What the Holidays Teach Me About Money

by Henrik Bacilieri

Thanksgiving just passed.

And while most people were talking about food, family, and football, I found myself thinking a lot about money.

Not in a greedy way. But in a reflective way.

Holidays have a strange relationship with money. They bring out both the best and worst of how we spend.

And this year, for the first time, I’m really watching it all unfold from a new lens.

🎁 The Pressure to Spend

There’s this unspoken message during the holidays: If you love someone, you’ll buy them something.

It’s everywhere.
Ads. Sales. Discounts. “Limited-time offers.”

And I get it—gifts are beautiful when they come from the heart.
But I’ve also seen how people go into debt to show love.

They stretch their wallets, swipe their cards, and worry about bills in January.

I’m learning that love isn’t measured in receipts.

💸 The Trap of “Treating Yourself”

Holidays make it so easy to say:

“It’s the end of the year… I deserve this.”

And sometimes, you do. I’m not anti-joy.
But when “treating myself” becomes a default—it’s no longer a treat. It’s a habit.

A costly one.

So this year, I’m treating myself to peace of mind, not products I’ll forget about next month.

🙏 Gratitude Over Greed

The best part of this season?

It reminds me how rich I am already:

  • I have a roof over my head

  • Food on my plate

  • A mind that’s hungry to learn

  • And people who love me

That’s wealth.

Money should support a life you love—not become the thing you chase endlessly.

This holiday, I’m choosing gratitude as my currency.

And it’s paying off.

Henrik Bacilieri

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