Why Money Feels Heavier During the Holidays

By Tania Michaels

Tania Michaels is a seasoned real estate professional with nearly two decades of experience in the field. She began her career as a top loan originator before becoming a key player in land acquisitions, closing over $215M in transactions.

Most conversations about money start with budgets, numbers, or goals, but that has never felt like the right place to begin. Money touches something much more profound than math. It shapes how we think about safety, stability, and the life we’re trying to protect. When I think about money, I think about homes first. The places we live hold our routines, our laughter, our fears, and our beginnings, and money becomes the tool we use to secure those spaces.

Because of that, money is never just about dollars. It reflects what we trust, what we fear, and what we believe will hold us steady when life feels uncertain.

That’s why Christmas brings money into more precise focus than almost any other season. It’s a time marked by generosity, but also one of the most expensive and emotionally charged moments of the year. Spending increases, pressure rises, and beneath it all, money quietly reveals what we truly value. Money itself is neutral, yet its influence is powerful.

Money shapes communities. Money does far more than purchase goods or services. It shapes people and entire communities. I often think about two business owners who both earn a great deal of money. One allows wealth to flow outward. He pays employees generously, prices fairly, and refuses to squeeze every dollar simply because he can. His money creates life beyond himself. Employees grow, customers benefit, and the surrounding community becomes stronger.

The second owner earns just as much, but the money stops with him. It is guarded and hoarded, never moving beyond his own needs. His wealth becomes a dead end, producing no shared benefit and no life outside of himself. Money either circulates life or it drains it.

Money makes life more transactional. Money also reshapes the pace and posture of daily life. It takes time to earn money, time to spend it, and time to manage it, and over time, busyness becomes the norm. Silence disappears. Reflection fades. Time with God shrinks. Life becomes transactional, where decisions turn into calculations and relationships start to feel like exchanges rather than connections. Without realizing it, we begin to care more about how things look than who we are becoming, and depth slowly erodes.

Money becomes a counterfeit god. Money holds this kind of power because it offers more than convenience; it seeks to replace God. It promises security and protection, which is why people hoard it. Yet money cannot shield us from loss, illness, betrayal, or death. History makes this clear. When a crisis strikes, money often fails at the very moment it is trusted most. It looks strong, but it cannot carry the weight we place on it.

Money can be used to define who we are. Money also steps in to define identity. In a world shaped by insecurity and shame, money offers to tell us who we are and what we are worth. It feeds the belief that success proves superiority and that wealth confirms value. If you want to know what truly matters to someone, follow where their money goes. That trail reveals the beliefs guiding their life.

Breaking free from money’s grip. Freedom begins when we reverse the way money usually works. The more we scatter, the more we gather. The more we hoard, the less we have. A seed placed in the ground is not lost. It multiplies. Generosity works the same way.

Jesus stands as the ultimate example of this truth. He gave himself fully and scattered himself to gather others. Every false god demands sacrifice, but Jesus made the sacrifice himself. When that truth moves from the head to the heart, money loses its grip. It no longer defines identity or provides security.

As we step into this Christmas season, my hope is that we remember what kind of life we are invited into, not one driven by consumption or fear, but one grounded in real security and lasting love. May we celebrate not as people chasing safety through money, but as children of God who already have it.

Merry Christmas to you and your family. If you have any real estate-related questions, feel free to call or text at 702-546-6432 or email me at tania@michaelsteam.com. I’m always happy to help and guide you in your journey.