9.) Be Budget Conscious

9.) Be Budget Conscious

A very common occurrence with many people during the holidays is the problem of overspending. Of course everyone wants to make those they care for as happy as possible by getting them their every whim. But this just isn't realistic. Especially with the rising costs that surround our life. If you haven't set a clear-cut budget for your holiday spending, DO IT! Not only that, but you MUST STICK WITH IT. Spending more than what you have is easy to do. And those that have an extensive line of credit, it becomes even easier to go over budget. An important fact to keep in your mind is that just because the money is available to you doesn't mean you HAVE to spend it. Even Santa makes a list and checks it twice :-) You should do the same. And, if you have a big list of gifts that must be bought, why not try using the good old "hat trick"! Write down each persons name on a small scrap of paper and put it inside a hat. Have each family member then select one of the paper scraps. This will be the person they must buy a gift for. That will in turn spread about the shopping responsibility throughout the family and reduce the amount of stress on you.