How the holiday season can snowball

I have written much about the need to plan for holiday spending. So far, I have felt fairly optimistic about how this holiday season is going. However, I am starting to feel the pressure a bit, and how my seasonal spending could possibly snowball. Everything has seemed fairly straightforward up to this point, but now I am starting to realize that there are some other gifts that I had not thought of before (e.g., my sons' teachers--all four of them, my sons' surrogate grandmother). I am also wondering whether I have bought enough for my husband...aaah, I am starting to feel the tug of the emotions playing into my spending patterns. Anytime emotions starting playing into the game, well-thought out plans go out the window. Should I buy more for this person? How much is my spouse spending on me? Should I spend as much on him/her? Am I going to look cheap if I buy just this one item? What's a person to do?

Plan, plan, plan!If ever there was a time when planning was crucial, it's the holiday season. Write out your list of people to buy for. If you are entertaining, write out a proposed menu, and what you will need to buy for the event. 


Budget thyself!What amount of money can you realistically afford to spend without stretching yourself too thin? Shopping with cash can help you keep within budget, if you are actually visiting bricks and mortar stores. Don't lean on the credit cards too much to help complete your lists. The post-holiday hangover has a nasty effect when those bills start rolling in.

Stay organized! Keep track of what you are buying. (this is especially important for people who shop all year) Periodically take out your gifts and separate them into piles, and see what you actually have. It's amazing how easy it is to forget what you have bought, then realize you have purchased too much for that special someone.

Take a deep breath. Try not to get caught up in overblown expectations. Realize that most of the cliches about gift giving are true. It's not what you buy, but the sentiment behind it. Keep in mind that a month from now, your special someone is not going to hate you because you didn't buy that one extra thing.