Sometimes family traditions make perfect sense. Other times, you're buying $30 children's books for a bunch of 40-year-olds because nobody wants to be the one to suggest stopping.

A caller named Dale recently told "The Ramsey Show" about his family's Christmas spending habits, and personal finance coach Dave Ramsey had some thoughts. Dale explained that his wife's relatives exchange stockings, books, and gifts every year—all 12 recipients are adults. The annual tab? Around $3,000.

Ramsey called the pattern "a never-ending merry-go-round" and urged the couple to inject "a touch of common sense" into their holiday planning before next December rolls around.

Children's Books for Middle-Aged Adults

Dale walked through the specifics. Every Christmas, each adult in the family receives a children's book from "Santa"—a tradition his wife inherited from her grandparents. The recipients include her sister, her father, her sister's kids, and now a baby. Each book costs about $30, bringing the total to $360.

Ramsey zeroed in on the obvious question: why are grown adults still getting picture books? "Once you're 40, you don't really need a children's book," he said.

Dale didn't disagree. "We look at them for 20 seconds and then they just go away," he admitted.

The $1,200 Stocking Problem

The books are just the appetizer. The real expense comes from the stockings, which cost between $200 and $300 each. Dale and his wife, along with her sister, buy and fill most of them. When you add everything up—books, stockings, and other gifts—the couple spends about $3,000 every year.

Here's the kicker: Dale and his wife earn around $210,000 annually. They owe $100,000 on a $200,000 home and have saved about $100,000 for retirement. By any measure, they're in solid financial shape.

But as Dale confessed, "We don't really plan for it even though we know it's coming."

Ramsey did the math. Their $3,000 holiday spending represents only about 1.5% of their household income. "It's not the money," he told Dale. "You've just been going along with something that doesn't make sense anymore."

The Real Issue: No Budget, No Plan

Co-host Rachel Cruze pointed out that Christmas spending was just a symptom of a bigger problem. "You have no planning with your income," she said. "You already said you're not good budgeters. That's why it feels out of control."

Cruze recommended using a written plan or a budgeting app to get their spending under control. The couple doesn't have an income problem—they have a discipline problem.

Ramsey shared that his own family once struggled with similar holiday overspending. Eventually, they simplified things by drawing names for gift exchanges and focusing primarily on the children instead of buying for every single adult.

Fix It Before the Holidays Hit

Ramsey's advice was straightforward: plan your Christmas spending now, not in December. Make a gift list, assign a dollar amount to each name, and stick to the total.

"And then that cash runs out of that envelope. Christmas be over, baby," Ramsey said.

The underlying message wasn't really about cutting back on generosity. It was about taking control of predictable expenses instead of letting tradition and inertia dictate your budget. When you're earning six figures and still feel like your spending is out of control, it's probably time to ask whether those 20-second glances at children's books are worth the financial fog.