Start early to give yourself the time needed to make a plan. Create an overall spending limit and stick to it. Ask yourself how much you want and can afford to spend. This includes not only gifts but other things such as wrapping paper, food, decorations, cards and postage, year-end tips/gifts to service providers (i.e., mail carriers), donations, and travel to visit friends and relatives. Make a list of everything you need to buy and monitor your spending. If you spend more than planned in one area, try to cut back somewhere else. Check for special prices for items that are advertised on the Internet and/or via e-mails. Merchants are increasingly going online to advertise their best deals. Plan to pay off anything that you charge for the holidays in January or within two to three months at the latest.
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