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1. Budget out the total amount of money you can afford to spend on the entire holiday. Don't go into debt if you cannot afford to spend for the holidays, make phone calls or sent cards as a token of appreciation to a friend or family member.
2. Make A list, including everything from gifts to parties.
3. Now make individual lists: one for gifts, one for dinners, and one for parties.
4. Review sales papers for the prices of everything on your list.
5. Comparison shop for everything on your list right from the comfort of your own home. If you don't take the newspaper visit your local library and use their copy.
6. Enter a store only when you have a list and the total amount you plan to spend. It is best to use cash in seperate envelopes and carry a small calculator or just add up your purchases with a pen and paper as you shop.
7. Use a credit card ONLY if your credit card spending is well under control, you tract what you charge, and you pay it off immediately.
8. Review your spending at the end of the shopping day.
9. If you overspend in one area deduct that from another area you planned to spend money on.
10. Last but not least, the best things in life ARE free, a local phone call, a self-made card telling someone how much you appreciate them, a trip to the park with your kids, etc., you can add to this free list with your favorite free things to do.

Lois Center-Shabazz is the founder of MsFinancialSavvy.com and author of the 3-time award-winning personal finance book, Let's Get Financial Savvy! ISBN #0971979502.

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