Cutting down on holiday spending, doesn't have to mean cutting down on holiday fun. Here are twelve ways to plan a fun and affordable holiday:

    1. Create a Budget

    A cheaper Christmas starts with a solid spending plan. Look over your finances, and decide how much you can afford to spend on Christmas. Then, divide this amount among your various Christmas expenses – gifts, food, decorations, etc.

    2. Make a Gift List

    Bring focus to your gift spending by creating a list of all the people you plan to shop for. Then, set a spending limit for each person, and jot down gift ideas before heading out to shop.

    3. Trim Down Your Gift List

    Have more people on your gift list than you can afford to buy for? Then, it's time to give that list a trim. Look over your current list, and decide whom you have to shop for and whom you don't. Remember: a shorter Christmas list is always better than adding debt and stress to your life.

    4. Start Early

    Black Friday may be the official start to the Christmas shopping season, but it doesn't have to be the start to yours. Start shopping for gifts as soon as you can afford to do so, and you'll have more time to bargain shop and feel less pressure to buy at any price.

    5. Shop Smart

    Giving a nice gift doesn't have to mean spending a lot, so shop with your budget in mind:

    6. Shop Second-Hand

    There's no rule that says gifts have to be bought new. Scour thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets and other second-hand sources for gift-worthy items at prices well below retail. Just a few possibilities: unburned candles, antiques, collectibles, vintage jewelry and books.

    7. Make It Yourself

    Homemade gifts are every bit as nice as store-bought gifts, and sometimes nicer. Put your creativity to work, and knock off everyone on your gift list.

    8. Don't Shop for Yourself

    All of those holiday deals make it easy to adopt a "one for me; one for you" mentality. Set a rule that you'll only shop for the people on your list – and not yourself. The pay off: less stuff in your house and more money in the bank.

    9. Skip the Christmas Cards

    Christmas cards are nice, but the cost can really add up. First you've got to buy the cards; then, you've got to pay for all the postage to mail them. Double ouch! To make your Christmas budget go further, consider skipping the Christmas cards this year, or at least trim your mailing list down to a more manageable size. Still attached to the tradition of sending cards? Here are several ways that you can minimize the expense:

    10. Skip the Pricey Gift Wrap

    Gift wrap has gotten so expensive – sometimes adding as much as $5 to the cost of a present. Wow! Fortunately, it only takes a bit of creativity to avoid this expense entirely:

    削減你節日的開支并不意味著削減你節日的快樂。這里有十個方案可以幫助你度過更愉快更'便宜'的節日。

    1、整理預算

    一個實惠的圣誕節開始于一個有預算的消費清單。查看你的經濟情況，然后決定在這個圣誕節你將支出消費。這個清單中包括你所有需要購買的東西--禮物，食物，裝飾品等等。

    2、列出你的禮品清單

    當你在準備出發前往商場購買禮物之前，讓我們好好想想，這個節日，你需要買些什么禮物送給你的親朋好友，列一個友人清單吧，你會發現它大有裨益。

    3、整理你的黎平清單

    哦！天那，有太多的人被列到了你的清單里，但你又怎有這么多的錢，來負擔這些呢？現在就是我們給這個清單做一個縮水的過程了。想想看，誰是你必須要送的人，而誰則不是，記住一個縮減的圣誕節清單要遠遠好與應為圣誕節而積累下的債務，將你日后的日子壓的喘不過氣來。

    4、早點做準備

    黑色星期五也許就是多數人開始為圣誕節購物的日子了，但是這里面決不包括你。開始購物之前先要考慮那正是你的承擔范圍之內的事情，而不是讓價格的壓力束縛你。

    5、購物時髦

    購買精致的禮品并不就意味著你就要花費很多的錢，所以在你的腦瓜里，先列出清單吧。

    6、去二手市場看看

    并沒有誰規定過禮物一定要是新的。去逛逛跳蚤市場或者二手市場也是你的選擇，美麗的禮物，實惠的價格。可以是為燃的蠟燭，古董，老樣式的珠寶，或者是書。

    7、自己動手做

    自己做的禮品總要精美于商店里貨品架上的，發揮你的想像里，并把它列在你的禮品清單里。

    8、沒必要自己親自去購物

    所有這些為你準備的建議會讓你的節日過的輕松而愉快，列出一個清單，只需要在別人購買的時候給他們帶上你的清單，而不是你自己去。對你更少的壓力，存更多的錢在銀行。

    9、跳過卡片的節目

    圣誕節的卡片真是美麗，但是擁有就意味著消費的上漲。削減你的卡片支出可以為你減輕更多的經濟壓力。

    10、跳出昂貴節日禮物的束縛

    禮品的價格越來越貴，有的價格要比平時貴出5美元多，喔！幸運的是，你，我都可以來一點小小的創意，跳出昂貴價格的陷阱。