Holidays can bring financial stress, here's how to reduce it
The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time, but they can also be financially stressful NEW YORK -- The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time, but they can also be financially stressful. With gifts, social gatherings and plane tickets home, the costs can start piling up. With inflation easing but still high, 57% of Americans say it has been harder to afford the gifts they want to give, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Compared to the height of the pandemic, "we’re having less stress navigating the things that bring us together during the holidays. What is different from last year is how much financial stress there is,” said Dr. Rebecca Brendel, director of the American Psychiatric Association. Here are recommendations from experts to reduce financial stress during the holidays: SET EXPECTATIONS In many families, the holidays mean going all out with gift giving. But this can quickly become stress ful if...