Some Maritimers cut back on holiday spending

First at Five: Tough Talk First at Five looks at how to talked to loved ones about cutting back on holiday spending.

It is the season of spending and it has become a lot for Maritimers living on a budget.

"We have a lot of people to buy for. I've got three kids and they have pretty significant Christmas lists,” says a Halifax man.

People tend to spend money they may not even have out of a feeling of obligation.

"If someone gives us something, we have to give them something and it's almost a tit for tat kind of approach we feel we have to give them whatever they have given us,” says Steven Smith, a psychology professor at Saint Mary’s University.

Smith says many Canadians are already in debt and this pressure to purchase just piles on.

"The average Canadian has over $4,000 in credit card debt and debt in Canada is quite high, I think $180,000 per person, that includes mortgage debt, but still, that's a lot of people are carrying,” says Smith.

To limit financial pressure, Simon Sherry, clinical psychologist and psychology professor at Dalhousie University, says changing the focus of Christmas could help.

"I think Canadians on average are significantly confused. We now believe we get a better Christmas by buying a better Christmas and it's much better to turn away from this heavily commercialized Christmas,” says Sherry.

Halifax resident Lisa Porter says she isn't feeling the pressure as much since she has taken a step back this year. For her, fewer gifts mean less pressure.

"I have decided to not get too caught up in the consumerism in it and focusing on seeing friends and family and not over doing it because I can definitely see that people are very stressed,” says Porter.

Clinical social worker Brian MacAulay says gift giving is important to some people and could even be their love language, but finances can pose challenges.

"For some people, receiving and giving gifts is an important component of a relationship and about demonstration of love and if someone values that it can put strain on the relationship because of the finances aren't there, the person is left with a choice, ‘Do I go into debt to provide gifts or do I find other ways to show affection?’” says Macaulay.

Discussing cutting back for Christmas can be an awkward conversation with family and friends but MacAulay provides some ways to start those tough discussions.

"Put boundaries in place. It could be as simple as giving gifts that are practical this year or it could be we have a spending limit this year or it could be simply my fear is that if we go all out, we could be paying for it in March or April,” says MacAulay.

Smith says it's important to have these conversations before receiving an expensive gift.