Everyone seems to spend more money at Christmas time than they would like to. In fact, a quarter of all personal spending in the United States is done during the holiday season.  The gift list grows as families grow, and the Christmas budget suffers.  But you don’t have to be a Scrooge; there are ways to save on your gift shopping and giving.

Christmas comes on the same day every year. It’s never a surprise, so it should be easy to plan ahead. Keep your gift recipients in mind all year long, making a gift list early and keeping your eyes open while you’re shopping throughout the year. Then, when you do your everyday shopping you’ll notice just the right gift for someone on your list, and you can buy it ahead of time.

That perfect gift may even be on sale. Make your gift budget go twice as far when you find two-for-one clearance deals. You can give the same item as a gift if the two recipients are completely unrelated, or buy one for yourself and give one as a gift. Save big on the after-Christmas sales and get a jump on next year’s shopping.

You may already peruse the sale flyers and clip coupons, but keeping gift-giving in mind while you do it can save you money.  Use coupons in combination with sale prices when you can and save even more. Newsletters often include special offers and discounts; sign up at your favourite department stores or online.

Since you’re keeping your Christmas list in mind all year long, you may find the perfect gift at a yard or garage sale at a crazy low price. Many times yard sale items are new, in the original package and unopened.  But the item doesn’t have to be new to be appreciated.  What better way to find a totally unique gift, especially for someone who collects a particular type of item or who has off-the-wall tastes.