My kids finally know Santa isn't real, and I'm thrilled. I can now rein in my holiday budget.

• When my kids were growing up, Christmas was so busy and costly.
• This year, they now know Santa isn't real, so I'm approaching the holiday differently.
• I'm talking with my kids about the budget and letting them organize their wishlist.

It's the first year my kids know Santa isn't real, so I've never been more excited about Christmas.

I was told "the news" by my youngest kid, who cornered me in the kitchen mid-October. She said, "Mom. We know about Santa. You don't have to pretend anymore."

When I tried to argue about believing in the spirit of Christmas, I was shushed. For the first time, I didn't try to push that Santa was real. I just nodded my head. I then noticed a wave of excitement and relief wash over me.

That's when I knew I could cut back this year for the first time.

Christmas was all about making holiday magic — at a high cost

Since my kids were babies, I've tried to make Christmas magical. There have been Christmas outings to see lights, cookie-making, Nutcracker trips, and "Frozen on Ice." If it was holiday-themed, we did it.

Christmas Day would begin with a sea of presents on the living room floor. It was like Christmas consumerism gone bananas.

My husband and I did a lot to make this magic happen, finishing the season exhausted — only to slide into the new year with mountains of debt that lasted until March.

Christmas has only gotten more difficult over the last few years

Over the last three years, my school-aged kids have been suspicious that Santa isn't real. They would try to sneak and find gifts, opening closets and investigating the garage.

On Christmas Day, they would yell out when the "Santa" wrapping paper was different, looking closely to scrutinize the handwriting on gift tags. They were trying to catch us in the act.

I have always loved Christmas, but the holiday started to feel more like a trap and a lot less fun. I couldn't hide it, and I suppose my kids could feel this, lovingly referring to me as the Grinch. Compared to the moms on Instagram who made cookies from scratch and sewed their own stockings, my Scrooge-ness made me feel like a mom failure.

We can now approach holiday budgeting differently

Now that Santa has been unveiled, I find myself looking forward to Christmas more than I have in years. I'm hoping we can scale back this holiday season by setting some guardrails on their Christmas lists and our spending, taking a more practical approach.

We've shared with our kids what a Christmas budget can look like: things they want, need, and big asks.

While having honest budgeting conversations during the holiday season may not seem spirit-filled, our kids are learning that making smart budgeting choices is important all year long.

Of course, we'll still surprise them with a few fun items, Santa-style, but being clear about our budget helps our kids with their own financial literacy.

Honest conversations about the holidays will help us all find more joy in the season

Since Santa is no longer a secret, we hope this helps our family discover what brings true joy and how to be intentional throughout the holidays. In being honest about our budgets and reining in spending, we understand that one person can't make holiday magic; it's something we create together.

We plan to make better holiday decisions, focusing on spending more time together and, most importantly, giving more than we receive.

Christmas has always been a special time for our family. Even though our kids are older, I'm hopeful that we can still experience holiday magic, but with a greater emphasis on meaning. I am excited to create new traditions and memories in the spirit of the season — without any help from Santa.