Why is it that we place so much stress on ourselves at Christmas time? We know that Christmas comes every 12 months so we could give ourselves an easier time if we put a bit of thought into our spending habits.
Try to spread Christmas out over the whole year if you can.
Always have a list in your purse of the people you usually buy for at Christmas and when you buy that person a gift, cross them off your list and write down where you have hidden the gift! I have lost count of the times I have bought gifts then put them away and forgotten about them.
January Sales If you are organised you can start your Christmas spending in the January sales.
Leave some money aside just for this.
You can usually buy all your Christmas cards and wrapping paper etc at less than half price.
There will also be lots of unsold Christmas gifts to buy and put away for next Christmas.
Most stores just don't have the storage facilities and want to offload their old stock.
This is how you can get a head start and start saving yourself stress for the following Christmas season.
Bargains Many shops have sales at various times throughout the year so you can make the most of them when you can afford it.
Between April and September you will usually find car boot sales where you can pick up loads of bargains to put away.
Also keep an eye out for little bits and pieces you could use to make your own personal gifts.
Pretty boxes, ribbons and gift bags will always come in handy.
Occasionally, you can find bargains in the 'pound shops' sometimes there is just rubbish but keep searching regularly and you may find the hidden treasures you can use as stocking fillers.
Look at shopping on a budget as a challenge to make it more fun.
Give Your Time You don't always have to spend money on gifts.
You can give a gift of your time.
There are many people with small children who would love to accept the gift of babysitting for a certain number of nights or to have a special meal cooked by someone else.
Elderly people who have nobody to help with those small jobs that never get done would welcome your time instead of more trinkets.
All you need to do is to write a note of promise inside their Christmas card.
Even for children, a promise of a trip to the park, to play a board game, to cook some sweets or biscuits would be a great gift.
Use your imagination.
Don't forget those that care for the elderly, they would also relish a break.
All of this costs next to nothing.
Just your time.
Think of what skills you have that may be of benefit to others.
Cut Down on Spending Contact all your family early enough and suggest that everyone puts a limit of say, £5 or £10 per gift per person.
That way there will be no over-spending and most people should be able to manage this within their budget.
Alternatively, suggest that instead of spending on each other's children people just spend on their own children.
Also, a good idea would be not to buy for the adults this year.
I am sure that most other people would feel relieved at this suggestion as money is tight for most people and many people's jobs are unsecure with the credit crunch.
This way you would all save money and be less likely to get into debt.
Spend more time together and enjoy each other's company instead - try playing board games or something similar that everyone would enjoy and have fun doing.
You can still have fun at Christmas time without spending money.
Don't Get Carried Away It is possible to have a wonderful Christmas season without spending too much and conforming to the consumer mentality.
In past years we have been swallowed up by the marketing and advertising hype that surrounds Christmas time.
This year, keep it simple, don't go over your budget - it is not worth getting into debt for.