by Janet Donaldson

Created on: November 03, 2009   Last Updated: November 05, 2009

Nobody wants to feel like the Grinch when heading out to shop for Christmas, and with the adrenaline rush of the holidays, it can be a shoppers paradise loaded with sparkling lights and beautiful decorations. So how can we pass up all the shiny sale signs and not overspend?

Before the big holiday push to shop, the biggest decision is how much you can allocate to spend on Christmas, total. Write it down. The amount can change from year to year, so an honest assessment of your current budget is necessary.

Make a list of everyone you will be gifting with presents. Estimate funds to be spent on wrapping paper, cards, stamps, decorations, Christmas dinner, gifts for people at work, stocking stuffers, and donations to organizations to help the less fortunate. These latter expenses are often forgotten and will overrun any budget. Once the basics are calculated, it's time to shop.

Christmas is for kids, so keep them first. We may all be kids at heart, but seeing the sparkling eyes and hearing the shrieks and giggles of little ones on Christmas morning is where the magic lies. Kids do not need everything they see on television commercials, and it's a good time for them to learn that they may not receive everything in life that they may want.

Share lists of ideas with other members of your family. It saves time, energy and the frustration of trying to decide what your kids or grandkids want, and gives you choices for staying within your budget.

For little girls who love clothes, do not retail, re-sale. There are many re-sale shops that have very nice clothes at very low prices. If you are the parent, turning in gently worn but outgrown clothes at these shops, then choosing a few new outfits will stretch your Christmas dollars. If you want to buy clothes retail, shop for them during the week before Christmas. Fall clothing for kids is often being cleared out and sales can be amazingly good, sometimes at 75-80% off the original price.

Gift cards for kids who like to shop can double the fun. If several people in a family give gift cards from the same store, the amount can be fairly low for each, but added together, can make a fun shopping trip to the store where kids can choose their own gifts. It is a lesson in delayed gratification and is also stress-free for the giver and as a bonus, nothing has to be exchanged.

If there is an expensive gift for a child or grandchild and more than one family will be buying for that child, consider pooling your money so it's affordable

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