Between now and New Year’s is a great time to get good deals on Christmas decorations and other items. A lot of holiday items will not go on sale until the day after Christmas, but some stores are starting to discount items now. If you look in the right place, you can get a bunch of great items for 25, 50, and even 75% off the retail price. Here are a few examples:

Ornaments – I collect ornaments. I use some ornaments for my tree, and I display others in a cabinet throughout the year. If you collect ornaments or are planning to get new ornaments for your tree next year, now is the perfect time to do it. Every year I see new ornaments that I like, but it can get expensive after a while. Waiting till after Christmas to buy the ornaments I want has saved me a lot. Ornaments also make great gifts. My mom collects Hallmark ornaments, and her birthday is in January, so I usually try to pick up a couple of ornaments for her.

Cards – There’s a huge markup on Christmas cards. The day after Christmas, stores will have an entire bin full of discounted Christmas cards. It’s the perfect opportunity to buy ahead for next year.

Wrapping paper, gift bags, and supplies – Why not go ahead and buy extra gift wrapping supplies for next year?

Calendars – I love picking out my new calendar for the year. Usually I buy from the calendar stand that is set up in the middle of the mall. Several years ago I bought my calendars early. I’d see the one I wanted and I’d want to get it before they sold out. But a few years ago, I saw that had a 75% off sale after New Year’s, so I decided I would wait till then from now until. But then last year I was walking through the mall a couple of days after Christmas, and I found that they had already put the calendars on sale. Anyway, if you haven’t bought your calendar for the New Year, wait till after Christmas and check the stand at your local mall for a good deal. If they’re not on sale yet, then check back after New Years’s. Stores like Wal-mart and Target will discount their calendars as well, but they usually wait a little longer.

Christmas decor, trees, clothes, ect. – You can find great deals on all other decor and clothing for yourself or for next year’s Christmas presents. I bought my new Christmas tree the day after Christmas last year. It’s a lovely 6.5 foot tree, and I got it for about $10, and I absolutely love it! As long as you have a place to store it, stock up! (especially if it is something that you’d like to have regardless of the price and if it is something that you would have to buy in the future anyway!)

The holiday season is upon us. Christmas is just three weeks away, and Hanukkah has already begun. Millions of shoppers will rush out to the local mall over the next few weeks and spend hundreds of dollars on presents for friends and loved ones. Unfortunately most everyone will spend more money than they orginally intended.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the holiday season, and I love to watch family members open the gifts that I carefully selected for them. After all this is a season for giving. I also cannot ignore the fact that our crazy spending sprees are great for the economy.

However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to spend beyond your means, even if it is Christmas. A little splurging is okay, but we should all be careful. Unless you have an organized shopping plan and a little time to think things out ahead of time, it is very easy to get carried away, and before you know it, you are either out of cash or you’ve racked up a huge credit card bill. For this reason, I chose to write the following article. It features some tips on how you can save money and lists some inexpensive gift selections. This is a must read for anyone who hasn’t done all their holiday shopping yet:

Tips to Avoid Spending Too Much This Holiday Season