Now that we are in November and Halloween is behind us, there is no time like the present to plan to stick within your budget for the holidays.  It will be no time at all before you’ll be making holiday plans and having expenditures on everything from Thanksgiving prep, Black Friday sales and presents for the whole family. In the moment, it can be easy to overspend and rack up holiday debt you’ll be paying off well into next year, which can burden your credit report and make qualifying for a mortgage for a new home in Atlanta more difficult. Instead of spending at will and ending up in debt, set a plan to help you curb spending through the hectic holidays. To ensure your success CNBC offers, “6 expert tips to help you create a holiday budget you can live with.”

As a part of planning ahead, considering what events you need to shop for, such as a Thanksgiving meal, or people you need to shop for is key. This gives you time to think of gifts that fit into your budget rather than waiting until the last minute and impulse shopping. Plan ahead for everything and everyone you might need to buy for, and then set dollar amounts so you can stay on budget and avoid last-minute high-priced purchases.

Once you have planned your overall budget, you have to stick to it for it to be a success and to keep from breaking the bank. One way you can easily do this is to create a separate holiday spending account so that you aren’t tempted to reach into savings to splurge on something when the sales come around.  This way, you can build up your funds for it during the year with direct deposits or savings, and you can be comfortable in knowing that your holiday spending won’t hurt your normal funds. If you don’t spend all of it, you can even roll it over to next year or use what is left as a bonus for yourself!

There are plenty of additional ways you can save by planning for both holiday shopping and everyday budgets and expenditures. Let us know how your budget for the holidays works out!