8 Tips To Help You Control Holiday Spending

It can be easy to go overboard on holiday shopping. But with some planning and budgeting, celebrating doesn't have to vacuum up all your cash or leave you maxed on on your credit cards. Use these eight practical tips to ensure you stay on budget for the new year, rather than getting wrapped up in holiday spending.

1. Set Holiday Spending Limits

Give your credit card and your mind a holiday by limiting what you buy to what can safely come out of your bank account. Use this opportunity to create or get your budget into fighting shape, and use it to decide how much money you can afford to spend.

The money you can reasonably spend on gifts is money that isn't going to bills. That said, if you want to have a little more to spend, this doesn't have to be just the money left over at the end of the month. You can also use funds you would normally spend elsewhere, such as on your morning latte. As long as you are using cash (not cash advances from credit cards) without spending your rent money, you are doing great.

2. Make Your Own 'Naughty or Nice' List

Santa has to buy presents for the whole world, but you don't. If your shopping list includes more than five people outside of your immediate family, start cutting it.

Then, bake some cookies to give to all the people you snipped from your original gift list. This will ensure you spread the holiday cheer and keep you from looking like Scrooge.

3. Be Realistic About Your Budget

Your older brother paid off his student loans five years ago, and he always gets you the fanciest presents. However, if you are in a different place in your financial life, don't feel you have to follow suit.

If you have any doubts as to whether those on your list will appreciate the less expensive presents you buy them, think back to what your friends and family gave to you when their budgets were tighter. There's no doubt that you'll both be better friends in the new year if you're not creating debt loads for each other this year.

4. Become a Coupon and Coupon Code Collector

Sales aren't the only way to get great deals on the gifts you want for your friends or family. Before you shop online, perform a quick web search for coupon codes for your favorite online stores.

Before you shop in local stores, comb through the coupons you received in your mailbox. While you search through the flyers, make sure to comparison-shop for the item you're interested in. Savings can happen just by keeping your eyes peeled for deals.

5. Give the Gift of Your Time

Mom and dad (or other far-away family and friends) might love nothing more than a visit from you. Another idea? Writing up a "free night of babysitting" card for family and friends with young children, or "good for a home-cooked meal" certificate for your widowed uncle that can be used when the time is right.

6. Build Better Spending Habits

Get over the how-am-I-going-to-pay-off-my-credit-cards-next-month anxiety by giving yourself the gift of developing new-and-improved spending habits.

For example, for every dollar you spend on gifts, find a way to remove that dollar from your regular spending. Around the holidays, you can use those savings to buy presents, but next month—and the rest of the year—what you save can go into your emergency fund.

7. Provide Personalized Gifts

A small, thoughtful gift is worth more than an expensive gift that someone may never use. Avoid the impulse to shop at trendy stores and start the holiday by taking a moment to think about what those on your list could really use.

For example, if your sister loves to bake but can't get the hang of homemade pie crusts, you could buy her a simple pastry-making tool for less than $10 and include a copy of a foolproof recipe.

8. Organize Group Volunteering, not Holiday Parties

Your friends probably struggle with overspending as much as you do over the holidays. Give them the relief of forgoing buying gifts for you by organizing a group volunteer day instead. It's possible to volunteer virtually, too. You'll come out of the day feeling proud of your efforts rather than suffering from buyer's remorse, and anyone can benefit from volunteering.

The Bottom Line

Don't let your debt become the Grinch that robs the fun from your holiday season. Base your gift buying on sentiment rather than dollar value and avoid giving yourself a year-round debt headache. If you can follow these tips, when your holiday bank and credit card statements arrive in the New Year, you'll find yourself singing "Joy to the World" all over again.