As soon as the calendar flips to November, holiday decorations begin appearing in stores with the not-so-subtle reminder that we only have a few short weeks to make this the most perfect holiday season ever.

Give yourself a break this year.

Instead of rushing head-long into the holiday shopping frenzy, take some time to really think about HOW you want to enjoy the holidays this year. Do you want to make this a quiet season of reflection and time with family and close friends or is this the year to make it a big occasion with parties, presents and travel plans? Why not talk about it as a family? Find out what everyone’s expectations are, talk about what else is going on in your or your family life that might impact what you do and how much you do, and then decide TOGETHER what you would like to do – or not do – this year to celebrate the holidays.

Once you know what sort of holiday season this will be for your family, take a few minutes to think about how much money you’ll want to spend making it the holidays you envisioned. There are three major categories of spending during the holiday season:

If you’re still dealing with unexpected debt from last year’s holiday season take the first step by learning how you can Handle the Hangover of Holiday Overspending.

For this year, let’s look at each area of holiday spending and come up with a plan for managing your expenses.