3 holiday budgeting tips you can use right now, from a financial behavior expert

"When you're saving to reach a personal financial goal, the pressure to spend in the name of holiday cheer can feel particularly stressful. Whether you're working toward a home down payment, building your emergency fund, or paying off a chunk of your student loans, there are simple strategies and mindset shifts that can help you stay the course, said Brittany Greene, a financial behavioral strategist and the head of community at Self Financial, a technology company with a mission to help people build credit."

""There's nothing like building up your financial foundation and then having all of that hard work taken away from you. Take precautions and absolutely stick to your goals in this holiday season," Greene told Business Insider. She offered tips for taking stock of your current finances so that you can set realistic goals around holiday spending. She also shared creative ideas for having a low-spend season and how to manage others' expectations when it comes to gift-giving."

""Holiday time comes with a certain amount of pressure to show up for the people that we care about and if we're not able to, there's a guilt that sometimes surrounds that," Greene said. She suggested curbing feelings of guilt - which, if unaddressed, can lead to unnecessary spending - by having an honest talk with yourself, your immediate family, and any extended family you'll be seeing this season."

Plan ahead and create a realistic holiday budget to protect savings and progress toward financial goals. Take stock of current finances to determine how much can be allocated to gifts and celebrations without derailing priorities. Anticipate emotional pressure and curb guilt-driven spending by preparing internal boundaries and decision rules. Have honest conversations with immediate and extended family about how celebrations should look and the level of gift-giving expected. Initiate these conversations early and adopt low-spend creative ideas to maintain momentum toward goals like a down payment, emergency fund, or student loan payoff.

Read at Business Insider