Lou Scatigna, a financial planner, radio host and author of The Financial Physician assures that with some minor adjustments, there are ways to relieve the financial stress and get back to enjoying the holidays again.

 The tension of the holiday season is here!  Your overly competitive girl friend who is an organizational wiz is already talking about how she has finished all of her holiday shopping and was able to stay within her budget.  Yay her! But you still have no idea what to get your kids, your boo, or your super perfect (so she thinks) best friend.

Around this time of year I always reflect on how I wished the holiday season could be a time of happiness and festivities, without all the drama and pressure of shopping and the impending brokednness that ensues.  I almost wish that I was that perfect friend who got all the hard labor out of the way early and is now able to enjoy the holiday care free.  Lou Scatigna, a financial planner, radio host and author of The Financial Physician argues that with some minor adjustments us regular achievers can enjoy a happy holidays and save money.  Here are a few of his tips to step back and realistically tackle the holiday season:

1. Honestly evaluate your current financial situation and determine how much you can spend without going into significant debt.
2. Give yourself a credit card budget to your holiday debt low.
3. Discuss with your children that holiday expenses will be low during tough financial times, and instead of focusing on gifts find great inexpensive family activities to do during the holidays.
4. Use the internet.  You can find great deals because online stores don’t have to worry about overhead.
5. Instead of buying 3 or 4 expensive gifts, buy a larger number of inexpensive ones.
6. Restrict gift buying to your immediate family.  Having ten first cousins and 5 aunts and uncles can really add up.
7. Start a holiday club bank account to save up money for next year.

Following these great 7 steps will ensure that you don’t over stress the monetary part of the holiday season.  And it also helps teach your children a valuable lesson of managing money and working with your budget rather against it.