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☕ DrinkCoffeeAndProfit
Smart money moves before breakfast
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Inspiration Quote for the Day
“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.”
Calvin Coolidge
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The Morning Ritual
Eleven Weeks Until the Holidays. The January Bill Gets Decided Now.
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Walk into any pharmacy this week and the wrapping paper is already up, two aisles past the flu shots. The first gift catalog probably landed in your mailbox too. Most of us toss it on the counter and think, plenty of time.
Here is what caught my eye. Last season, more than a third of Americans finished the holidays in debt. Many were still paying off the year before. The bill that arrives in January is usually decided in October, back when it still feels far away.
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Part of that bigger holiday bill is prices, not presents. Our partner below takes a harder look at what is happening to the dollar itself.
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· · · Partner Message · · ·
In 1985, the world’s most powerful players struck a deal and drove the dollar down on purpose, and everyday savers paid the price. Insiders say a new version, the “Mar-a-Lago Accord,” is forming now. Same playbook, your dollars on the chopping block. See the 3 strategies smart Americans use to protect their wealth before the door slams shut. This is an advertisement.
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In One Sip
► In the 2025 holiday season, `37%` of Americans took on holiday debt, averaging `$1,223`. That is up from `$1,181` a year earlier. Source: LendingTree.
► Of those borrowers, `41%` were still paying off the previous year’s holidays. Source: LendingTree.
► Most holiday debt lands on credit cards. The average card rate sits near `19.6%`. Source: Bankrate.
► Deloitte expects holiday sales to grow `4%` to `4.8%` this season, to about `$1.7` trillion. Part of that growth is prices, not more presents. Source: Deloitte.
► The buried part: from today, there are exactly `11` weeks until December 21. That is the whole runway.
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Why It Matters for Your Money
Take the average balance, `$1,223`, and put it on a card at `19.6%`.
Pay `$50` a month and it takes about `32` months to clear. You pay roughly `$350` in interest. The next two holiday seasons arrive before it is gone.
Pay `$100` a month and it takes about `14` months. Interest still runs around `$150`.
Now flip it. Set aside `$111` a week starting today. By December 21, the `$1,223` is sitting in cash. Interest owed: `$0`.
Same gifts. Same table. The only difference is which side of the calendar the money moves on.
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Holiday math gets harder when a paycheck trails prices. Our partner below argues that gap is about to widen.
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· · · Partner Message · · ·
And every day, the chasm gets wider.
My name is Porter Stansberry and as I warned in this interview, the evidence is simply impossible to ignore. According to a survey conducted by business consulting firm Oliver Wyman Forum, 64% of CEOs reportedly expect to move away from all junior employees in the next couple of years.
This is an economic rupture. The end of an era that I believe will show little mercy to those who lag behind.
On one side: the people who own the chips, energy, data centers, platforms and companies powering this revolution.
On the other: everyone else. Those still dependent on a paycheck, the old economy or the investments the AI economy will leave behind.
So which side will you and your family land on?
In the broadcast, Luke and I reveal why Washington is accelerating this shift… which companies are being protected and which are being left for dead… and the three money moves we believe you should make now.
Good investing,
Porter Stansberry
This is an advertisement.
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The Wealth Angle
Here is where it gets interesting. That `41%` number is the real story.
A balance that outlives the season becomes next year’s starting line. You walk into November already owing. Then you add a new layer on top.
Think about that for a second. Holiday debt rarely compounds in one year. It compounds across years.
I think October is the cheapest month of the whole holiday season. Not for gifts. For decisions. Every dollar you set aside now is a dollar that never meets a `19.6%` rate.
And prices are not standing still. A list that cost `$1,000` last year can cost more this year for the very same items. Plan for the price, not the memory.
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☕ Key Insight:
Last season’s average holiday debt was `$1,223`. At about `$111` a week starting today, it is cash by December 21 instead of `$350` in interest.
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If `$111` a week sounds steep, start by finding the money. Our partner below lists 19 places people look.
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· · · Partner Message · · ·
Your money is getting tight and prices are going up, which can make figuring out what to cut back on feel completely overwhelming.
I promise you’re not necessarily “bad” with money; you likely already eat at home, cancel unused subscriptions, and hunt for deals, yet your cash still seems to disappear.
The truth is that even smart people often miss the sneaky, “dumb” money moves that drain their accounts every single day. If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still hitting a wall, it’s time to learn the fix so you can finally keep more cash in your hands.
This is an advertisement.
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Coffee Break Move
Before your second cup, pick one number. What you plan to spend on the holidays, all in. Write it down.
If you are comfortable: open a separate savings bucket and name it December. Set an automatic weekly transfer for your number divided by `11`. Pay for the holidays only from that bucket.
If you are stretched: cut the number until the weekly amount fits, even if it is `$25`. Still carrying last year’s balance? Call the card issuer and ask for a lower rate. LendingTree has found most people who ask get one.
The wrapping paper will still be there in December. So will the bill, unless you start paying it today.
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