financial hangovers exist: how to prevent one
where most perfectionists (including past-me) get it wrong with vacation budgeting
One of the biggest sources of financial anxiety for me (in my early 20s at least) were holidays and travelling.
Yet here I am, having wrapped up an incredible week in Brazil and while scrolling through my expenses this morning, I realised something that might sound counterintuitive: the boring budgeting work I did before this trip is exactly what's letting me fully enjoy it now.
So how am I staying present and enjoying every moment while most people come home to a financial hangover worse than any you'd get from caipirinhas? (Which, by the way, are unreal.)
Let's break down why the supposedly boring approach to vacation budgeting is actually your ticket to freedom, not restriction. I'll walk you through it – science, personal fails, and all.
Mindset shift: a “freedom” budget
The old approach: doing maths instead of enjoying your holiday. Freaking out in every restaurant. Not paying for experiences because you’re anxious about your last 10 transactions.
The science: Research from the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that money monitoring (constantly checking your balance/spending) during enjoyable experiences significantly decreases happiness and increases stress hormones.
✅ The freedom approach: Do your budgeting BEFORE the trip – then separate your money into three accounts/envelopes:
Necessities (accommodations, transportation)
Daily Spending (food, small activities)
Memory Makers (special experiences)
Once you've done this prep work, you've given yourself permission to spend exactly what's in those buckets without the anxiety.
And financially, sometimes all we need is permission from ourselves to not feel anxiety.
This approach works because it targets my perfectionist need for control while eliminating the decision fatigue that ruins your holiday vibes.
Being a Financial Hot Girl is about managing your physical, mental AND financial wellness. Travel anxiety isn't just financial – it's physical too. The airplane hack that's been saving my health this trip:
The 20/20/20 Method
Every 20 minutes of flight time:
Drink 20 sips of water
Do 20 seconds of subtle stretching (ankle circles, shoulder rolls, neck stretches)
Dehydration at altitude is up to 4x worse (!!!) than at ground level. Those 20 sips approximately equal 230ml of water every hour – the minimum recommended to counteract the dehydrating cabin air.
Also, micro-movements help prevent blood clots and reduce muscle stiffness that leads to post-flight exhaustion (which often triggers impulse spending because you're too tired to find the better-priced options).
I arrived with actual energy instead of feeling like a human raisin who blew their holiday budget in duty free 💀
Soundbites you missed out on 🎧
Juggling Career, Business & Home Life—How Women Manage It All | Ep. 64
It was International Women’s Day yesterday and in honour of that, Farah and I were chatting about the many, many hats women wear in this day and age. Multipassionate-ism (I made up that word) is my favourite topic, and in my humble opinion women do it best. Listen here.
FHG Social Club
Lots of feedback and initial interest from you guys on a financial hot girl social club. If you’re even mildly curious, I’d love to know your thoughts - no commitment, just an interest check:
FHG DIGITAL SOCIAL CLUB: INTEREST CHECK
Have a great week!
Devamsha xo
💬 This week’s comment prompts:
What's your most anxiety inducing "I'm budgeting too hard on vacation" moment? Mine was definitely when I ate protein bars in my hostel room so I wouldn't have to buy breakfast. (The local pastries would have been worth every cent.)
If money was no object, what's the ONE travel experience on your bucket list?
Quick poll: Are you team "plan every detail" or team "wing it and see what happens" when you travel? Or a hybrid?
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some ways I could (hopefully) help you:
Become a creator the clever way:
Grab my free Strategic Niche framework (The exact method I used to find my sweet spot)
Get 15% off the Part-Time Creator Guide (Because you don't have to quit your job to build something amazing)
Book a 1:1 coaching call, we'll audit and map out your unique path to standing out online.