The holidays are coming up fast this year, I can't believe it's already time to start making lists and checking them twice! One of the traps of Holiday Shopping is overspending so I thought I would cover a few quick and easy ways you can save money and stick to a budget during the Holiday Shopping Season!

Make Your Shopping List Now - One of the biggest downfalls to any budget is impulse purchases so decide now what you want to buy for each person on your holiday shopping list. I use a Gift Shopping List to create a list of everyone that I need to buy a gift for, then I write down 2-3 ideas for each person and I can mark them off the list when I have purchased a gift.

Use Cash - If you're shopping online you can use a Debit Card, or if you're shopping in stores try to take cash with you. This will force you to stick to your list and help you avoid impulse purchases, because let's face it, even if you are buying something on sale if you didn't need it, then you really aren't saving money.

Shop Less Frequently - For me this means shopping online. When I get into the stores I tend to buy more than I do when I'm online, and I often end up buying things I didn't even know I wanted or needed, so staying out of the stores is one way I save money this time of year.

Get Cashback on Online Purchases - BlackFriday.com offers a Cashback program that allows you to earn cash back on purchases you are already planning on making. You can stack this Cashback savings with coupon codes to maximize your savings.

Plan and Prepare - If you are planning to shop the holiday deals online or in stores being prepared is one of the most important factors in saving money. It is important to watch for the ad previews and know what deals are coming up so that you can make sure you are getting the best deal possible!

Each year the online deals start earlier and earlier, so make sure you're getting your list ready and checking it twice, because Black Friday will be here before we know it!

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