Ease the pressure of frenzied purchases

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 2004

This year, Credit Counselors, Richmond, Va., is giving its holiday gift a bit early--tips designed to help ease the pressure of holiday spending, so families can enjoy a very merry season.

Create a holiday budget. Make lists of gifts, decorations, and food items you need to buy. Be sure to include all holiday expenses, such as cards, postage, and gift wrap. Set limits on the how much you plan to spend. Create columns to track the amount you actually spent and the manner in which each item was paid for (cash or credit).

Plan when to shop. Running around on lunch hours and evenings after work, or shopping with young children, is exhausting and can be unproductive. Arrange to trade babysitting with a friend or take a day off to shop. Go early in the day, when malls are less crowded. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday often are the best times to avoid mob scenes. This will help you stay organized, so you stick to your budget.

Compare prices. To look for a specific gift, call several stores ahead of time or shop the Internet. Head for the malls, where you have a choice of stores. If you find the perfect gift at the perfect price but you must come back to buy it later, write down the name of the store. It's easy to forget where you saw an item.

Be a savvy shopper. Read the newspapers and flyers for sales and specials on the day you are going to shop. Catalogues provide excellent gift-giving ideas as well.

Track your spending. Take a predetermined amount of money with you to keep from overspending. If you use a credit card, paper-clip an index card to it and write down each purchase. Use just one credit card for holiday purchases--perhaps the one with the lowest interest rate.