.

Oh my god, that's so like yeah, attackable, that's literally me.

And then you end up being like, well, I can't hold food for us a week.

But that's because at least this random person that I'm not a gift for doesn't think that I'm cheap.

Yeah, it's crazy.

They didn't even think about it to begin with.

They were just like, oh, that's so nice.

Come empty handed.

You could have brought a piece of paper with a drawing of a cat on it.

She probably would have been impressed, like, my god, it's great day.

You were annoying, right, And then going back to research, studies find the givers assume people want to be wold, but recipients consistently report feeling closer to someone who nails like the small practical things they actually wanted.

Yes, like, maybe you did go to Jess's mum's house one time and you noticed she didn't have a bottle opener.

Yes, exactly, and you.

Remembered and wrote it down in your notes app and then that's what you got her for Christmas and it cost you like eight bucks at Dan Murphy's.

Yeah, but she's like, oh my god, you remembered that.

That's so funny.

I've been thinking about getting a bottle opener, but I always forget totally.

That's the world factor.

One of my favorite gifts to see you for my birthday was a microwave, really cheap one from Kmart.

There was just like.

Smimmick all love a practical and it's just like somebody I had.

I kept banging on about.

I was like, I need to get a microwave, but I didn't realize anyone was like paying attention.

I was just like constantly complaining And then I got.

A microwave for my birthday and I was like, this is the best.

It makes you feel.

So scene.

So yeah, I.

Actually agree, not that that's like any small feet, like it's quite expensive, but it's like no, but.

It's not the point you felt heard and you felt seen.

Totally felt seen, and so I think that absolutely makes sense.

Like if you realize that someone needs something, even if it's like a spatula.

Like whatever, it is that my creepy notes section.

That's so cute, so important.

There was one study where recipients actually rated the gift of a pair of socks that they'd asked for as more thoughtful than surprise jewelry.

Yeah, totally scene.

So much to this, that's crazy, Like you relate the pay attention to what people say pay attention, keep a creepy note, sat, Yes, I completely agree.

So what are we going to do instead?

Huh, We're going to swap expensive practical with a personal twist.

So choose something that they'll actually use and add a note.

So this is where your card comes in handy that shows you thought about them.

Oh my gosh, I I just noticed that, Xyz.

Because even if it's not a incredible gift that they're like, oh my god, like Beck thought I didn't have this, but I actually did.

It's the thought.

Yeah, a gift card for their favorite cafe plus a little handwritten note is going to beat any random luxury buy.

I promise, absolutely completely agree.

What else we have on the list?

All right, so the whole fact at tas Okay, I told you these we're going to be lame, I told you, but hopefully you remember them.

So that's when the gift costs more than it's worth to the recipient.

Yeah, okay, so what does that actually mean?

So maybe you've splashed out one hundred and twenty bucks on like a gadget or like a novelty, thinking this is going to land as like a whole gift on the day, but instead they didn't even open the box and it's like the end of January and money has gone down the drain.

Yeah, yeah, that is shit, I know.

So why does this happen?

This one happens literally when there's a misalignment between what you think they'll value and what they actually do value, and givers often chase surprise or like spectacle, and the misfire then happens because you're shopping from your perspective, not their perspective.

You didn't actually put yourself in their shoes.

And that's why we say pay attention and keep a creepy notes list.

Yees.

So there was actually an economist.

So his name's Joel Wold fugle Oh yep, I wanted to call him Joel Wold frugal, but oh, how.

You say it?

They is so clearly good that it wasn't anyway.

He studied holiday gifting and found recipients typically value gifts at ten to thirty percent less than.

What the giver actually paid.

Ah, so goal, you better be getting your Christmas presents on sale because your friends are assuming they were discounted.

And this gap is just pure waste and honestly proof that the whole factor spending often completely misses the mark because the giver and the recipient aren't aligned on what is actually meaningful, on what these things actually mean?

So what are we going to do instead?

But you're going to close the gap?

So stick to wish lists?

Yeah, stick to practical upgrades, maybe consumables or shared experiences, which are one of my favorite things to gift people.

These, I would say, align better with what people actually want so that your money isn't ending up in the regift pile.

Yeah, yeah, honestly, Like, I'm so sorry, but also I believe in regifting.

Yeah, I totally agree.

If you've got it, you know someone else will value it, Why the hell not?

Okay, what's next on the list?

All right?

So the done but not done twitch?

Okay, Okay, you've had it before.

I know you've had it before.

Your becksied.

You just care too much?

Oh so like you when you go shopping for jess A's presence, Yes, and then they're all in front of you and you're like, I'm not done though, Oh my god, totally I need to get something else, yes, like tell yourself you're finished.

And then you're like, oh, just twitching for one more thing, Like I just want to add another thing to the other to the Christmas tree, or I just want to make sure that you know just has another thing under the tree, or like you know the twitch.

Oh yeah, you just have an overwhelming kill feeling that it's not enough even the bloody is.

Yes, you've wrapped like your last present, you ticked the list, you even bragged to all your friends.

I'm done make Christmas shopping early.

Sit down, But then you see a perfect little extra or oh you worry that the pile once it's all wrap doesn't look as good under the tree You're like, that looks a little bit thin.

And suddenly you're topping up right until Christmas Eve, which is so dumb because.

That wasn't part of the plan.

And if top of one person, you got top of everyone.

Joy and psychologists you literally call it the shopping momentum effect.

Like you made one purchase, you're more likely to make another, even if it's completely unrelated.

Yep, So that first yes, and this is again something that I teach my small business friends.

We're just trying to get that first yes.

You're trying to get over the first hurdle, right, but that first yes flips your brain into buying mode and then each check out gives you a little bit of a dopamine hit, especially if you're like Beck and I.

Spendy.

We love a little bit of a dobamin here.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it reinforces that loop.

Right.

Weeks of gift hunting have trained your little brain into a habit see buy, reward repeat.

Even when the list is finished, the urge to keep buying lingers.

It's a bit like a fantomic.

Yes, I get it, but we want to keep spending.

It was fun, it's fun.

It's so fun.

It's so fun.

And then let's add in like decision fatigue.

And then all of the social pressure that you're finding exists during Christmas time, which is why you should delete socials over Christmas.

What if the pile looks too small by that?

What if someone gives me more than I gave them?

Yeah, And then the constant cues from all your ads on social media and the like twitch to overspend almost becomes automatic.

Yeah, you just go, oh, I have to in your head, you have to, and it's so yeah, it just stays in there.

It just grows and grows.

And researchers once run an experiment where people bought a tiny item like a key chain, and found that they were far more likely to buy another unrelated product straight after.

That makes sense.

That makes sense, yep, And there's like brain imaging studies that back this up.

Making a purchase triggers a real quick burst of dopamine.

So we're not just saying, oh, it feels good because we've made it up in our heads.

No, no, no, we literally release dopamine yep, Like it's the feel good hormone in our body, but it gives us this quick burst of dopamine in your brain's reward center and the hive.

Sorry, it doesn't last very long, which is why you like a little bit twitchy for another buy, even.

When your list is completely done.

Back, Oh my god, how do we avoid this?

I don't know.

We've got to be less impulsive, but like, it just feels so good, feel good.

What are we going to do instead?

Tell me when the list is done, move leftover budget to savings, or invest it because like when it's invested, as you know, it feels even worse to pull it out of that.

Yeah, and that's going to add some friction to other purchase because you've removed your card or you've deleted the apps, or like sorry, we're actually all done, Like there's another hurdle in the way for me to actually add another present to this pile because I actually don't have any cash.

I'm gonna have to transfer it back.

Like create hurdles to yourself.

And then also wrap everything early and put it under the tree to signal to your brain that the job is done, you're complete, Like we do not have to do anything else, because I think so many times for me, it's out of sight, out of mind, just like in you know, the shopping bags in my study, and I know I need to get to wrapping it, but I haven't, and then I forget what's in the shopping bags in the study, Like I forgot, and then it doesn't feel like a big enough pile even there that I think I have to continue.

Yes, And we're also going to switch the ritual, so every time you feel the little twitch, we're going to do a little festive tasks.

Good idea, you're a bake, We're gonna put it on a Christmas song.

We maybe are going to watch a Christmas movie or like write Christmas cards, because how many of us leave all of those to Christmas Eve?

As well.

Yes, a Christmas card?

Okay, what's last on your list?

Okay, so it's the last minute markup, so rude, spending more because you left it too late to properly order it online for the most discounted price dogs.

Yeah, Like I mean we also need to make sure that if we are doing this, like for example, if we're going into JB High Fight to pick up something last minute, girl, they price match, Yes, so you make sure you're doing your research because the last minute markup is so rude because you miss the shipping cutoffs, all the early sales, and suddenly you're paying premium prices just to get something in time so that you don't look like a terrible person or a terrible friend, even though that's not the case at all.

That might mean copying like Express post fees, so you might still be getting it online, be like I need to pay for Express Post, yeah, or settling for like the last overpriced option on the shelf, or panic buying a more expensive gift because the cheaper ones are all sold out.

I meant to get them this like small gift pack with two items in it, but the only one left over is like the four pa I'll just get the four pack, like, oh's exactly that's it, And you know what happens, yes, tell me.

So.

As the deadline looms, decision making gets mess cy, we get more stressed, and we're stressy.

With less time and fewer good options left, your brain literally prioritizes getting it done over getting it right.

Just buy it, just do it because I'm stressed.

And psychologists call this time pressure decision making.

When we're rushed, we lean on their easiest solution, and it's often overpriced.

How many times and I know you've done this, if you've been like, I am so stressed.

I just need to get to this appointment.

I need to get to this location.

I'm going to park somewhere.

I might get a fine.

Oh yeah, every day because you're like, I.

Know it's going to be expensive, but I just I don't have a lot of You feel like your decision making is taken away from you totally, totally.

That's we don't want that.

No layer in gift giving guilt.

Yeah, so you're feeling bad already, like, oh my god, I can't arrive empty handed.

Go You're just gonna grab whatever's left on the shelf and pay for express shipping just so that it solves your stress in that moment.

It creates future you problems exactly.

Oh and you know what, this isn't just me going oh, I feel this and I want to share it.

Research on consumer behavior shows that when people shop under tight deadlines, they become far more likely to just choose the easy option rather than the one that is of best value.

And that's why.

Florist's and delivery apps make an absolute mint on Christmas Eve.

It's not the price, it's the panic.

You're like, I just gotta get it done.

I'm just going to pick up some flowers on Christmas Eve.

Oh my god, how kind is this Flora's to be open on Christmas Eve?

I know, I know.

Oh, that's so nice of them to be open.

Yeah, it's one of their biggest trading days of the years because we're all useless.

Beck, Oh my god, they are smart.

So what are you going to do?

Instead?

You're going to plan a cut off for yourself that's earlier than the real one.

Yeah, I have to gaslight myself this year.

It turns out Christmas weird.

I need to have everything done by the fifteenth of December.

Yes, we're early we're ten days early.

It has to be done by then, because in my head, I like literally have it in my calendar Christmas shopping done here, Like I've put account down, like we are making sure that everything is done by then.

Or if you know you're a last minute girly, because some of us are, I would predecide a go to gift category, So like what's your default?

Is it going to be a voucher?

Is it going to be an experience?

Is it going to be some type of consumable so that you're not paying the desperation tax?

So you know, Okay, well I've left it too late.

This is my default option that still fits within my budget, and.

I'm going to get back that instead because I can't get the thing I actually wanted to get her.

Yeah, and we're not paying a premium on that.

This has been extremely helpful and every single thing is a personal attack, very relatable, and I would try to go as well.

I get it absolutely, and you know why I knew all those things.

I suffer from all these things.

Well, okay, so that was the last one on the lists, and I've got to admit I feel a little bit better about facing the Christmas chaos.

Start your creepy list in your notes app right now.

Start it right now, Write down all.

Of the names you need to buy force and then start brainstorming ideas under it.

Doesn't mean you need to buy every single item under that, but you could be like, oh, my goodness, like earrings for Jess or oh, I really want to get her this, like all that, and then you might pick a couple of those options.

Yes, and then don't delete the note.

Keep it for her birthday, keep it for like future things exactly exactly.

Just because it's on the list.

And you think is a really good gift doesn't mean it isn't a really good gift for later totally future.

You a winner.

Oh yeah, so I think let's leave it here, let's put a pin in it, Let's go back our list and check it twice.

Yeah.

And I guess that's why I love doing episodes like this, because once you know what these little spending.

Traps are, you're like, oh, there's so many pillatives.

You get to take some of your power back and you can still lean into I guess, the fun and the generosity of the FIRSTIFC and make sure that you're spending on your own terms.

Guys, if this episode gave you a little bit of a Christmas confidence boost, I would love it if you sent it to a friend who's also really trying hard not to blow the budget this Christmas, because it might put them in a better position.

And don't forget to follow or subscribe so that you don't miss what's coming up next.

We've got plenty more.

Episodes on Christmas, but also to help you kick off the new year feeling come confident and in control of your money.

And we'll see you guys on Friday.

Bye.

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