There’s nothing quite like witnessing the awe and excitement when kids come downstairs on Christmas morning to see a pile of presents under the tree, or the joy of presenting a Hanukkah gift that your child has been begging for. In fact, people can get so caught up in these special moments that they’ll spend any amount of money to ensure gift recipients are pleased. Unfortunately, this often leads to rampant overspending, made all the more likely by the many sales that encourage holiday shoppers to blow their money on great deals for items they don’t really need. We’ve all been caught in this trap. But there are ways to save this holiday season and reach the New Year without having to take a second mortgage on your home in order to pay credit card debt.
Start with a budget. If you want to save money you absolutely must set a budget and find ways to stick to it. If you start spending willy-nilly, you’re going to go overboard. With a budget in place you can calculate how much you need to spend on each person, shift allocations if you end up spending a little more or less than anticipated, and come in at or under your budget by the end of the holiday shopping season.