1. Plan, plan, plan. The reason that most people end up with large credit card balances in January is because they don't prepare before they go shopping in November and December. Make a list of those who you plan to buy for and set a limit on how much to spend for each.

2. Pay cash. This is the hardest thing for people to do, but much of this takes place in the planning stages a year ahead. Join the Christmas Club at your bank, or simply set aside $50-$100 each month in a coffee can specifically earmarked for Christmas. Then, when you start shopping during the holiday season, you can only spend what you have in cash, leading to the next point...

3. Leave the credit card at home. This is as tempting to a shopper/spender as any other addiction. If something is $45 and you have only $35 left, you have to pass it up. No excuse or reason should intervene. However, with a credit card in your wallet, it becomes too easy to give in to yourself: "Well, it's only 10 extra bucks!" Think back to the last few holiday seasons. How many times each year did you tell yourself only ten extra bucks? Exactly.

4. Cost is not always proportional to happiness. You can almost hear the late Don LaFontaine saying it now: In a world where money buys happiness... It's not true. There is no need to tell yourself that you have to mortgage your future over that specially-advertised toy because it costs $100. We don't need to play Keep Up with The Joneses and we should teach out kids the same. But, so many times we convince ourselves that the more we spend the better they feel. Actually, the more we spend the less guilty we feel for whatever reason. Get out of that cycle and enjoy what Christmas is truly all about!