^{Posted by: MandaJuice}

Looking back, I can't honestly remember a Christmas during which Dave and I didn't overspend.  It's just something we do.  We get caught up in the spirit, we fail to anticipate every expense and every January, I open my credit card bill and my jaw drops.  Sometimes it's only a couple hundred dollars over budget; sometimes we spend twice as much as planned.  Of course, I technically COULD keep track of my spending as I'm doing it, but I'm not sure it would change much.  That would just mean my jaw would be dropping all over the place in December and there'd be one less surprise in January.

This year is even more expensive than usual because we're decorating the house for the first time.  We've never put up outdoor decorations before and we have a much bigger tree than usual, so there have been many, many trips to Target even though we have yet to purchase a single gift.  We're also having a Christmas party for the first time and I've spent extra money to get the house ready for that as well.  I'm hoping next year we'll be able to spend significantly less.

There are tons of ways to save for Christmas, from opening those great penny-saver Christmas bank accounts to simply buying your Christmas gifts every month of the year instead of waiting until December.  Our method of choice has usually been two-fold:

1. Dave gets a Christmas bonus every year.  Every year we TRY to limit our spending to the amount of his bonus, but like I said, that's never happened.
2. Instead of saving a monthly "Christmas" amount, we pad our savings account with Dave's performance bonuses (which are separate from the Christmas check) and pull from that as needed when the Visa bill arrives in January.

Last year we fell into the trap of buying WAY too many toys for our then-3-year-old, Alex.  It took him almost two hours to open everything and instead of enjoying what he got, he just wanted more.  This year we're limiting our spending and focusing more on the experience of the holiday than on the stuff itself.  I hope it works.

More Holiday Gift Ideas in the Yule Blog:
Young and school-age kids:
Baby Gifts: Socks, Pants & Other Clothing for the Bottom Half
Dear Santa -- Love, 1-Year-Old Baby Boy
Dear Santa -- Love, 4-Year-Old Boy
Mama's Predictions for the Hot Toys for Christmas 2007
Tweens and teens:
Gifts for Too-Cool Tweens and Teenagers
More Christmas 2007 Gift Ideas for Teens and Tweens
Adults:
This Mom's Favorite Buys of the Year
Dear Santa -- Love, Mommy
Dear Santa -- Love, Daddy
Mom and Dad's Gift to Each Other: Redecorating the Bedroom
Mom's Culinary Wish List
Specialty gifts:
Gifts for Foodies Under $25
Where to Buy Handmade Gifts
Homemade Holiday Gifts
Where to Find Unique, Innovative Gifts
Hanukkah Gift Ideas for All Ages