The holidays are officially here, and that means it’s time to do some serious shopping!! Just kidding… sort of. The holiday season is the season of giving, and it’s normal to want to give gifts to friends and family, especially after this crazy year.

It’s really easy to go overboard with holiday shopping when there are so many sales and so much pressure to give gifts and give back. As a result, most of us tend to overdo it and feel that icky post-holiday guilt when we look at our credit card bills in the new year.

Today, I’m going to be sharing 5 of my favorite holiday shopping tips to help you keep your spending in check while still giving generously to all the people in your family that are important to you!

5 Holiday Spending Tips

1. Map out who you’re going to buy for

It’s the season of generosity… but there is such a thing as being too generous. You don’t need to give everyone you know a gift! Think about the people who are most important to you, and who have made the biggest impact on your life this year. If you do want to give gifts to a lot of people, be sure to list out exactly who you’re going to give to so that you have a clear idea of how many gifts you’ll be buying.

2. Plan what you’ll buy for each person

When you know who you’re buying for and what you plan to buy them, you can set a realistic budget for your holiday shopping. Additionally, mapping out what exactly you plan to buy will help you avoid overspending on random things because they’re on sale.

3. Shop around

Since you know what you plan to buy, you can do a little research to find the best price. Whether it be buying something from a third-party seller or taking advantage of a Black Friday deal, the additional planning will help you save money and take advantage of all the sales without overdoing it.

4. Don’t procrastinate

Nothing is worse than holiday shopping on December24th. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to overspend because you’re in a rush. You’re also much more prone to buying gifts that aren’t genuine and simply buying things for the sake of giving, rather than buying things with intention.

5. Track your spending!

It’s so easy to lose track of how much you spend during the holiday season. Picking up an extra gift here or there can really add up if you are doing it often. Tracking your spending will bring awareness to just how much you’re spending, and allow you to stop before it goes too far.

In Closing

The holiday is the season of giving, and this year everyone could use a little extra holiday spirit. But remember, the holidays aren’t about gifts, and no one wants to receive a gift knowing that it’s putting you in financial strain. This year, focus on being really intentional with your gift-giving and make every gift special. A little extra planning will not only help your budget, but it will make the entire process simpler and more fulfilling because you know you’re going to be giving gifts that people want and love!

Happy holidays!