For those of us who still believe in Santa, we know he not only makes a list, but he checks it twice. This is the most frequently-given advice by experts to control holiday spending. Think of this as a holiday spending plan and stick to it. Try using an online shopping list calculator that helps you organize your list, calculate the total and lets you print it to take with you when you shop. Catalogue It appears that some shoppers are budgeting their time as carefully as their money.
Smart shoppers use the Web to browse for gifts and compare prices.
Some will then order the gifts either online or over the phone. The payoff is time saved by avoiding traffic jams, parking lot hassles and crowds at the mall. You'll also save money by avoiding eating out, which is commonly an added expense of holiday shopping trips. If you must use a credit card, carry just one card and use it for all of your purchases. Spreading purchases on several cards makes it easier to overspend and rack up more debt.